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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of the STFC's projected £162 million deficit attributable directly to (a) foreign exchange rate fluctuations, (b) international subscription commitments, and (c) energy price increases.

Within the funding allocations set by Government, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and its constituent councils are responsible for managing their budgets, balancing pressures across their portfolios and ensuring their activities remain financially sustainable.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council identified a range of pressures affecting the affordability of its portfolio, including inflation, staffing and energy costs, foreign exchange movements, international subscription commitments and the costs associated with an expanded portfolio of activity. UKRI and STFC undertook a prioritisation exercise to return STFC to a sustainable financial position while protecting key capabilities. While UKRI has considered the contribution of individual cost pressures to STFC’s affordability challenge, the projected funding gap reflects the cumulative impact of multiple factors and UKRI does not routinely report or publish a breakdown of the gap by individual cost driver.