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Written Question
Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access
Thursday 2nd February 2023

Asked by: Stephen Metcalfe (Conservative - South Basildon and East Thurrock)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment of a potential link between (a) the rebate in the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access and (b) the accompanying Statutory Scheme on the level of foreign direct investment into UK R&D.

Answered by George Freeman

The Government is working to better understand the impacts the operation of the current Voluntary Scheme and the accompanying Statutory Scheme on investments in the UK. We are therefore in direct conversations with companies to understand these impacts. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is in close discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department responsible for the Voluntary Scheme and Statutory Scheme, about the business environment for life sciences and its impact on investment.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 29 Nov 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"As my right hon. Friend will know, maths and higher maths is often the foundation skill upon which other innovative technologies are built. Can he therefore tell the House what steps his Department is taking both to fund higher maths and to give people the skills they need in maths …..."
Stephen Metcalfe - View Speech

View all Stephen Metcalfe (Con - South Basildon and East Thurrock) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 11 Jan 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"To ensure that our fantastic life science sector continues to prosper and lead the world, we need to inspire the next generation of life scientists. What more can the Minister’s Department do to show that there is a place for everyone in the sector, regardless of race, background or gender, …..."
Stephen Metcalfe - View Speech

View all Stephen Metcalfe (Con - South Basildon and East Thurrock) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 16 Nov 2021
Oral Answers to Questions

"1. What progress his Department has made on delivering the “Life Sciences Vision”. ..."
Stephen Metcalfe - View Speech

View all Stephen Metcalfe (Con - South Basildon and East Thurrock) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 16 Nov 2021
Oral Answers to Questions

"I welcome the record research and development settlement for my right hon. Friend’s Department that was delivered during the spending review, a good chunk of which will, I hope, support investment in health and life sciences. Does he agree that our world-class life sciences base has been and will be …..."
Stephen Metcalfe - View Speech

View all Stephen Metcalfe (Con - South Basildon and East Thurrock) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Written Question
Graduates: Mathematics
Tuesday 9th November 2021

Asked by: Stephen Metcalfe (Conservative - South Basildon and East Thurrock)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is planning to take to help ensure that the number of students undertaking PhD research in mathematics is sustained.

Answered by Paul Scully

The UK is a world leader in Mathematics. British mathematicians publish a large volume of highly regarded work. When compared to international colleagues, British mathematicians have the 5th largest share of publications in the world. When looking at the top 1% of most cited publications, UK mathematicians are responsible for the third largest share.

Since January 2020, UKRI has awarded £104 million of additional funding into Mathematical Sciences, over and above EPSRC’s core Mathematical Sciences Theme budget. The additional funding has funded institutes, small and large research grants, fellowships, doctoral studentships, and postdoctoral awards.

Following the SR, BEIS will set R&D budgets through to 2024/25. Further details of how this funding will be allocated will be announced in due course.

Written Question
Chief Scientific Advisers: Mathematics
Tuesday 9th November 2021

Asked by: Stephen Metcalfe (Conservative - South Basildon and East Thurrock)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many of the Government’s Chief Scientists have a mathematical background; and if will provide information on the academic backgrounds of the Government’s Chief Scientists.

Answered by Paul Scully

Most government departments have a Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) to provide scientific advice. A CSA is typically a distinguished scientist or engineer, recruited externally from academia or industry. Of the current cohort of CSAs, two have a purely mathematical background (FCDO CSA & MOD CSA).

However, all CSAs bring deep science and/or engineering knowledge and are able to work fluently across a range of sciences including mathematics.

All current departmental CSAs have their academic background published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/chief-scientific-advisers.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 23 Sep 2021
Gas Prices and Energy Suppliers

"Obviously these are disturbing times for our constituents and I welcome the actions that the Government are taking. Can my right hon. Friend confirm that, whatever happens in the markets, no one in Basildon and Thurrock need fear supply failure or sudden hikes in prices this winter?..."
Stephen Metcalfe - View Speech

View all Stephen Metcalfe (Con - South Basildon and East Thurrock) contributions to the debate on: Gas Prices and Energy Suppliers
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 21 Sep 2021
Oral Answers to Questions

"T6. The space sector presents us with huge opportunities for the future prosperity of this country. What plans is my right hon. Friend developing with regard to the implementation, ownership, governance and funding of key elements of the national space strategy?..."
Stephen Metcalfe - View Speech

View all Stephen Metcalfe (Con - South Basildon and East Thurrock) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 07 Jun 2021
Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill

"As the hon. Gentleman knows, we had these exchanges in the Bill Committee. It is not so much that ARIA had not got a mission; its mission is to discover areas of research that could potentially be high risk but deliver high rewards, but we do not know what those …..."
Stephen Metcalfe - View Speech

View all Stephen Metcalfe (Con - South Basildon and East Thurrock) contributions to the debate on: Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill