Horizon Europe

That this House celebrates the role of international collaboration in driving world leading research and innovation; notes the positive effect this has on productivity and competitiveness; recognises the continued benefit to British scientists and researchers which has accrued thanks to access to the Horizon schemes; notes with concern the significant delay to the UK gaining association as part of Horizon Europe which has resulted in British universities losing millions of pounds in funding and researchers relocating to Europe to more easily access funding there; further notes with concern the recent comments made by the new Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology that the UK is “ready” to pursue its own scheme, rather than take part in wide-scale collaboration with our neighbours that is of huge benefit to our country; and therefore calls on the Government to rule out this prospect and to recommit to gaining association with Horizon Europe as a matter of urgency.