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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress has been made (a) towards association with or (b) to the development of an alternative programme to the Horizon Europe Programme.

Our preference remains association to European programmes, and we are doing everything we can to achieve this goal. At the UK-EU Specialised Committee meeting on 22 September, we once again requested that the EU fulfil its obligation to finalise the UK’s association to Horizon Europe. It is regrettable that the EU declined this request. We are now considering next steps, as our priority is to support the UK’s world leading R&D sector.

At the 2021 Spending Review, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer set out that in the event we are unable to associate, we will use the funding allocated to Horizon Europe to build on our existing R&D programmes with a new UK research, infrastructure and innovation alternative to Horizon. This investment will support top talent, drive innovation and foster international collaboration with EU and global partners.

Following the publication of our transitional plans on July 20, which outlined our immediate plans to support the sector should association not be possible, more detailed proposals on long term alternatives will be published following engagement with the sector.