Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Research and Development Funding and Horizon Europe

18 April 2023 · 7 other contributors · 9,123 words

Opened by Paul Blomfield Lab Sheffield Central

Responding minister: Paul Scully

BrexitScience & Technology

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Paul Blomfield raised concerns about research and development funding and horizon europe in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Mr Blomfield expressed concern over potential loss of UK association with Horizon Europe affecting research projects at the University of Sheffield.
  • Mr Blomfield urged the Government to secure favourable terms for UK association with Horizon Europe and questioned details of the Pioneer programme.
  • The Minister for Investment announced the creation of a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to strengthen the UK's position in science and technology by 2030.

Key requests to Government

Mr. Blomfield urged the Government to take advantage of the opportunity to associate with Horizon Europe, seeking reassurance from the Minister regarding the commitment to secure 'the right terms' for association. He also questioned the funding details and certainty of the Pioneer programme as a potential alternative to Horizon Europe.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Paul Blomfield Lab Sheffield Central

Mr. Blomfield expressed concern about the potential loss of UK association with Horizon Europe, citing examples such as the University of Sheffield's advanced manufacturing research centre, which received vital European funding for its partnership with Boeing and Rolls-Royce. He also highlighted the gene therapy innovation and manufacturing centre at the same university, funded by EU money and leveraging private investment to develop treatments for patients. Mr. Blomfield mentioned that Professor Mimoun Azzouz's project would lose out on ERC synergy grants if the UK is reduced to third-country participation in Horizon Europe.

Other contributors (7)
  • Andrew Slaughter Lab Hammersmith and Chiswick

    Imperial College London, a world-renowned university, heavily relies on Horizon Europe for its research projects. The college has access to over €2.2 billion worth of collaborative Horizon 2020 projects, averaging 16 partner organisations per project and receiving funding at a scale of 27 times their own financial awards. Imperial's White City campus is an innovation district that collaborates with Hammersmith and Fulham Council on industrial strategies. The UK risks losing its position in the global R&D hierarchy if it does not rejoin Horizon Europe, as only 40% of Imperial's research papers with a US collaborator have no European co-author.

  • Daniel Zeichner Lab Cambridge

    Everywhere I go in Cambridge, the issue that is raised is collaboration. Collaboration is crucial for UK science and research to thrive.

  • Margaret Ferrier

    There are concerns about the UK's willingness to join Horizon Europe fully and worries that delays may push UK-based researchers to move operations out of Britain, leading to a loss of talent.

  • Margaret Greenwood Lab Wirral West

    Horizon Europe, with a budget of €95.5 billion, aims to address climate change and achieve UN sustainable development goals. The UK's future association is unclear despite recent negotiations. Concerns include the return of £1.6 billion previously allocated for Horizon Europe association, despite promises to protect R&D budgets.

  • Owen Thompson SNP Midlothian

    Scotland has a long history of scientific and technological discovery, with Midlothian leading in research across various disciplines. Despite the Government's efforts on Horizon Europe guarantee, researchers are still being disqualified due to the UK not having associated with Horizon Europe in time. The £370 million funding for science and innovation is insufficient compared to the £1.6 billion earmarked for EU research collaborations. Brexit has led to a sharp decline in new EU students coming to Scotland.

  • Philip Dunne Con Warrington South

    I welcome the reopening of negotiations with the EU on Horizon Europe and highlight the importance of collaboration as seen in the graphene core 3 project, which involved 160 partner organisations across 24 countries. This demonstrates how UK researchers can compete globally. Mr. Dunne intervened, emphasizing the importance of collaboration beyond just the financial aspects of Horizon Europe.

  • Stephen Doughty Lab Co-op Cardiff South and Penarth

    Stephen Doughty highlighted the UK's strong scientific base but noted that business investment is low, causing start-ups to move abroad. He criticised constant ministerial changes and policy uncertainty. Universities Wales reported nearly a thousand jobs at risk due to lack of Horizon funding replacement and other EU fund losses in Wales. Doughty stressed the need for regional economic growth through science investment and called for a 3% GDP target on R&D. He questioned the government's commitment to associating with Horizon Europe, citing repeated delays and lack of details on Pioneer talent element.

Government Response

Paul Scully

The Minister for Investment, Paul Scully, highlighted the UK's strong performance in science and technology despite its relative size compared to competitors like France and Germany. He announced the creation of a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology aiming to cement the UK's place as a science and technology superpower by 2030 through ten key actions. The Government are committed to increasing publicly funded R&D spending to £20 billion per annum by 2024-25, representing a cash increase of around one-third—the largest ever increase in public R&D spending over a spending review period. This commitment includes a multi-year settlement for UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) worth £25.1 billion from 2022-25, reaching more than £8.8 billion in the year 2024-25—its highest ever level. Additionally, the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), a new independent research body custom-built to fund high-risk, high-reward scientific research, has been launched with a commitment of £800 million out to 1 April 2025-26. The Minister also discussed ongoing negotiations for UK association to Horizon Europe and the government's alternative plan, Pioneer, which would provide around £14.6 billion in funding if an agreement cannot be reached.

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