Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Science and Innovation Funding

Wednesday 25 June 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Rachael Maskell inquired about the BioYorkshire project in York and North Yorkshire, which needs 67 million for facilities and is expected to generate 215 million back into the economy.
  • Dr Danny Chambers asked about measures to prevent UK tech start-ups from relocating to Silicon Valley, citing job losses and tax revenue loss.
  • The Government highlighted the industrial strategy published on Monday, focusing on providing finance access to start-ups to help them grow in the UK.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rachael Maskell Labour (Co-op) York Central
Science & Technology
Context

The Chancellor has announced increases in the R&D budget, which will benefit York constituency. BioYorkshire is a national leader in the bioeconomy set to create 4,000 jobs over a decade.

Question

York and North Yorkshire is a national leader in the bioeconomy with BioYorkshire creating 4,000 jobs. The project needs £67 million for facilities but will generate £215 million back into the economy. When will the science plan recognise this impact? Can we have a meeting about the BioYorkshire project?

Answer from The Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms (Chris Bryant)

My hon. Friend is right that it is a brilliant project precisely the kind of thing the UK excels at: we manage to get the private sector working with Government and local government to deliver not only jobs but real innovation. As the Secretary of State is not here today, I am sure I can offer my hon. Friend the opportunity of a meeting with him.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify when the science plan will recognise the impact of BioYorkshire.

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Q2 Danny Chambers Lib Dem Winchester
Economy Science & Technology Business & Trade
Context

Tech start-ups are leaving the UK for Silicon Valley, costing jobs and tax revenue.

Question

Over the past decade many tech start-ups have left the UK and gone to silicon valley, which costs the UK a huge amount in jobs and tax revenue. What are the Government doing to ensure that start-ups currently at seed stage stay in the UK and grow here so that we avoid the UK becoming an intellectual property farm for other countries to harvest?

Answer from The Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms (Chris Bryant)

One really important part of the industrial strategy we published on Monday and the sector plans within it is that we identified a problem many people in the UK face, which is that they have a really good idea but cannot take it to market because they do not have access to finance, in particular to capital, unless they are in London—and sometimes unless they are a man. We want to change all that, which is why we have said categorically that we are giving the British Business Bank much more significant power to be able to invest in these sectors.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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