Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in the Welsh Government on support for (a) businesses and (b) universities for research into psilocybin.

I routinely meet with Welsh Government Ministers to discuss a variety of issues. In addition, my officials regularly engage with Welsh Government officials regarding R&D support for Welsh businesses and universities, including health-based R&D.

The UK Government is investing £39.8 billion on R&D between 2022 and 2025, the largest amount ever. This will contribute to the Prime Minister’s ambition to cement the UK as a science and technology superpower by 2030, in which businesses and universities in Wales will play a key role.

I have recently visited all of the universities in Wales and I have also visited many businesses within the Welsh Life Sciences and MedTech sectors. I have greatly appreciated seeing the innovative technologies that are contributing to the Welsh R&D landscape because of excellent research and collaboration between academia and industry.