Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on the finances of universities of not having participated in the Horizon programme for two years.

The government has maintained a lifeline for UK researchers and businesses, by guaranteeing the funding of bids into the Horizon Europe programme.

The Horizon Europe Guarantee scheme has meant no UK researchers have been left out of pocket. It has issued over 2,600 grant offers worth £1.39 billion to the end of September 2023.

On 7 September 2023 my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced a new UK- EU agreement on the UK’s association to Horizon Europe. This means that UK businesses and researchers can participate confidently in the world’s largest programme of research cooperation. Information on the UK’s Horizon Deal can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/overwhelming-support-for-uks-horizon-deal.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator for the higher education sector in England, and is responsible for monitoring and reporting on its financial sustainability. The Secretary of State, departmental officials and I continue to work closely with the OfS and various parties including mission groups, providers, and other government departments as appropriate, to understand the ongoing impacts and changing landscape of financial sustainability in the sector.