Oral Answers to Questions Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Gary Sambrook Excerpts
Wednesday 22nd May 2024

(7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Andrew Griffith Portrait Andrew Griffith
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

As the hon. Lady well knows, diversity, STEM education and skills are at the heart of the UK science and technology framework, and we will be publishing skills frameworks for each of its priority areas.

Gary Sambrook Portrait Gary Sambrook (Birmingham, Northfield) (Con)
- Hansard - -

3. What steps her Department is taking to support the life sciences manufacturing sector.

Andrew Griffith Portrait The Minister for Science, Research and Innovation (Andrew Griffith)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

The Government could not be more committed to supporting our valued life sciences sector, which, in the financial year ending 2022, contributed well over £100 billion in turnover to the UK economy and employed more than 300,000 people.

Gary Sambrook Portrait Gary Sambrook
- View Speech - Hansard - -

As the Minister will know, there is a shortage of laboratory space and clinical trials in the UK, and companies such as Precision Health Technologies Accelerator in Birmingham, led by the excellent Professor Gino Martini, want to be part of the solution to the problem. What help can the Government give businesses of that kind so that we can increase the number of clinical trials to help the advancement of lifesaving medicines?

Andrew Griffith Portrait Andrew Griffith
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

My hon. Friend is right: such is the growth of this important sector that we need more lab space quickly. I personally benefited from the advice of Professor Martini in the life sciences real estate working group. Precision Health Technologies Accelerator does some amazing work in my hon. Friend’s constituency to knock down barriers to building, many of which are sadly the fault of Labour councils.