Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of City Growth Deals in Northern Ireland for implementing outcomes aligned with the UK Science and Technology Framework.

The UK Science and Technology Framework provides a holistic picture of the ten critical levers that the UK Government can use to drive growth and improve the lives of citizens through science and technology. We remain committed to the Framework and to applying these levers to ensure science and technology supports the delivery of core priorities, such as the Plan for Change and the Industrial Strategy.

All Northern Ireland City Growth Deal project business cases are reviewed by UK Government departments to ensure strategic alignment with wider government priorities. This includes officials in both DSIT and UKRI, who assess strategic alignment with the UK Government’s priorities for science and technology, including the UK Science and Technology Framework.

This process helps to ensure that City Growth Deals across Northern Ireland have taken account – at a local delivery level – of the UK Government’s priorities across science and technology, as set out in the Framework.