Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the pharmaceutical sector on promoting research and development investment in the UK.

Officials and Ministers from the department meet regularly with representatives from the pharmaceutical sector, including on investment in research & development.

This includes engagement on the Life Sciences Sector Plan, which sets out the Government’s 10-year strategy to grow the UK’s Life Sciences sector and drive inward investment. The plan includes clear actions that will support R&D – from our commitment to reduce the set-up time for commercial clinical trials to fewer than 150 days, through to establishing a national Health Data Research Service together with the Wellcome Trust, backed by £600 million. Going further, in September, the Government launched the Life Sciences Transformational R&D Investment Fund, backed by £50m, which aims to support major R&D investments in the UK.