UK Biobank Data

Richard Tice Excerpts

Thursday 23rd April 2026 Commons Chamber

[Richard Tice (Boston and Skegness) (Reform)]

This scandal is essentially a China data theft of UK Biobank’s data, which is generously donated by some half a million British citizens. Let us remember that the UK taxpayer funded approximately £200 million for setting up UK Biobank. They fund about £15 million every single year, which is used by some 22,000 researchers, including 2,000 or 3,000 in China, I understand. Will the Minister confirm that our generosity will not be abused by Chinese researchers and that UK Biobank should exclude them in the future in order to ensure that this data theft comes with sanctions?

[Ian Murray]

I do not think the tone of the hon. Gentleman’s question fits the seriousness of this issue. We are yet to get a conclusion from UK Biobank on what the process looked like for the three institutions that have been identified as downloading some datasets to transfer them to the seller, and we will update Members when we are clear on that. UK Biobank has told us quite clearly that that is what has happened.

There are thousands of Chinese researchers working every day on data from UK Biobank and other datasets from across the world, and they have been doing that since 2012 safely and securely. The issue here is that a loophole in the system has allowed datasets to be downloaded alongside the analytical research. If the hon. Gentleman saw some of the advances being made, particularly on Alzheimer’s, he would know that we are working very closely with the research community across the world, from all countries.

As I said to the shadow Minister, the previous suspension of accreditation was for Yale in the United States for misuse of data. Participants know that this research is used globally, and it is right that it is used globally for the advancement of us all. Banning researchers from the site would not be the way in which to advance the outcomes of UK Biobank.