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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how many external independent academic peer reviews were commissioned to inform the Science and Technology Facilities Council's 2026–2030 prioritisation outcomes; and if he will publish these review findings.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council's (STFC) prioritisation process was informed by extensive engagement with the research community, expert advisory bodies and specialist staff. This included more than 10 engagement events, written input from 48 project leads, and more than 30 Science Board, Council and expert advisory panel meetings. Science Board (Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear Physics) completed a comprehensive appraisal of options based on information provided by individual projects, while Science Board (Facilities and Laboratories) and the cross-UKRI Facilities Strategic Advisory Group were consulted on facilities options. No external independent academic peer reviews were commissioned specifically for this prioritisation exercise. Science Board advice is provided confidentially and is not routinely published.