Written question asked by Iain Wright (Labour) on Monday, 16 January 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 20 January 2012. It was answered by Lord Willetts (Conservative) on Friday, 20 January 2012 on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Shell

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the announcement on 16 January 2012 of the proposed closure of the Shell Technology Centre in Thornton, what assessment he has made of the UK's attractiveness as a location to undertake research and development.

Answer: The Government are committed to ensure that we maintain and strengthen the UK's position as one of the most innovative economies in the world. We are absolutely determined to create the right conditions for business investment and growth in research and development and innovation, and we believe that international companies will be keen to take advantage of these conditions.The latest available Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data shows that in 2009 22% of UK Business Enterprise R&D (BERD) expenditure was financed from abroad. This is more than double the prevailing EU average, and higher than every other country in the OECD database.In absolute terms, data are not available for more recent years. In 2007 $5.6 million of BERD expenditure in the UK was financed from abroad. This compared to $2.6 million in France in 2007 and $1.6 million in Germany in 2006.

Secondary information