EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement

Lord Patel Excerpts

Friday 8th January 2021 Lords Chamber

[Lord Patel (CB) [V]]

My Lords, I want to focus my remarks on the agreement as it relates to the future UK-EU science research relationship. Scientists, researchers and academics are delighted that the UK will continue to participate, albeit as an associate member, in Horizon Europe, an €85 billion research programme. Apart from participation in research programmes, the agreement will shape data-sharing and regulation, research student exchange, nuclear research, space research and clinical trials.

Although the good news is that UK scientists will be able to benefit from grants under Horizon Europe programmes and from the European Research Council, and take part in the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions programme, can the Minister confirm that the UK is excluded from the European Innovation Council Fund, designed to support start-ups and SMEs? This is a big loss. From the start of the Horizon 2020 programme up to December 2019, the UK had received £694 million in SME funding, involving 2,400 UK participants. How will the UK fund the aspects of research that lead to innovation? Also, there will be a cap on the total funding for research that the UK can receive in grants, above which there will be a penalty clause. Can the Minister clarify that?

Agreement on the mutual recognition of quality standards for medicines will allow for the unhindered movement of drugs, including the testing of drugs for clinical trials, but any cross-border, multicountry clinical trials, which are very necessary for rare diseases and cancer, will require the UK to be represented legally in the EU—a big drawback. Furthermore, until the data protection regulations are agreed, the transfer of patient data from clinical trials cannot take place. The Minister may wish to comment on that.

Finally, I turn to the deal as it relates to the movement of research students et cetera from the EU, related to the implementation programme. They are expected to be treated in the same way as domestic people under a review of services and so on. It would be helpful to understand how this will work in the context of the new immigration system and regulations. I look forward to the Minister’s response.