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

To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of concerns expressed by the UK scientific community regarding future participation in EU funded research projects, what funds will be made available to UK research teams following Brexit.

This Government wants the UK to be the go-to place for researchers, innovators and investors across the world. This is why we are increasing research and development investment by £4.7 billion over the period 2017-18 to 2020-21, an increase of around 20% to total government R&D spending, more than any increase in any parliament since 1979.

We would welcome an agreement to continue to collaborate with our European partners on major science, research, and technology initiatives. On 6 September we published a future partnership paper on collaboration on science and innovation. As part of our ambition for a new deep and special partnership with the EU, recognising our shared interest in maintaining and strengthening research collaboration, the UK will seek an agreement that promotes science and innovation across Europe now and in the future.

While we remain a member of the EU, UK businesses and universities should continue to bid for competitive EU funds, and we will work with the Commission to ensure payment when funds are awarded. The Government will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. This includes awards that are bid for before exit that are successful after exit.