Brexit: Mental Health Research Funding Debate

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Department: Department of Health and Social Care

Brexit: Mental Health Research Funding

Baroness Thornton Excerpts
Thursday 23rd November 2017

(6 years, 11 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Thornton Portrait Baroness Thornton (Lab)
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My Lords, the European Commission made it very clear in October 2017 that British researchers funded under Horizon 2020 programmes will lose access to their grants in the future. Given that the EU is the largest single funder of mental health research in Europe and that the UK is a net gainer, will the Minister inform the House when we will see the plans to ensure that the UK remains a leading contributor and beneficiary of European-wide mental health research?

Lord O'Shaughnessy Portrait Lord O'Shaughnessy
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As I said, we continue to bid for funds that we can draw down, and the Government are committed to underwriting any successful bids as part of the Horizon 2020 programme. Our intention is to continue in that programme. Obviously, if that is not the case, we will have funding available to support health research in this area, but our intention is to continue with the partnership that has proved so fruitful.