Brexit: Medical Research and Innovation

Debate between Baroness Neville-Rolfe and Baroness Morgan of Drefelin

Monday 21st November 2016 Lords Chamber

[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.

[Baroness Morgan of Drefelin (CB)]

My Lords, perhaps I may remind the House of my interest in this area. The Minister in the other place said in June that the life sciences industry was worth around £60 billion a year to the UK and supports some 220,000 jobs, We in this House know that the role of the industry in promoting better patient outcomes through clinical research is absolutely vital. Is the Minister able to give us some reassurance that regulation will be put on a more even footing in the future, and will the Government commit to signing up to the agreed 2014 clinical trials regulations when they come into effect in 2018?

[Baroness Neville-Rolfe]

I entirely agree with the noble Baroness about the importance of our unique life science industries. Regarding the clinical trials regulation, preparations are continuing to implement that regulation in 2018 because we remain in the EU while negotiations continue. Of course, a great repeal Bill will come before Parliament after the next Queen’s Speech. That will end the authority of EU law and return power to the UK, but we will transpose current EU law into domestic law while allowing for amendments to take account of the future negotiated UK-EU relationship in this and other areas.