Science, Innovation and Technology – in the House of Commons at on 22 May 2024.
Gary Sambrook
Conservative, Birmingham, Northfield
What steps her Department is taking to support the life sciences manufacturing sector.
Andrew Griffith
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government could not be more committed to supporting our valued life sciences sector, which, in the financial year ending 2022, contributed well over £100 billion in turnover to the UK economy and employed more than 300,000 people.
Gary Sambrook
Conservative, Birmingham, Northfield
As the Minister will know, there is a shortage of laboratory space and clinical trials in the UK, and companies such as Precision Health Technologies Accelerator in Birmingham, led by the excellent Professor Gino Martini, want to be part of the solution to the problem. What help can the Government give businesses of that kind so that we can increase the number of clinical trials to help the advancement of lifesaving medicines?
Andrew Griffith
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
My hon. Friend is right: such is the growth of this important sector that we need more lab space quickly. I personally benefited from the advice of Professor Martini in the life sciences real estate working group. Precision Health Technologies Accelerator does some amazing work in my hon. Friend’s Constituency to knock down barriers to building, many of which are sadly the fault of Labour councils.
Andrew Gwynne
Shadow Minister (Social Care)
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease remain the largest cause of death in the United Kingdom. The Government pledged in 2019 to fund dementia research. What more is the Minister doing to ensure that we have early diagnosis, access to trials and support for life sciences to transform dementia outcomes?
Andrew Griffith
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Dementia is a crippling disease for so many people, and will touch so many people’s lives. The Health Secretary and I recently hosted the heads of the Dementia Mission at No. 10 Downing Street to announce more funding, and I should be happy to meet the hon. Member and any representatives of dementia organisations in his Constituency.
Carol Monaghan
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Education), Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Science, Innovation and Technology)
A facility that would allow the production of good manufacturing practice phages would be an asset to many companies working in the field, and would play a key part in tackling antimicrobial resistance. What consideration has been given to repurposing the Rosalind Franklin Institute as a GMP facility for phage production rather than selling it off?
Andrew Griffith
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The hon. Lady has made some important points. My officials and I have met representatives of the institute and have considered a number of options for it, of which they and, I believe, she will be aware.
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