In March, the UK and EU negotiation teams reached an important milestone in the Brexit process by agreeing the terms of a time-limited implementation period, which provides for UK entities’ continued access to EU programmes, including Horizon 2020, for their duration.

Furthermore, as my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in her Mansion House speech, we want to establish a far-reaching science and innovation pact with the EU, facilitating the exchange of ideas and researchers. This could include continuing to cooperate through specific policies and programmes that are greatly to our mutual advantage.

The most substantial areas that we are interested in exploring include Framework Programme 9, Euratom Research and Training and the Copernicus programme. Specifically, we would like the option to fully associate to these programmes – we feel that this is in our joint interests. The scale and strength of the UK’s research and innovation is such that we should be looking for a bespoke relationship. We would like to discuss the details as soon as possible.

The government is committed to improving the quality of science education, including making sure pupils experience practical science. A number of programmes provide support to science teachers and technicians to improve science teaching, including support to deliver practical work. These programmes include the national network of ‘Science Learning Partnerships’, incorporating support for schools to improve the take up of GCSE triple science, and the ‘Stimulating Physics Network’.

The latest provisional data on GCSE entries in England shows that 91.2% of pupils sat science GCSEs in 2017, up from 86.8% in 2016. There was also an increase in the number of A level entries in science subjects in England, with 2017 provisional data showing that there were 134,105 entries in physics, chemistry and biology A levels, up from 130,787 in 2016.

We are introducing the national funding formula from 2018-19 so that, for the first time, school funding will be distributed according to a formula based on the individual needs and characteristics of every school in the country. This is supported by a significant extra investment of £1.3 billion across 2018-19 and 2019-20, over and above the budget announced at the 2015 spending review.

Core funding for schools and high needs will rise from almost £41 billion in 2017-18 to £42.4 billion in 2018-19 and £43.5 billion in 2019-20. This will allow us to maintain school and high needs funding in real terms per pupil for the next two years. It is for schools to determine how much of their funding is spent on practical science.

My Lords, the Government are committed to investing in science and making Britain the technology centre of Europe. We have a clear mandate for reform and will hold an “in or out” referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union by the end of 2017.

Not at all. Our position is very sensible. We are looking for an improved position in a reformed Europe to end uncertainty. The Government’s plans involve various areas, including increasing economic competitiveness. Science and innovation are clearly vital ingredients in that economic competitiveness.

The UK and EU are providing support to scientific institutions in Ukraine in several areas though not as a consequence of recent political instability. The Royal Society is currently funding, through its Department of Business Innovation and Skills grant, two international exchanges involving Ukrainian scientists worth £24,000.

The British Council has awarded grants of up to £5000 to support the development of partnerships between Ukrainian and UK higher education institutions in 2014-15. Priority was given to applications focussed on energy. The partnerships include:

Keele University - V.N.Karazin Kharkiv National University, Ecology Department;
University of Manchester - Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas;
Energy Institute, University College London - V.N.Karazin Kharkiv National University, Department of Physics and Energy;
Aberystwyth University - Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Department of Geology;
Durham University - V.N.Karazin Kharkiv National University, Department of Chemistry.

The EU’s Horizon 2020 programme is funding several projects in Ukraine, such as BILAT-UKR*AINA which supports science and technology policy dialogue between the Commission, EU Member States and Ukraine. The EU Delegation in Ukraine provides funding for a number of projects in areas such as energy, environment and the sustainable management of natural resources. In addition, Ukraine is a partner country to the Erasmus+ programme, and therefore has automatic access to a number of Erasmus+ activities in the area of youth and higher education, financed through EU external and internal funds.

The Government are committed to help shape the future of an open, flexible and adaptable European Union, welcome the continuing high level of participation by the UK research base in EU research funding programmes and are actively engaged in the negotiations for the next funding programme (Horizon 2020).