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Science Facilities and Laboratories
01 September 2026
Lead MP
Alison Hume
Responding Minister
Kate Dearden
Tags
EmploymentCommunity SecurityScience & Technology
Word Count: 4501
Other Contributors: 12
At a Glance
Alison Hume raised concerns about science facilities and laboratories in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Hume asks the Minister to explain the Government's assessment of Boulby's unique strategic position, the projected economic impact of the Boulby lab's expansion, and to explicitly restate the Government's support for the XLZD project. She also seeks details on how the relative value of investment in fundamental physics was assessed compared to other areas of research and development, and requests the publication of the evidence that underpins the decisions.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Alison Hume is concerned about the Science and Technology Facilities Council's prioritisation review, which proposes cutting Boulby underground laboratory's operating budget by 40%, potentially leading to redundancies and limiting future expansion. She mentioned that Boulby is competing with other underground laboratories worldwide to host the XLZD dark matter experiment, worth $1 billion. The review also proposed sweeping cuts across fundamental physics, nuclear physics, and astronomy, with cuts of £162 million in cumulative savings by 2030, threatening the closure of facilities like Diamond Light Source, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, and Jodrell Bank. She cited Professor Jeff Forshaw's concerns that these cuts are 'annihilating' a field of research that inspires young people into physics.
Andrew Cooper
Lab
West Lancashire
Is the Minister aware that staff at the Daresbury laboratory, not too far away from Jodrell Bank, have been asked to mothball CLARA—the compact linear accelerator for research applications—which is a 250-mega-electronvolt electron accelerator, alongside the biology lab that sits above it? Incidentally, that lab has never been used, as it has only just been put in. Is the Minister prepared to meet me and other Cheshire colleagues, because I am really concerned about what is happening to science in the north Cheshire corridor? It looks to me like the STFC is circling the wagons around facilities in the south of England at the expense of those in the north, so I would be interested in meeting my hon. Friend or the relevant Minister to look at how we can reverse some of the damaging cuts.
Barry Gardiner
Lab
Brent North
Barry Gardiner praises Alison Hume's case for funding her deep earth facility and agrees that the sustainability of world-leading science is dependent on long-term funding certainty. The Minister will know that the grant structure on which UKRI is based gives out grants for a maximum of three to five years. Very few are for five years—most are for three years or under—yet the sort of long-term scientific development that my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Alison Hume) elaborated on depends on certainty into the future. Will the Minister and her colleagues give real consideration to changing UKRI's structure so that there is long-term funding certainty for fundamental science in this country?
Ian Mearns
Lab
Gateshead
Ian Mearns points out that the constituency he represents has some of the most deprived communities in the UK and would benefit from the expansion of Boulby lab.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Jim Shannon commends Alison Hume on the debate and suggests that Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University in Belfast should receive key funding for science facilities.
Jonathan Davies draws attention to the future funding of Jodrell Bank and asks Alison Hume to join him in asking the Minister to ensure the site continues to be funded properly and retains its UNESCO designation.
Kevin Bonavia thanks Alison Hume for bringing the debate and highlights the potential impact on the life sciences sector in Stevenage, where GSK, the biggest employer, plans to leave despite recent expansion plans.
Luke Myer
Con
Selby and Ainsty
Luke Myer is proud to represent Boulby, home to the UK's only deep underground science laboratory, and supports Alison Hume's call for equitable cuts to ensure regions not suffering the most do not face further cuts. The Minister knows that I am a supporter of her work to champion the north in the Department. Given that the team from Boulby have travelled all this way, will she take a couple of seconds out of her day to meet them after the debate and discuss the challenges they are experiencing? I know she is not the Minister directly responsible, but I am sure they would appreciate it.
Peter Fortune
Ind
Great Yarmouth
Peter Fortune shares Alison Hume's passion for physics but is concerned that the proposed £160 million-plus reduction in funding will reduce the ability of younger people to learn a passion for physics. The issue underlying a lot of this is the £160 million saving. My understanding is that that saving has come about because a previous agreement to match expanding costs for research has been reversed. Perhaps the Minister could tell me, or could ask the relevant Minister to let me know, who took the decision not to match those costs, which has resulted in the need for £160 million of savings.
Sarah Russell agrees with Alison Hume that the Jodrell Bank observatory's funding should not be withdrawn as it has been doing cutting-edge physics for a very long time.
Tim Roca
Con
Barnsley Central
My hon. Friend the Member for Congleton (Sarah Russell) talked powerfully about it being a travesty if e-MERLIN and Jodrell Bank were to cease scientific endeavour. Will the Minister take back from this place to her colleagues in the Department the strong message that we want a viable future for the continuation of amazing science at Jodrell Bank, and in particular the Bernard Lovell telescope and the e-MERLIN network?
Tonia Antoniazzi
Lab
Glasgow North East
Tonia Antoniazzi agrees that the cuts would be catastrophic, echoing the concerns about the closure of Jodrell Bank and the impact on the UK's scientific assets and discipline of physics.
Tristan Osborne agrees with Alison Hume that cuts to science budgets have a material impact on communities and a multiplier effect on local economies.
Government Response
Kate Dearden
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Wishart. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Alison Hume) on securing this really important debate on the future of the UK's science facilities and laboratories. The Government are committed to ensuring that the UK remains a leading nation in science and technology, which are fundamental to our economy, our public services and our national security. On average, every £1 of public research and development investment leverages £2 of private investment and generates £8 in net economic benefits for the UK in the long term. The Government have put forward the largest ever investment in research and development, with a record £86 billion to be invested between 2026-27 and 2029-30. Some £38.6 billion of that investment will go to UK Research and Innovation, the UK's largest research funder, supporting the full spectrum of research and development. The benefits of our investment will be felt right across the UK, particularly in the Yorkshire and the Humber region, with UKRI's £580 million investment in 2023-24. Boulby is unique as the UK's deepest underground science facility, enabling world-leading research in areas such as dark matter and quantum technologies. The Minister for Science has written to the hon. Member for Scarborough and Whitby today to discuss the budget pressures and the difficult decisions that UKRI has taken to ensure that STFC remains financially sustainable and is able to support world-leading science in the future. UKRI has also announced funding that will sustain the UK's continued engagement with the international XLZD dark matter experiment beyond the current £7.8 million infrastructure fund grant, which ends in 2027. No staff exits are expected this financial year. The UK has an extraordinary scientific heritage, and our task today is to ensure that the next generation of discoveries and the innovations they will enable happen here. The Government will achieve that goal through record investment in public R&D, responsible stewardship of our national assets, international co-operation, and taking the difficult decisions necessary to ensure we have a portfolio of research facilities that are fit for the future.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.