PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Carbon Capture and Storage: Research (13 June 2018)

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that all carbon capture and storage-related R&D investment received by UK educational institutions and businesses from the EU will be secured in the long-term.

Asked by:
Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party)

The Government wants the UK to be the go-to place for researchers, innovators and investors across the world. As we exit the European Union, we intend to secure the right outcome for UK research and innovation. In our future partnership with the EU, the UK will look to establish an ambitious future agreement on science and innovation that ensures the valuable research links between us continue to grow. As part of this, my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister has said that we want the option to fully associate to the excellence-based European science and innovation programmes, including Horizon Europe.

The UK continues to be eligible to fully participate in all aspects of Horizon 2020, the EU’s Research and Innovation Framework Programme, while we remain a member of the EU. This includes aspects of the programme related to carbon capture and storage. The UK and EU negotiators’ Joint Report, reflected in the draft Withdrawal Agreement, envisages that UK entities’ right to participate will remain unaffected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU for the duration of the programme. On this basis, the UK Government encourages the UK research and innovation community to continue to bid for Horizon 2020 funding and participate in Horizon 2020 projects.

In addition, the UK Government has committed to underwrite Horizon 2020 funding if necessary. This guarantees funding for UK participants in projects ongoing at the point of exit, as well as any successful bids submitted before the UK leaves the EU.

Furthermore, in order to promote research in the UK, we are investing an additional £7 billion in R&D funding over five years to 2022 and as part of the Industrial Strategy the Government made clear our ambition to increase R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027.

Answered by:
Mr Sam Gyimah (Liberal Democrat)
18 June 2018