Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to maintain Government funding for science, technology and maths research through the (a) Daphne Jackson Trust and (b) Wellcome Trust; and if he will make a statement. .

The Government has made a commitment to increase overall investment in R&D to 2.4% of GDP by 2027, and 3% in the longer term. This will be the largest increase ever.

The Daphne Jackson Trust and the Wellcome Trust are independent charities that do not receive Government funding for their core activities. We have developed and maintain close relationships with both organisations and have supported and worked in partnership with them on specific projects.

Through its fellowships the Daphne Jackson Trust supports researchers to retrain and return after a career break of two or more years taken for family, caring or health reasons. In 2017 over half of the seventy active Daphne Jackson Fellowships were sponsored by one or more Research Councils.

The Department has partnered with the Wellcome Trust to deliver the Inspiring Science Fund which supports science centres to create opportunities for young people, with an increased focus on under-represented and underserved audiences, to learn about and engage with science, technology, engineering and maths