PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(1 September 2026)

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department took to ensure that recent UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) operational funding decisions for key facilities aligned with the UK's broader strategic investments in frontier physical sciences prior to those decisions being finalised; and what formal impact assessments were conducted regarding the continuity of UK capital investment in those same facilities.

Asked by:
Dr Scott Arthur (Labour)

UKRI, through STFC, has undertaken a prioritisation process to ensure its overall financial stability and the ongoing affordability of its National Laboratories, large scale, multi-disciplinary facilities, and the PPAN portfolio. The cross-UKRI Facilities Strategic Advisory Group, which included representation for the physical sciences, were consulted on the range of options under consideration. These are considered, strategic choices to focus resources where they deliver long-term capability and value. The aim is a stronger, more focused, and more sustainable STFC delivering impact for the UK. The outcomes seek to protect key strategic priorities and capabilities including the operation of STFC’s National Laboratories and facilities.

Answered by:
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