Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Scotland Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Elmore Excerpts
Wednesday 28th April 2021

(3 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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We now come to the shadow Minister, Chris Elmore.

Chris Elmore Portrait Chris Elmore (Ogmore) (Lab)
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It is strange, because Universities Scotland says that the ODA funding cut is unprecedented and egregious, yet the Minister stands at the Dispatch Box and says that it is okay because the universities get funding from other sources. Universities Scotland says that it amounts to a 70% cut in overseas funding for the development of projects across universities in Scotland. Can the Minister explain how these cuts are reconciled with the Conservative Government’s idea of their post-Brexit ambition to build a global Britain?

Iain Stewart Portrait Iain Stewart
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As I said in response to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Andrew Gwynne), I am more than happy to discuss individual programmes with the universities concerned, but if we look at R&D investment from this Government in the round, it is significantly up, and Scottish universities are punching above their weight in securing a share of that.