Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Autumn Statement 2016, which business sectors his Department is encouraging to raise their research and development investment.

The government is committed to supporting innovative businesses and research across all sectors, and supporting technologies where the UK has a strong scientific and commercial advantage.

At the Autumn Statement, the government announced a significant increase in public R&D spending, rising to an extra £2 billion a year by 2020-21. This will include an Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, which will support collaborations between businesses and the UK’s world-leading science base.