Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on reducing clinical trial set-up times.

Reducing clinical trial set-up times is a priority across government, and the Department of Health and Social Care and Department of Science, Innovation and Technology are working closely together to fulfil the Prime Minister’s target of achieving study set-up in under 150 days by March 2026.

Cross-departmental monitoring takes place via the UK Clinical Research Delivery (UKCRD) programme, a cross-sector programme that brings together delivery partners and key stakeholders, and through the joint-ministerial Life Sciences Delivery Board, which provides strategic oversight of progress on the Government’s ambitions for the Life Sciences sector, including targets to reduce set-up times for clinical trials.