UK Research and Innovation: Ethnic Minorities

Lord Bilimoria Excerpts

Monday 15th December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

Yes, much of this was about postgraduate students, but it is true in the workforce. The Office for Students recently issued guidance that makes it clear that staff and students should be free to undertake academic research within the law, and should not be restricted or compromised in any way because of the conclusions that that research may reach, or the views that it supports or any conflict with the higher education provider’s values. There are schemes right the way across the system, including in the White Paper that was recently published, for how to increase participation from multiple groups, based not just on ethnicity but also on socioeconomic deprivation and those with caring responsibilities.

[Lord Bilimoria (CB)]

My Lords, will the Minister confirm that funding for PhDs and research in the arts is going to be cut by up to 60%? There has been a huge uproar in the academic world, which believes that this is not right. Of course, science is important; STEM is important, but surely it should be STEAM, which includes the arts as well, which are crucial for our education and our competitiveness.

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

There is no plan to cut PhD numbers, which are running at about 5,000 per year, funded through UKRI. That makes up about 20% of the total funding, with the other 80% coming from other sources, including from European grants. In the new allocation of funding from UKRI, it will be very clear that the Arts and Humanities Research Council and people in the social sciences will be well provided for.