Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure Wales receives its UK population share of UKRI funding.

We are backing UK Science and Technology with the largest ever R&D investment, a record £86 billion over this Spending Review, including £38.6 billion for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). UKRI allocates funding primarily through open, competitive processes, rather than on population share. It is combined with targeted interventions like the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund to develop high-potential clusters.

In 2023-24, UKRI invested £168 million across Wales, including funding for Media Cymru in Cardiff, supporting a creative sector employing more than 100,000 people across nearly 12,000 businesses in Wales.

Additionally Devolved Governments receive Barnett Funding to match Research England’s grants to English universities. The Welsh Government currently invests around £398 million of this funding on research and knowledge exchange at Welsh universities.