Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's press release UK and India sign landmark research agreement, published on 26 April 2023: whether the £8.3 million of funding announced will be counted towards the (a) international or (b) domestic government science spend.

The Office for National Statistics aims to count research performed in the United Kingdom as part of UK domestic gross expenditure on R&D, but not research performed overseas.

The £8.3 million of funding announced in the press notice published on 26 April forms part of the Government’s funding commitment to R&I and will be counted as part of this commitment.

The memorandum of understanding and the funding announced in the press notice will support researchers in UK universities to develop collaborative research projects with leading researchers in India.