Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help support and promote biotechnology in Northern Ireland through the Industrial Strategy.

Life sciences, which includes biotechnology, is one of the priority sectors under the Government’s Industrial Strategy. This summer the Government published the UK Life Sciences Sector Plan, setting out a bold ambition to make the UK the leading life sciences economy in Europe by 2030. The Plan supports growth across the whole of the UK, including Northern Ireland, recognising its particular strengths in precision medicine, diagnostics, advanced manufacturing and clinical research. The Office for Life Sciences is working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to align priorities, attract investment, and deliver growth in Northern Ireland’s life sciences sector.