Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department has assessed the value for money of continued operational funding for e-MERLIN, taking account of (a) scientific capability, (b) skills retention, (c) industrial benefits and (d) national security applications.

The decision not to continue operational funding for e-MERLIN beyond March 2028 followed a comprehensive, evidence-based prioritisation exercise undertaken by UK Research and Innovation. Options were assessed against criteria including scientific excellence, long-term research impact, strategic importance to the UK, international leadership, value for money and the preservation of capabilities that would be difficult or impossible to recreate if lost. The exercise also considered evidence from affected projects and the wider research community. As part of the wider prioritisation approach, STFC protected Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear Physics grants for postdoctoral funding at 2025/26 levels, as well as PhD studentships and fellowships, to help sustain long-term research capability and skills.