Earl of Dundee

The Government values the contribution that international students make to the UK’s economy, and to making our education system one of the best in the world. According to the OECD’s Education at a Glance we remain, by some way, the second most popular destination in the world for international higher education students.

The UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) aims to enhance mutually beneficial educational links between India and the UK. Both Governments have agreed to continue this highly successful programme into a third phase to begin in 2016.

BIS has established a regular tripartite dialogue with colleagues from the Home Office and the Indian High Commission.

The British High Commission in Delhi (BHC) and the British Council in Delhi are also working hard to promote the message that the UK is open to all genuine students and that there is no limit on the number of international students who can study at our world leading universities. For example, through the GREAT campaign we have a strong digital and social media campaign with a focus on the employability of Indian students who have graduated from UK HEIs and on countering common visa myths.

Overseas students are welcome in the UK and there is no cap on the number of such students. The OECD’s Education at a Glance, published annually, compares our performance with that of other countries. In 2012, the UK was estimated to have a 13% share of the international student market (OECD, 2014), second only to the US. The Government is committed to increasing education exports from £18bn in 2012 to £30bn by 2020and our International Education strategy is helping to achieve that.

Prior to 2012 international students who successfully completed a degree at a UK institution could apply for permission to work in the UK for two years. This Post-Study Work route was closed from 6th April 2012 as it granted unrestricted access to the UK labour market for two years to non-EEA nationals at a time when a large number of British graduates were unable to find work. The route was also found to be heavily abused with many people taking up low-skilled work rather than the intended graduate level roles. There are no plans to reintroduce this scheme.

The UK has an excellent offer for overseas students graduating from UK universities wishing to remain in the UK. Those with an offer of a graduate-level job, paying a salary of at least £20,800, can take up sponsored employment for up to six years. In 2014 some 11,000 international students switched to skilled work. PhD students can stay in the UK for an extra year, under the Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme, to look for work or start their own business. Graduate entrepreneurs can stay on for up to two years to develop their business in the UK. The Government has also made provisions for graduates wishing to undertake a period of professional training or a corporate internship related to their qualifications, before pursuing a career overseas.

UK Trade and Investment works with UK based businesses to ensure their success in international markets through exports. UKTI services are available in all European markets subject to the prevailing political climate; there is no specific focus on reviving Hanseatic League trade routes.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published a number of reports on Gov.uk, which complement the broader academic literature on the subject of leadership and wellbeing. These reports can be found on GOV.UK.

Firstly, the report “Leadership and Management in the UK - the Key to Sustainable Growth” was published in 2012. This summarised the key evidence and set out the benefits of business investment in leadership and management skills.

The research report “Does Worker Wellbeing Affect Workplace Performance?” was published in October 2014. The analysis suggested that well-being is also positively associated with workplace financial performance, labour productivity and the quality of output or service.

Most recently, the research report, “Leadership and management skills in small and medium-sized businesses” was published in 2015. The research suggested that entrepreneurship skills and leadership skills were most consistently and strongly associated with good management practice and performance of small and medium-sized enterprises.

In many areas, existing industry supported standards play an important role for businesses in establishing an effective quality infrastructure to embed best practices and further enable productivity.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published a number of reports on Gov.uk, which complement the broader academic literature on this subject. These reports can be found on GOV.UK.

Firstly, the report “Leadership and Management in the UK - the Key to Sustainable Growth” was published in 2012. This summarised the key evidence and set out the benefits of business investment in leadership and management skills.

The research report “Does Worker Wellbeing Affect Workplace Performance?” was published in October 2014. The analysis suggested that well-being is also positively associated with workplace financial performance, labour productivity and the quality of output or service.

Most recently, the research report, “Leadership and management skills in small and medium-sized businesses” was published in 2015. The research suggested that entrepreneurship skills and leadership skills were most consistently and strongly associated with good management practice and performance of small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Government is committed to protecting cultural property and preventing the illicit trade in cultural property. The UK has a strong record of identifying stolen and unlawfully removed cultural property and returning it to its rightful owners. Existing UK law provides an effective framework within which to do so.

We have no current plans to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Offences Relating to Cultural Property.

Food education is covered across design and technology, biology, geography and personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) in the national curriculum. It requires that pupils learn about healthy eating, where food comes from, nutrition and sustainability. The national curriculum framework provides teachers with freedom and flexibility to decide how best to cover curriculum subjects so topics such as farming and sustainability can be taught. Additional resources are available for teachers from the National Education Nature Park and Oak National Academy.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review has gathered a broad range of evidence through a call for evidence that was open to all, both domestically and internationally. The Review is carefully considering recommendations for all subjects in the national curriculum, and the final report, due in autumn 2025, will set out its conclusions and recommendations for government.

The ‘Good Food Cycle’, launched in July 2025, sets out the government’s vision for a 21st century UK food system, with ten priority outcomes including healthy and more affordable food, good growth and sustainable and resilient supply. Through this strategy, we are collaborating across government on good food education. The Ministerial Food Strategy Group, convened by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, includes Ministers from across government, including the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care. The group provides political leadership and alignment with the Plan for Change and government missions.

Food education is covered across design and technology, biology, geography and personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) in the national curriculum. It requires that pupils learn about healthy eating, where food comes from, nutrition and sustainability. The national curriculum framework provides teachers with freedom and flexibility to decide how best to cover curriculum subjects so topics such as farming and sustainability can be taught. Additional resources are available for teachers from the National Education Nature Park and Oak National Academy.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review has gathered a broad range of evidence through a call for evidence that was open to all, both domestically and internationally. The Review is carefully considering recommendations for all subjects in the national curriculum, and the final report, due in autumn 2025, will set out its conclusions and recommendations for government.

The ‘Good Food Cycle’, launched in July 2025, sets out the government’s vision for a 21st century UK food system, with ten priority outcomes including healthy and more affordable food, good growth and sustainable and resilient supply. Through this strategy, we are collaborating across government on good food education. The Ministerial Food Strategy Group, convened by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, includes Ministers from across government, including the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care. The group provides political leadership and alignment with the Plan for Change and government missions.

Food education is covered across design and technology, biology, geography and personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) in the national curriculum. It requires that pupils learn about healthy eating, where food comes from, nutrition and sustainability. The national curriculum framework provides teachers with freedom and flexibility to decide how best to cover curriculum subjects so topics such as farming and sustainability can be taught. Additional resources are available for teachers from the National Education Nature Park and Oak National Academy.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review has gathered a broad range of evidence through a call for evidence that was open to all, both domestically and internationally. The Review is carefully considering recommendations for all subjects in the national curriculum, and the final report, due in autumn 2025, will set out its conclusions and recommendations for government.

The ‘Good Food Cycle’, launched in July 2025, sets out the government’s vision for a 21st century UK food system, with ten priority outcomes including healthy and more affordable food, good growth and sustainable and resilient supply. Through this strategy, we are collaborating across government on good food education. The Ministerial Food Strategy Group, convened by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, includes Ministers from across government, including the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care. The group provides political leadership and alignment with the Plan for Change and government missions.

Food education is covered across design and technology, biology, geography and personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) in the national curriculum. It requires that pupils learn about healthy eating, where food comes from, nutrition and sustainability. The national curriculum framework provides teachers with freedom and flexibility to decide how best to cover curriculum subjects so topics such as farming and sustainability can be taught. Additional resources are available for teachers from the National Education Nature Park and Oak National Academy.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review has gathered a broad range of evidence through a call for evidence that was open to all, both domestically and internationally. The Review is carefully considering recommendations for all subjects in the national curriculum, and the final report, due in autumn 2025, will set out its conclusions and recommendations for government.

The ‘Good Food Cycle’, launched in July 2025, sets out the government’s vision for a 21st century UK food system, with ten priority outcomes including healthy and more affordable food, good growth and sustainable and resilient supply. Through this strategy, we are collaborating across government on good food education. The Ministerial Food Strategy Group, convened by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, includes Ministers from across government, including the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care. The group provides political leadership and alignment with the Plan for Change and government missions.

The Education Endowment Fund's (EEF) metacognition and self-regulation guidance report includes 'Socratic talk' as a common teaching strategy. This can be accessed here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/metacognition-and-self-regulation.

The EEF's teaching and learning toolkit highlights that for metacognition and self-regulation, "Studies that use digital technology, for example, intelligent tutoring systems that scaffold learning show particularly high impacts on pupil outcomes." This is based on the EEF's digital technology evidence review (2019), which can be accessed here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/evidence-reviews/digital-technology-2019.

The department does not actively support or mandate individual digital products as we believe that it is up to schools and colleges to decide what technology they need to meet their requirements. Meta-analysis from the EEF shows that digital technologies have the best possible impact when embedded in good pedagogy. This can be accessed here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit.

Our Clean Air Strategy (CAS) recognised the impacts that air pollution has on health, and proposed a range of actions to meet our existing emissions reduction commitments to 2020 and 2030 in order to reduce these impacts. The CAS also committed to the setting of an ambitious long term air quality target to reduce the population’s exposure to PM_2.5, and committed to publishing evidence on the feasibility of meeting World Health Organisation air quality guideline levels of PM_2.5. This work is ongoing and will be published in due course.

Plastics play a vital role in most facets of our daily lives. The industry also contributes enormously to our transition to a green economy, particularly through the development and supply of low carbon products and solutions which help manufacturing sectors. Nevertheless, we recognise that the production and disposal of plastic presents challenges: plastics are long-lived in the natural environment and can cause damage when disposed of irresponsibly; and some chemical additives have the potential to be damaging to human health and the environment, during the life of the plastic product and when it is disposed of.

There is a strict limit on the levels of heavy metals permitted within plastic packaging, the plastic parts of electrical & electronic equipment and vehicles placed on both the UK market and the wider EU single market. In addition, the EU Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) provides the means to control the most dangerous chemicals. The use of a chemical substance, such as an additive in plastics, can be restricted if it presents an unacceptable risk. Alternatively, a hazardous substance may only be allowed in uses that are specifically authorised, either because the risk is adequately controlled or the socio-economic benefits of continued use outweigh the risks.

To reduce the environmental impact of single use plastic carrier bags we are requiring larger stores to charge 5p for such bags from 5 October this year. The experience of other parts of the UK suggests that this could reduce usage from these stores by up to 80%. We also encourage packaging producers to use a minimum level of packaging, including plastic packaging. The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations require that packaging should not exceed what is needed to ensure that products are safe, hygienic and acceptable to the consumer. These Regulations are enforced by Trading Standards.

In addition, the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations place a legal obligation on businesses that make or use packaging to ensure that a proportion of the packaging they place on the market is recovered and recycled. The recycling target for plastic packaging waste placed on the market by businesses obligated under these regulations is 47% for 2015 rising to 52% in 2016 and 57% in 2017.

The Government is in the process of responding to the European Commission’s consultations on the circular economy which will inform a package of proposals on resource efficiency and waste, and which are expected to be published by the end of this year.

Plastics play a vital role in most facets of our daily lives. The industry also contributes enormously to our transition to a green economy, particularly through the development and supply of low carbon products and solutions which help manufacturing sectors. Nevertheless, we recognise that the production and disposal of plastic presents challenges: plastics are long-lived in the natural environment and can cause damage when disposed of irresponsibly; and some chemical additives have the potential to be damaging to human health and the environment, during the life of the plastic product and when it is disposed of.

There is a strict limit on the levels of heavy metals permitted within plastic packaging, the plastic parts of electrical & electronic equipment and vehicles placed on both the UK market and the wider EU single market. In addition, the EU Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) provides the means to control the most dangerous chemicals. The use of a chemical substance, such as an additive in plastics, can be restricted if it presents an unacceptable risk. Alternatively, a hazardous substance may only be allowed in uses that are specifically authorised, either because the risk is adequately controlled or the socio-economic benefits of continued use outweigh the risks.

To reduce the environmental impact of single use plastic carrier bags we are requiring larger stores to charge 5p for such bags from 5 October this year. The experience of other parts of the UK suggests that this could reduce usage from these stores by up to 80%. We also encourage packaging producers to use a minimum level of packaging, including plastic packaging. The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations require that packaging should not exceed what is needed to ensure that products are safe, hygienic and acceptable to the consumer. These Regulations are enforced by Trading Standards.

In addition, the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations place a legal obligation on businesses that make or use packaging to ensure that a proportion of the packaging they place on the market is recovered and recycled. The recycling target for plastic packaging waste placed on the market by businesses obligated under these regulations is 47% for 2015 rising to 52% in 2016 and 57% in 2017.

The Government is in the process of responding to the European Commission’s consultations on the circular economy which will inform a package of proposals on resource efficiency and waste, and which are expected to be published by the end of this year.

Plastics play a vital role in most facets of our daily lives. The industry also contributes enormously to our transition to a green economy, particularly through the development and supply of low carbon products and solutions which help manufacturing sectors. Nevertheless, we recognise that the production and disposal of plastic presents challenges: plastics are long-lived in the natural environment and can cause damage when disposed of irresponsibly; and some chemical additives have the potential to be damaging to human health and the environment, during the life of the plastic product and when it is disposed of.

There is a strict limit on the levels of heavy metals permitted within plastic packaging, the plastic parts of electrical & electronic equipment and vehicles placed on both the UK market and the wider EU single market. In addition, the EU Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) provides the means to control the most dangerous chemicals. The use of a chemical substance, such as an additive in plastics, can be restricted if it presents an unacceptable risk. Alternatively, a hazardous substance may only be allowed in uses that are specifically authorised, either because the risk is adequately controlled or the socio-economic benefits of continued use outweigh the risks.

To reduce the environmental impact of single use plastic carrier bags we are requiring larger stores to charge 5p for such bags from 5 October this year. The experience of other parts of the UK suggests that this could reduce usage from these stores by up to 80%. We also encourage packaging producers to use a minimum level of packaging, including plastic packaging. The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations require that packaging should not exceed what is needed to ensure that products are safe, hygienic and acceptable to the consumer. These Regulations are enforced by Trading Standards.

In addition, the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations place a legal obligation on businesses that make or use packaging to ensure that a proportion of the packaging they place on the market is recovered and recycled. The recycling target for plastic packaging waste placed on the market by businesses obligated under these regulations is 47% for 2015 rising to 52% in 2016 and 57% in 2017.

The Government is in the process of responding to the European Commission’s consultations on the circular economy which will inform a package of proposals on resource efficiency and waste, and which are expected to be published by the end of this year.

The Sanctions and Anti Money Laundering Bill enables the government to draft exceptions and issue general licenses. My department will continue to work across government as the Bill progresses through parliament and with international partners to ensure that where appropriate we are taking a joined-up approach.

Enforcing strict sanctions ensures that funding flows are cut off to terrorists and violent regimes whilst on the other hand our world leading charities, protected from financial abuse, help to alleviate the desperate conditions under which extremism can thrive.

The UK is committed to enhancing our bilateral trading partnership with Brazil, an important partner for the UK with whom we traded £6.5bn in the 12 months ending June 2022[1].

For example, the signing of the UK-Brazil Double Taxation Agreement in November 2022 represents a significant step in enhancing our trading relationship across all sectors. When ratified, it will dramatically reduce tax uncertainty in cross-border trade.

We will work with the new administration to agree the best way to progress our relationship, including in areas of shared interest like Digital trade.

[1] GOV.UK. (2022) Trade and Investment Factsheets: Brazil.

Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/trade-and-investment-factsheets-partner-names-beginning-with-a-or-b

(Accessed: 23 December 2022).

My department is working tirelessly to ensure that the demand for UK expertise in South America’s clean energy transition and infrastructure development is capitalised on.

Recently, the Government supported the development of regulatory frameworks for offshore wind projects in Brazil and Colombia; signed three government-to-government public infrastructure contracts worth £2.5 billion in Peru; and, through UK Export Finance, supported hospital construction and aerospace projects in Brazil and Guyana.

UK businesses working on these projects and more enjoy preferential access under the UK-Andean Countries Free Trade Agreement and UK-Chile Association Agreement, which also benefit those pursuing new opportunities.

The UK has no plans to join the EU’s Association Agreement with Mercosur as our approach is to negotiate our own trade agreements using our freedom outside of the EU.

We are monitoring the progress of EU-Mercosur talks. They reached agreement in principle on a deal in 2019 but the agreement is not yet ratified.

The Mercosur countries are important markets for the UK and we are committed to strengthening our trading relationship.

A recent demonstration of that commitment was the signing of a Double Taxation Agreement with Brazil in November. When ratified, the agreement will dramatically reduce tax uncertainty in cross-border trade.

The Government has signed Trade, Partnership and Cooperation Agreements with Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania, supporting jobs and economic growth, allowing us to build on our trade and investment relationships. UK Export Finance is also an important part of our offer to the region, providing competitive financing for large infrastructure projects.

With Bosnia and Herzegovina, we are working to secure a Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement that will ensure preferential terms of trade between the UK and Bosnia and Herzegovina and promote stability and prosperity in the region. We are keen to conclude this as soon as possible.

The Department for International Trade develops and maintains close links across the United Kingdom on trade and investment objectives. We support businesses to seize opportunities worldwide through our network of British High Commissions, Embassies and Consulates in countries that are members of the Council of Europe.

In addition, we seek to identify and remove market access barriers, drive inward investment, and implement the United Kingdom’s trade agreements to promote and enable bilateral trade with countries around the globe, including with members of the Council of Europe.

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation scheme was amended in 2015, to reward biomethane used in transport and non-road mobile machinery, on the basis of its energy content rather than volume. As a consequence, biomethane is eligible to receive 1.9 Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates (RTFCs) per kilogram, an increase on 1 RTFCs per kilogram, and double that number when produced from wastes such as manure.

The Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) will open to applicants in Autumn 2021 for four years. The GGSS will provide tariff support for biomethane injection into the gas grid, and will encourage the use of waste feedstocks, including agricultural wastes, to produce the biomethane. The scheme will include a payment formula, which allows biomethane producers to split payments between the GGSS and the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), enabling different consignments of biomethane to receive payments from either the GGSS or the RTFO within the same quarter. To encourage good use of digestate produced during biomethane production, scheme participants will be required to dispose of the digestate using low emission techniques when spreading on land.

Hydrogen is already powering vehicles in use on UK roads, including buses. We will set out its important role across all forms of transport, including trams and trains, in our ambitious Transport Decarbonisation Plan, due to be published this spring. The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation helps promote a market for a broad range of low carbon fuels, and renewable hydrogen and biomethane are already eligible for support through it for transport. We have made no specific assessment of the use of biomethane as a bridge to future hydrogen transport applications or on the impacts of that on farmers, soil quality or nutrition. The BEIS-led Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS), will open to applicants in Autumn 2021 for four years and will provide tariff support for biomethane injection into the gas grid as a potential energy source for cities.

Our landmark Environment Bill introduces a duty to set a legally binding target for fine particulate matter, in addition to a further long-term air quality target. Achieving these targets will require action on a wide range of sources, including urban traffic and fossil fuel combustion. Specific measures will depend on what targets are set and ultimately the pathway and approach to achieving the targets. We will be carrying out a public consultation on proposed targets, which is likely to commence in early 2022.

In general, emissions specifically from hydrogen, biomethane and biogas are not estimated when allocating funding for transport infrastructure, as they account for a very small share of the energy used by transport. However, the blending of biofuels in petrol and diesel is accounted for more generally, including in the emission estimates presented in the Department for Transport’s TAG data-book, which is used for transport appraisal. Where the use of these fuels is important, for example funding to support their uptake, estimates of their g/CO2e are based on the latest scientific analysis and evidence, including emissions across the well-to-wheel cycle wherever possible, as well as from indirect land-use.

There are no plans to publish further details on methodologies at this stage, but these will be shared alongside policy proposals where appropriate, and in the event that these were important to funding decisions.

Estimates of kg CO2e/kWH from electricity used in transport are based on emission factors published by BEIS, and presented in the Department for Transport’s TAG data-book.

The Department is considering the next steps and future direction for Light Rail Policy. This includes Mass Rapid Transit, Very Light Rail and other intermediate modes to reflect the wider Government agenda.

Through funding packages to cities, the Government has paid for or underwritten significant investments in light rail in recent years.

Local transport authorities have responsibility for transport planning, including considering bus rapid transit and other such schemes which lie between conventional bus and light rail. These bring the benefits and user experience of light rail to bus corridors at significantly lower cost, as stated in 'Bus Back Better'.

The Government is developing a Transport Decarbonisation Plan (TDP) that puts transport on a path to delivering its contributions to carbon budgets and net zero by 2050. The plan will take a holistic and cross-modal approach to decarbonising the entire transport system for the first time, setting out a credible and ambitious pathway to cut emissions. The Plan will be published in Spring 2021.

There are currently no plans to provide at least three years' financial assistance, where such subsidy is independent of paid work, for maternal care in the home.

The National Health Service seeks the best value in its commercial deals for patients and taxpayers. The recent NHS Commercial Framework consultation clarified the circumstances in which indication specific pricing will be considered in England. This will help companies better understand the circumstances in which indication specific pricing may be available to support patient access to new medicines.

In 2024, the National Institute of Health Research commissioned the Policy Research Unit in Economic Methods of Evaluation in Health and Social Care Interventions (EEPRU) to report on the population health effects of pricing, including indication-specific pricing. A copy of the report by the EEPRU, along with its appendices, is attached.

The National Health Service seeks the best value in its commercial deals for patients and taxpayers. The recent NHS Commercial Framework consultation clarified the circumstances in which indication specific pricing will be considered in England. This will help companies better understand the circumstances in which indication specific pricing may be available to support patient access to new medicines.

In 2024, the National Institute of Health Research commissioned the Policy Research Unit in Economic Methods of Evaluation in Health and Social Care Interventions (EEPRU) to report on the population health effects of pricing, including indication-specific pricing. A copy of the report by the EEPRU, along with its appendices, is attached.

The National Health Service seeks the best value in its commercial deals for patients and taxpayers. The recent NHS Commercial Framework consultation clarified the circumstances in which indication specific pricing will be considered in England. This will help companies better understand the circumstances in which indication specific pricing may be available to support patient access to new medicines.

In 2024, the National Institute of Health Research commissioned the Policy Research Unit in Economic Methods of Evaluation in Health and Social Care Interventions (EEPRU) to report on the population health effects of pricing, including indication-specific pricing. A copy of the report by the EEPRU, along with its appendices, is attached.

The goal of treating type 1 diabetes is to keep blood glucose within a healthy range by providing the body with supplemental insulin. The National Health Service, with the Department’s support, has taken a number of steps to help manage type 1 diabetes.

In line with the commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England is driving access to new and existing technologies such as continual glucose monitors. This reflects the essential role that technology plays in allowing individuals with type 1 diabetes to manage their blood sugars correctly and avoid dangerous complications. Furthermore, maternity services across the country are now offering continuous glucose monitors to expectant mothers with type 1 diabetes.

Finally, approximately 72% of children and young people living with type 1 diabetes have registered with the Digibete app, which helps users manage their type 1 diabetes. Over 250,000 unique users have accessed the open access adult website, with over 3,800 education modules undertaken.

The Department is delivering improvements as part of the Vision for the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery to make the United Kingdom a world leader in clinical research, attracting investment from commercial companies to deliver cutting edge research in a range of disease areas, including diabetes. For example, we introduced the National Contract Value Review to standardise costing and contracting for commercial research in the National Health Service.

This has reduced set up times for clinical research by a third which makes running research in the UK more efficient for commercial companies.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research’s (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) supports conduct of clinical research in the NHS, providing tailored support for both non-commercial organisations and the life sciences industry. The CRN has a Diabetes Speciality Group to support research across key priorities in diabetes.

The NIHR works in partnership with Diabetes UK to deliver the joint UK Strategy for Clinical and Applied Diabetes Research. The NIHR also funds a Global Health Research Unit on Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in South Asia, creating partnerships between research organisations in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the UK.