Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to support the proposed International Centre for Genomic Medicine in Neuromuscular Diseases, following reductions in grant funding allocated to the project by the Medical Research Council in 2021–22.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In correspondence with Universities regarding the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget cuts, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has provided each with the opportunity to highlight awards that may require special consideration.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the Medical Research Council about the impact of its decision to reduce grant funding which had been allocated in 2021–22 to support the establishment of the International Centre for Genomic Medicine in Neuromuscular Diseases.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In correspondence with Universities regarding the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget cuts, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has provided each with the opportunity to highlight awards that may require special consideration.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which projects have had their grant funding from UK Research and Innovation reduced in 2021–22 following the reduction in its Official Development Assistance allocation; and what is the size of the reduction for each of these projects.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are currently working with UKRI, and all our Global Challenges Research Fund and Newton Fund Delivery Partners, to manage the financial year 2021/22 ODA allocations. UKRI have written to all impacted award holders setting out the next stage of the review of ODA funding this year, and to explore options for individual programmes. Full details have been published on the UKRI website.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what plans they have to ensure research is conducted into the efficacy of each COVID-19 vaccine for those with blood cancer, and (2) what the timeline will be for any such research.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to my Hon. Friend the Member for Crawley by my Hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Science, Research and Innovation on 26 February 2021 to Question 152472.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to undertake a strategic review of the role biologics manufacturing could play in pandemic responsiveness and resilience.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Currently the UK does not have the capability or scale to manufacture bulk levels of antibodies; the Vaccine Taskforce identified this as a potential weakness in the UK’s future pandemic response.
As a result, the Government issued a Prior Information Notice in October 2020 to engage with the market to explore how UK antibody manufacturing capability can be developed to secure permanent UK access and build resilience. The findings from the market engagement exercise, and the wider landscape of the pandemic, has resulted in the need for a broader strategic review of the role that biologics manufacturing could play in pandemic responsiveness and resilience.
The Government has invested over £300 million to secure and scale-up the UK’s vaccine manufacturing capabilities to be able to respond to the pandemic. This includes:
a) Facilities that have come online:
b) Facilities that will come online later this year, to help provide longer term UK capacity and will help in pandemic preparedness:
In addition to the above, we have also funded the expansion of the Valneva factory in Livingston, Scotland.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for greater UK manufacturing capacity of monoclonal antibodies; and what steps they intend to take to secure such capacity.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Currently the UK does not have the capability or scale to manufacture bulk levels of antibodies; the Vaccine Taskforce has identified this as a potential weakness in the UK’s future pandemic response.
As a result, the Government issued a Prior Information Notice in October 2020 to engage with the market to explore how UK antibody manufacturing capability can be developed to secure permanent UK access and build resilience. The findings from the market engagement exercise, and the wider landscape of the pandemic, has resulted in the need for a broader strategic review of the role that biologics manufacturing could play in pandemic responsiveness and resilience.
The Government has also invested £127 million in the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult Braintree, which as well as vaccine drug substance manufacture, has the capability for antibody scale-up and clinical scale production of neutralising antibodies for prophylactic and therapeutic treatment.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, by what year the Office for Nuclear Regulation is planning to deliver a Euratom-equivalent UK State System for Accountability for and Control of nuclear material.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
It is my assessment, based on current progress, that the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) would be in a position to deliver to international standards by March 2019 and will then move to Euratom standards as soon as possible thereafter. The speed with which the ONR is able to move from international standards to a domestic nuclear safeguards regime that dependent on negotiations with the EU including negotiations on future co-operation with Euratom on the UK’s safeguards.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many candidates have (a) applied, (b) been successful and (c) been rejected for positions in the new nuclear Safeguards Inspectorate in the Office for Nuclear Regulation.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has run two recruitment exercises during 2017/18 to recruit staff into safeguards roles. The second exercise has closed for applications, but shortlisting and interviewing has not yet concluded. As of 1 March 2018, across both recruitment exercises a total of 112 candidates have applied for these roles; six applicants have been offered appointments; and no offers from ONR have been rejected.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the value is of the spending commitments that the Office for Nuclear Regulation has been authorised to make as part of the project to establish a UK State System for Accountability and Control of nuclear material.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Department will allocate to the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) the funding necessary to establish the UK State System of Accountancy for, and Control of, nuclear materials, which meets international standards for nuclear safeguards ahead of 29th March 2019. As explained in the explanatory notes of the Nuclear Safeguards Bill republished on 24 January 2018 when the Bill was brought to the House of Lords, the necessary funding is estimated at potentially up to £10 million. As the first part of this funding, the Department has secured a contingencies fund advance to the amount of £2.275 million to provide financial cover to the ONR for its project activities until the end of financial year 2017-18.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Department for Exiting the European Union on plans to leave Euratom; and on what dates those discussions took place.
Answered by Jesse Norman
My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and officials have regular meetings with the Department for Exiting the European Union, and both departments remain committed to the highest standards of nuclear safety, safeguards and support for the industry.