Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on science and research funding life sciences to deliver testing capabilities now and in the future.
The UK continues to be a prime destination for life sciences. Sustained Government and industry investment in life sciences research across the UK has provided a strong foundation for this work to flourish.
During the Covid-19 outbreak, the Government is engaging with the life sciences sector to understand how it can best respond to issues, such as developing and producing testing supplies.
The Government’s long-term objectives for research and development are clear: to invest in the science and research that will deliver economic growth across the UK, for decades to come. As part of the Government’s £1.25 billion Covid-19 support package, Innovate UK is investing £750 million to support innovation in the country’s most research-intensive businesses during and afterthe pandemic.