Brexit: Medical Research and Innovation

Baroness Andrews Excerpts

Monday 21st November 2016 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Andrews]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the numbers of European Union scientists working on British research programmes, what assessment they have made of the impact of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union on medical research and innovation.

[The Minister of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con)]

The Government are looking at more than 50 sectors and at the cross-cutting regulatory issues to build a detailed understanding of how withdrawing from the European Union will impact on the UK, including in the important area of medical research and innovation. The recently formed UK EU Life Sciences Steering Group is engaging with a wide range of stakeholders to help us ensure a positive outcome for this sector and for UK science.

[Baroness Andrews (Lab)]

I am grateful to the noble Baroness for that Answer. Does she appreciate that what medical researchers in the UK really want to know is what is going to happen after Horizon 2020? Are the Government aware of the risk that there will be to the great progress now being made by UK researchers working with European teams, networks and funding in, for example, the treatment of cancer and rare diseases? If those researchers are excluded from the next research framework, Framework Programme 9, that progress will come to a halt. In short, can she say what specific plans the Government have to ensure that we are not excluded from framework 9?

[Baroness Neville-Rolfe]

My Lords, it is too early to speculate on our future relationship with Horizon 2020 and its successor programme, No. 9—I am assured that it is going to be given a better name. Whatever happens in the future, we are committed to ensuring that the UK continues to be a world leader in international research and innovation and that collaboration with Europe and others continues. Separately, and as part of our industrial strategy, the Prime Minister has today announced a substantial real-terms increase in government investment in R&D worth £2 billion per year by 2020 as well as a new industrial strategy challenge fund which will also help medical innovation. This is good news.