Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which Department will (a) deliver and (b) oversee the £48 million of new money for scientific innovation to prepare for any future health emergencies announced on 25 May.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will deliver and oversee the £38m Biomanufacturing Fund that was announced on 25 May, which will distribute grants via a competitive process to incentivise investment in the manufacture of vaccines and biotherapeutics that will improve the UK’s resilience to any future pandemics. InnovateUK will deliver and oversee the further £10m of funding towards innovation in cutting edge medicine manufacturing that can bolster the UK’s health resilience, such as nucleic acid technology and intracellular drug delivery that can help improve vaccines.