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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reasons publicly-funded research in research institutions such as the National Oceanography Centre is not fully funded by Government.

The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) delivers world-class science and innovation working in close partnership with UKRI’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The NOC receives funding from NERC’s non-competitive funding and the wider community to pursue science that is nationally and internationally important.

The NOC was part of NERC. From 1 November 2019, NOC operates as an independent research institute, a charitable company limited by guarantee. This new structure ensures that NOC is more agile, financially more resilient with more freedoms and flexibilities. Independent research institutes are funded to deliver their missions collaborating with a greater range of external partners including business and other funders.