Asked by: Anna Firth (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of open access fibre networks on broadband rollout targets.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As set out in the 2018 Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, the Government believes competition is the best way to rapidly increase the deployment of gigabit-capable networks, including full fibre, across the UK. Companies are free to decide their own business model, for example whether they run only as a network operator, only as an internet service provider or if they operate as a vertically integrated business. Companies are also free to decide which companies they partner with. Some companies have decided to be open access, while others have adopted other models.
While the Government has not conducted research specifically on the impact of open access fibre networks on broadband rollout targets, the current pro-competition approach has been successful in increasing gigabit-capable networks in the UK from less than 10% coverage in 2019 to more than 80% coverage today. More than 100 companies with various business models across the UK helped with this rapid rollout - the fastest rate in Europe. Consumers also benefit from competitive broadband prices. In difficult to reach areas which might not be commercially viable, the government has invested £5bn to incentivise the rollout of gigabit capable networks.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate manufacturing capabilities for new (a) vaccines and (b) drugs in a pandemic.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
An established clinical countermeasures programme is a core component of our pandemic preparedness and response capability, including vaccines and therapeutics. The UK Biological Security Strategy, published in June 2023, reaffirms our ambition to scale up discovery, development, and manufacturing of therapeutics and vaccines within 100 days.
In the Autumn Statement 2023, the Chancellor announced £520 million for Life Sciences manufacturing to build resilience for future health emergencies and capitalise on the United Kingdom’s world-leading research and development. This follows previous investment through the Biomanufacturing Fund, to incentivise the manufacture of vaccines and therapeutics, to improve the UK’s health resilience to future pandemics.
In September 2023, the UK Health Security Agency agreed a deal for millions of life-saving vaccines to be produced, with end-to-end manufacturing in the UK, if a future influenza pandemic is ever declared. The advance purchase agreement means healthcare company CSL Seqirus will be on standby to produce over 100 million pandemic influenza vaccines from their manufacturing plant in Liverpool.
In December 2022, the Government and Moderna entered a strategic partnership to set up mRNA research, development, and manufacturing facilities in the UK. Under the partnership, Moderna will build a new Innovation and Technology Centre in the UK, with the capacity to produce up to 250 million vaccines per year, in the event of a pandemic.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and (b) representatives of higher education institutions on the potential impact of such institutions' collaboration with Chinese higher education bodies linked to the People's Liberation Army on national security.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The government takes the risk of foreign interference in our higher education (HE) sector extremely seriously, regardless of its source. The department has made it clear that it will not accept collaborations that compromise national security. The department recognises concerns about interference in the HE sector and regularly assesses the risks facing academia, working with partners across government. The department will continue to take steps to significantly strengthen the UK’s protections from overseas interference in our HE sector, helping to safeguard intellectual property and sensitive research.
The ‘Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023’ will ensure that universities in England have the tools they need to deal with interference with, and threats to, freedom of speech and academic freedom. The Act will enable the Office for Students to monitor the overseas funding of registered HE providers and their constituent institutions and student unions, and to take appropriate action.
The department expects Confucius Institutes at UK universities to operate transparently and within the law, and with a full commitment to the government's values of openness and freedom of expression. The department has taken action to remove any direct or indirect government funding from Confucius Institutes in the UK.
The ‘Integrated Review Refresh’, published in 2023, committed to launching a review of legislative and other measures designed to protect the academic sector, to identify what more the government could or should be doing. This is currently underway and is led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. This will include an assessment of the risks to research security as a result of collaboration with international bodies.
The department also works with the sector to improve HE providers’ overall resilience and economic security. The department has encouraged Universities UK to publish a number of guidelines and case studies to enable HE providers to assess risks associated with international collaboration.
Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her letter of 23 October 2023 to UK Research and Innovation on that organisation's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion board, whether her Department has paid a sum to Professor Kate Sang in relation to that letter.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I refer the hon. Member to the opening statement by the Secretary of State at the Lords Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee on 12 March 2024.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her letter of 23 October 2023 to UK Research and Innovation on that organisation's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion board, whether her Department has paid a sum to Professor Kate Sang in relation to that letter.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I refer the hon. Member to the opening statement by the Secretary of State at the Lords Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee on 12 March 2024.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her letter of 28 October 2023 to UK Research and Innovation on that organisation's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion board, how much her Department paid to Professor Kate Sang.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I refer the hon. Member to the opening statement by the Secretary of State at the Lords Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee on 12 March 2024.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the planned rise in the salary threshold for a skilled worker visa on UK research and development.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In December 2023, the Government announced a new package of measures to curb immigration abuse and further reduce net migration. DSIT will continue to work with the Home Office on the details of the measures and make ongoing assessments of the effects on researchers, scientists and innovators.
The Government is committed to attracting and retaining the talent needed to ensure the UK remains at the cutting edge of research, development and innovation (RDI). Our Science and Technology Framework, updated in February, sets out how we will build a skilled workforce for tomorrow’s industries.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding her Department has provided to research projects based in (a) York, (b) Yorkshire and (c) the UK in the last 12 months.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This government is investing record amounts in R&D across the UK, rising to £20 billion per annum by 2024-25. Between January 2023 and January 2024, over £231 million was awarded to organisations based in Yorkshire and The Humber by UKRI. Awards to the York area were in excess of £35 million.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding UK Research and Innovation has (a) allocated and (b) provided to BioYorkshire in the last 12 months.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As agreed in the Devolution Deal, UKRI, including Innovate UK, will work with the new York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and Mayor when elected to consider how to bring together different research and innovation funding streams and opportunities across the region to support the BioYorkshire initiative. UKRI has given a range of funding to partners involved with this initiative, including through its formula-based block grants to universities.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, whether any costs were incurred by the Government Legal Department in relation to the libel action pursued by Professor Kate Sang against the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, following her letter of 23 October 2023 to UK Research and Innovation on that organisation's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion board.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
In line with normal Government Legal Department charging arrangements, any costs in relation to this matter have been or will be borne by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.