Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the conclusions in the report by King's College London and the Harvard Kennedy School The China question: managing risks and maximising benefits from partnership in higher education and research, published on 9 March, that (1) China is projected to become the UK's most significant research partner, and (2) collaborations with China account for more than 20 per cent of the UK’s high-impact research in 20 subject areas.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Her Majesty’s Government recognises the enormous benefits from collaborating on scientific research with China. We cannot address global challenges, such as climate change, without their support and engagement. We will continue to support research collaboration with China where it is clearly in the national interest to do so.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the conclusion in the report by King's College London and the Harvard Kennedy School The China question: managing risks and maximising benefits from partnership in higher education and research, published on 9 March, that an increase in funding from China and collaboration with Chinese researchers over the last two decades risks the autonomy of UK universities.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Her Majesty’s Government carefully considers advice and analysis from a range of sources, including universities and think tanks, and is grateful for the scholarship which my Noble Friend the Rt. Hon. the Lord Johnson of Marylebone has provided in this report. We will continue to support the sector to make informed decisions when engaging in international research and other collaboration.
Universities are well-aware of the possible risks associated with dependence on a single source of funding, whether that is from a single organisation or from a single nation. A diverse recruitment base is key to avoiding this. The Government’s International Education Strategy and recent update make clear that the internationalisation of our higher education sector cannot come at any cost – universities must ensure they have appropriate processes in place to manage risk.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the conclusion in the report by King's College London and the Harvard Kennedy School The China question: managing risks and maximising benefits from partnership in higher education and research, published on 9 March, that the UK has “poorly understood” risks of increasing collaboration between UK universities and China.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
International collaborations are central to our position as a science superpower and create wealth and jobs within the UK. We cooperate closely with universities, funding bodies and industry in protecting our higher education and research sector from interference. This includes publishing “Trusted Research” and commissioning Universities UK to release comprehensive guidelines to encourage secure partnerships and promote our values. We are pleased to see the university sector addressing these challenges and we will continue to work with the sector on implementing the guidelines, promoting best practice, and responding to specific enquiries. We also share experience and best practice with our friends and allies overseas.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what risk assessment they have conducted of students from China undertaking research in universities which are carrying out research connected with (1) critical infrastructure, and (2) national security, particularly in relation to (a) cyber technology, (b) artificial intelligence, (c) nuclear capability, (d) automation, (e) telecommunications and material sciences, and (f) weapons development; and what conclusions they have drawn.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Her Majesty’s Government welcomes all international students to UK universities, including those from China. We have taken robust measures to ensure that the university sector is protected from miss-appropriation of research relating to the areas listed. Measures include the Academic Technology Approval Scheme, which vets postgraduate students seeking to study proliferation sensitive courses, and outreach activity through the “Trusted Research” campaign. We continuously review measures that protect national security to ensure they remain effective.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the conclusion in the report by King's College London and the Harvard Kennedy School The China question: managing risks and maximising benefits from partnership in higher education and research, published on 9 March, that the UK "urgently needs to put in place a robust framework for engaging China in research and higher education".
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Her Majesty’s Government supports the sector to make informed decisions on international research collaboration and cooperates closely with universities, funding bodies and industry in protecting our higher education and research sector from interference. This is backed by a robust legal and regulatory framework including on exports, intellectual property and academic freedom and freedom of speech. We have strengthened protective measures and keep them under review. Trusted Research and the security guidelines commissioned by the Government and released by Universities UK are an important step to encourage secure partnerships and promote our values. We are pleased to see the university sector addressing these challenges and we will continue to work with the sector on implementing guidelines recommendations.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report Chain reaction: Improving the supply chain experience for smaller firms, published by the Federation of Small Businesses in June; and whether they will publish their response to the recommendations in the report.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Government notes this wide ranging report with interest and continues to engage with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) on a regular basis. It highlights some important issues on the supply chain experience for SMEs and the analysis and recommendations will be considered as we implement the Industrial Strategy which is taking action in many of these areas. Since the publication of the Industrial Strategy, four Sector Deals have been announced and there are more in discussion. And we will work in partnership with places to develop Local Industrial Strategies, which will be developed locally and agreed with the government.
I note the most commonly reported risks to supply chains by FSB smaller suppliers are customers failing to pay for services / goods provided (51%). At the Spring Statement, my rt. hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that a call for evidence will be published on eliminating unfair payment practices; this will seek views on how the government can go further to deliver a fair payment culture.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that North Korean workers are producing garments for Burberry Group Inc.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
We have made no such assessment.
The Modern Slavery Act, enacted last year, includes a demanding transparency in supply chains disclosure provision. This provision requires businesses operating in the UK, with an annual turnover of more than £36 million, to produce a slavery and human trafficking statement setting out the steps they have taken during the financial year to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any of its supply chains or its own business.
The provision obliges eligible companies to publish this information on their website, with a conspicuous link from their homepage, so that consumers, investors and the general public know what steps businesses are taking in this regard.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Drayson on 5 May 2009 (WA 95–6) and by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 8 June 2015 (HL44), why the latter stated that "derivation of ESC lines was not a primary aim of the project" in the light of the former Answer stating that the "primary aim of the MRC’s award to the University of Newcastle … was to incorporate technological advances to improve the efficiency of SCNT in human oocytes and develop a reproducible method of generating human embryonic stem cells following the transfer of the nucleus of an adult somatic cell into an oocyte"; and what assessment they have made of why that previously stated primary aim has still not been achieved despite the increased number of "freshly harvested oocytes donated specifically for this research" and the "help and advice given by Dr Shoukhrat Mitalipov" as acknowledged in <i>Scientific Reports</i> 4, article 3844.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
To provide the Noble Peer with a detailed reply on this technical issue, I have asked the Medical Research Council to write to you with on this matter. I will place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking in advance of the Global Anti-Corruption Summit in London in May to legislate to subject UK property owned by offshore companies to the same regulations as domestic companies and individuals.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
A discussion paper on proposals to require foreign companies to provide beneficial ownership information when purchasing or owning property or bidding for public contracts was published on Friday 4 March.
The document has been published here: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/property-ownership-and-public-contracting-by-foreign-companies-improving-transparency and copies of the discussion paper have been placed in the libraries of both Houses.