Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the UK maintains a leadership role in the number of phase 1 trials being delivered in the UK, by comparison to international competitors.

The multi-year vision for the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery: 2021 to 2022 implementation plan was published on 23 March 2021 and sets out our ambition to create a patient-centred, pro-innovation and digitally enabled clinical research environment including phase 1 trials. A copy is attached. Implementing the vision will unleash the true potential of our clinical research environment to improve health, capitalise on our renowned research expertise, and make the United Kingdom one of the best places in the world to design and deliver research.

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) infrastructure spans early translational experimental medicine, through clinical and onto applied health and care research. NIHR has recently invested over £969 million to strengthen the infrastructure supporting Phase 1 trial capacity over the next five years. This includes funding for the NIHR Biomedical Research Centres, the NIHR Clinical Research Facilities, and Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres.