Oral Answers to Questions

Chi Onwurah Excerpts

Tuesday 16th November 2021 Commons Chamber

[Kwasi Kwarteng]

My hon. Friend smuggled a leading question into his first question. He knows that ARIA is a key part of our strategy to become a science superpower, and he and I can discuss the role that Bolton will play in that exciting future.

[Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)]

The “Life Sciences Vision” has dementia as its first mission. The Conservative manifesto committed to doubling research funding in a dementia moonshot, but the Budget ignored it. The UK Dementia Research Institute called this

“a major blow to UK neuroscientists racing to find cures for these devastating diseases”.

Alzheimer’s Research UK said that this

“lets down the nearly one million people in the UK affected by this devastating condition.”

So will the Secretary of State now set out a clear timetable for doubling dementia research funding, as Labour has? Or is the “Life Sciences Vision”, like the R&D road map, the industrial strategy, the innovation strategy, the grand challenges and Northern Powerhouse Rail, all talk and no action?

[Kwasi Kwarteng]

I completely refute the hon. Lady’s allegation that those things are all words. The innovation strategy is the first of its kind. It has been broadly welcomed across the sector, and she will know that dementia is one of the seven technologies in engineering and biology that we are pursuing in the innovation strategy.