Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has taken steps to align the activities of UK Research and Innovation and the UK Health Security Agency.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have complementary roles in preparing for and responding to infectious diseases threats, working in partnership with Department of Health and Social Care/National Institute Health and Care Research and Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs taking a ‘One Health’ approach. To enhance UK preparedness and resilience, UKRI works closely with UKHSA and government departments to ensure the UK has appropriate infrastructure and capabilities to prevent, detect and respond to future threats. In responding to disease outbreaks, UKRI works with UKHSA and devolved administrations, who provide vital leadership on the nature of the threats and the research questions to be addressed.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which Department is responsible for foreign direct investment into research and development in the UK.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is responsible for the promotion and facilitation for foreign direct investment (FDI). DSIT works closely with DBT to promote global collaboration and investment opportunities in R&D.

FDI is a key source of R&D funding, accounting for 14% of UK R&D investment. Our collaborative approach resulted in the successful 2023 Global Investment Summit, securing over £29 billion, including investments in AI, life sciences and quantum.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to page 13 of the UK Science and Technology Framework, published by her Department on 6 March 2023, what steps the Government is taking to increase expenditure on innovative products.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

On 9 February 2024, my department published an update on progress implementing the Science and Technology framework: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-science-and-technology-framework/the-uk-science-and-technology-framework-update-on-progress-9-february-2024

It outlines a series of steps the government is taking over the next 12 months on the procurement strand of the Framework.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support the development of electric propulsion systems.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is primarily supporting electric propulsion projects via our European Space Agency (ESA) membership, which has provided a total of approximately €90m funding to support development of UK electric propulsion systems to date. This includes €63m which supported UK companies to develop electric thrusters for flagship ESA missions, €6m through Horizon2020 to enable system development and upskill UK networks, and €9m to develop an independent UK end-to-end electric propulsion system. UKSA is also exploring nuclear electric propulsion for rapid interplanetary transit and novel water-based propellants for future off-world refuelling.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many full-time equivalent staff in her Department are working on the science and technology skills dashboard.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The science and technology jobs and skills dashboard has been developed by the department’s Unit for Future Skills alongside science and technology policy experts in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. It is expected to be published in due course. Once the dashboard is published, the expectation is for it to take less than one full time-equivalent staff member to maintain and develop further.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to the oral statement of 17 April 2024 on the Humanitarian situation in Gaza by the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how his Department called for a wholly independent review of the killing of the World Central Kitchen aid workers; and what (a) guarantees of independence and (b) investigatory powers he has sought.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

As the Prime Minister said in his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu on 2 April, the UK was appalled by the killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British nationals, in an Israeli airstrike on 1 April. The Prime Minister called for a thorough and transparent investigation into what happened. Both the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have stressed the importance of effective deconfliction.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when her Department plans to answer a request for information, reference FOI 2023/23519, submitted on 1 November 2023 under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 by Mr Dan Wright.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The department attaches great importance to timely responses to FOIs and apologises for the exceptional delay in this case. The department is reviewing processes to mitigate the risk of a recurrence of late responses and will provide a full response no later than 3rd May on this case.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled Full government response to the Lord O'Shaughnessy review into commercial clinical trials, last updated on 8 December 2023, what her Department's planned timetable is for expanding the national contract value review programme to phase 1 and 2a clinical trials.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Contract Value Review (NCVR) process applies to commercial clinical studies. NHS England is working in partnership with the devolved administrations, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, and other partners, to pilot the use of the NCVR process for phase I and IIa of commercial clinical trials. The ambition is to make the use of NCVR for phase I and IIa of commercial clinical trials mainstream from October 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the paper entitled The Future of Clinical Research Delivery: 2022 to 2025 implementation plan, published on 30 June 2022, what progress has been made on the Find, Recruit and Follow-up service for clinical trials.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Since publication of the Future of Clinical Research Delivery, we have developed early versions of several products as part of the Find, Recruit and Follow-up Service, to deliver secure data enabled study feasibility and recruitment within established governance and legal requirements, across England and other parts of the United Kingdom.

These products include: NHS England’s DigiTrials self-service feasibility tool, which identifies suitable locations for studies by establishing where the largest groupings of eligible people are based; NHS England’s DigiTrials recruitment service, which is currently in its second phase of pilots and will enable the National Health Service to more easily approach patients about research relevant to them; the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s Clinical Research Practice Datalink, which allows participating general practices to identify potentially eligible patients for relevant studies more easily; and the Be Part of Research registry, which allows people to proactively register their interest in participating in research.

These tools have been developed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the clinical research process, and also improve our ability to widen access to research opportunities, increase the resilience and sustainability of the healthcare system, and reduce the burden on the NHS workforce.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to page 14 of the UK Science and Technology Framework, updated on 9 February 2024, whether his Department has developed (a) an outline and (b) a full business case for a UK Technology Centre of Expertise to support developing countries to transform their economies.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

As part of the International Technology Strategy, the Technology Centre of Expertise will provide support to lower and middle income countries to navigate the complex set of challenges presented by technological advancement. The business case has been developed and the inception phase is underway. Four pilot projects have been selected in Africa and Asia. The FCDO is in the final stages of procurement for an implementing partner for the initial phase which will include design of the programme, review of the pilot projects and mapping of the UK technology expertise ecosystem before the full programme launches in 2025.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to page 14 of the UK Science and Technology Framework, updated on 9 February 2024, what progress his Department has made on developing a UK Technology Centre of Expertise to support developing countries to transform their economies.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

As part of the International Technology Strategy, the Technology Centre of Expertise will provide support to lower and middle income countries to navigate the complex set of challenges presented by technological advancement. The business case has been developed and the inception phase is underway. Four pilot projects have been selected in Africa and Asia. The FCDO is in the final stages of procurement for an implementing partner for the initial phase which will include design of the programme, review of the pilot projects and mapping of the UK technology expertise ecosystem before the full programme launches in 2025.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, when he plans to respond to Question 22306 tabled by the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central on 17 April 2024 for answer on 22 April.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

I responded to Question 22306 on 25/04/2024.