My Lords, I think we are all pretty much in violent agreement about the critical importance of collaboration across countries, but also about being able to attract the best and brightest to the UK. There is no question about that. When one hears the story from the noble Lord, Lord Mendelsohn, about individuals who have decided not to come here for various reasons because of Brexit, it is depressing. On the other hand, only today Novo Nordisk, the big Danish pharmaceutical company and diabetes specialist, announced that it is investing £100 million at Oxford.
AstraZeneca is also building its global research facilities at Cambridge. The truth is that anecdotes can be misleading and that the jury is out.
We have to demonstrate to the international community that we are open for business, and persuade it that that is the case. Other countries have similar issues at the moment. I imagine that many scientists in the USA are thinking, “Should we stay in the US or move?”. Scientists in other parts of Europe will be thinking similar things. We have to demonstrate to this increasingly internationally mobile part of the community that Britain is the place to be. I was struck that at the Crick institute, some 34% of all its principal investigators are EU nationals, which illustrates that it is essential that we reassure them of their welcome here.
That is what the Prime Minister has been doing. She said in her Lancaster House speech on 17 January that we will,
“welcome agreement to continue to collaborate with our European partners on major science, research, and technology initiatives”.
She went on to describe her vision of,
“a secure, prosperous, tolerant country—a magnet for international talent and a home to the pioneers and innovators who will shape the world ahead”.
There should be no doubt that the Government are fully apprised of this issue and that we are determined to be, as the Prime Minister said, a magnet for international talent. I do not suppose that the country is going to be glued to reading Hansard tomorrow, but it worth making that point on any opportunities that we get.
8.30 pm
As well as positioning the UK as the best place for science and innovation, as one of her key objectives for the Brexit negotiations, the Prime Minister is also placing research and development at the heart of the UK’s industrial strategy, as we discussed earlier in the debate. The Bill enables UKRI to carry out any and all of its functions outside of the UK and to represent the UK Government internationally if requested to do so by the Secretary of State. UKRI will specifically support, for example, the global Science and Innovation Network and the Newton Fund teams based in embassies across the world, and the international science strategy and diplomacy teams within BEIS and the FCO. UKRI will continue to fund an extensive range of international collaboration directly and will be by far the largest partner for the Government in the receipt and use of funds from international science-orientated government programmes.
Specifically on Amendment 490, let me assure the Committee that the Higher Education Statistics Agency and the research councils already collect the data to which this new clause refers. This will not change under UKRI. On Amendment 507ZA, let me echo my right honourable friend David Davis, who has made it clear that,
“We will always welcome those with the skills, the drive and the expertise to make our nation better still. If we are to win in the global marketplace, we must win the global battle for talent.”
I hope that goes some way to reassuring noble Lords, and the noble Lords, Lord Hannay and Lord Bilimoria, in particular.