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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 November 2022, HCWS 376 on Programmes: Announcement of £484 million immediate investment for the UK R&D and fusion sectors, from which budget that funding will be drawn; and whether he expects that funding would be impacted by the UK's potential future participation in Horizon Europe.

The Government’s preference remains association to Horizon Europe and while we push for association, we must also invest in the UK’s world leading R&D sector.

At the 2021 Spending Review, the Government committed to funding association to EU R&D programmes, including Horizon Europe and that if the UK is unable to associate to Horizon Europe, the funding allocated to association will go to UK government R&D programmes.

As a result of the EU’s delays, the Government are making an immediate investment from the EU programme funding allocation to support the UK R&D sector as we continue to pursue association.