To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reports of redundancies on the Atomic Weapons Establishment’s ability to recruit and retain scientists and engineers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reports of redundancies on the Atomic Weapons Establishment’s ability to recruit and retain scientists and engineers.

My hon. Friend’s constituency is just one example of why the United Kingdom is a world leader in educating and attracting the brightest minds. Our immigration White Paper includes changes to make sure that more of the world’s best graduates and entrepreneurs start their careers and businesses here. We are also boosting our research and development sector with more than £86 billion, to ensure that we continue to attract the best and the brightest.

My hon. Friend’s constituency is just one example of why the United Kingdom is a world leader in educating and attracting the brightest minds. Our immigration White Paper includes changes to make sure that more of the world’s best graduates and entrepreneurs start their careers and businesses here. We are also boosting our research and development sector with more than £86 billion, to ensure that we continue to attract the best and the brightest.

Q14

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Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab):

Cambridge is one of the most intensive science and innovation clusters in the world, and that success is based on openness to talent. At the moment, in many American universities there are many well-qualified people pondering their futures. That presents a fantastic opportunity, but it is a global competition. What are our Government doing to make the destination of choice for those people the United Kingdom?

Q14

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Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab):

Cambridge is one of the most intensive science and innovation clusters in the world, and that success is based on openness to talent. At the moment, in many American universities there are many well-qualified people pondering their futures. That presents a fantastic opportunity, but it is a global competition. What are our Government doing to make the destination of choice for those people the United Kingdom?

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to immigration laws on the level of recruitment of skilled science professionals from abroad.

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to immigration laws on the level of recruitment of skilled science professionals from abroad.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to attract US Alzheimer’s research scientists to UK institutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to attract US Alzheimer’s research scientists to UK institutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to attract US cancer research scientists to UK institutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to attract US cancer research scientists to UK institutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has held discussions with UK research bodies on opportunities to recruit American scientists impacted by US budget cuts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has held discussions with UK research bodies on opportunities to recruit American scientists impacted by US budget cuts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to provide funding support to support UK research institutions to recruit American scientists from US universities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to provide funding support to support UK research institutions to recruit American scientists from US universities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential economic impact of attracting American research scientists in (a) cancer and (b) Alzheimer's on UK research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential economic impact of attracting American research scientists in (a) cancer and (b) Alzheimer's on UK research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing targeted (a) visa and (b) relocation support for American scientists seeking to work in the UK in the fields of (i) cancer and (ii) Alzheimer’s research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing targeted (a) visa and (b) relocation support for American scientists seeking to work in the UK in the fields of (i) cancer and (ii) Alzheimer’s research.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the immigration of scientists from other countries, including the United States, to the UK.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the immigration of scientists from other countries, including the United States, to the UK.

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have made of easing spousal visa restrictions for senior scientists wishing to immigrate to the UK.

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have made of easing spousal visa restrictions for senior scientists wishing to immigrate to the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the targeting of Iranian scientists by the IDF on British (a) science and (b) scientists.

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the targeting of Iranian scientists by the IDF on British (a) science and (b) scientists.

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of scientists leaving the UK, and what steps they will take to attract scientists to the UK.

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of scientists leaving the UK, and what steps they will take to attract scientists to the UK.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to encourage scientists from around the world to do their research and associated work in the United Kingdom.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to encourage scientists from around the world to do their research and associated work in the United Kingdom.

The UK has a world-leading science base, supported by some of the top universities and research institutions, and offers prestigious fellowships and professorships through UKRI and the national learned academies. As the immigration White Paper sets out, we will now go further in ensuring that the very highly skilled, including top scientists and researchers, have opportunities to come to the UK and access our targeted routes for the brightest and best global talent. We will set out more details in due course.

The UK has a world-leading science base, supported by some of the top universities and research institutions, and offers prestigious fellowships and professorships through UKRI and the national learned academies. As the immigration White Paper sets out, we will now go further in ensuring that the very highly skilled, including top scientists and researchers, have opportunities to come to the UK and access our targeted routes for the brightest and best global talent. We will set out more details in due course.

My Lords, I like to think that my noble friend the Minister’s Answer does not go quite as far as he personally would want it to.

In America, the Trump Administration are mounting an attack on universities and scientific research. That is a matter for them, but for us it offers an unparalleled opportunity, and we must grasp it. Can the Government not develop proposals that would attract, encourage and facilitate not only talented individuals but whole research groups, who could come to do their work in universities around the UK? Does my noble friend not agree that this would offer the prospect of a brain gain of immeasurable potential for our future growth?

My Lords, I like to think that my noble friend the Minister’s Answer does not go quite as far as he personally would want it to.

In America, the Trump Administration are mounting an attack on universities and scientific research. That is a matter for them, but for us it offers an unparalleled opportunity, and we must grasp it. Can the Government not develop proposals that would attract, encourage and facilitate not only talented individuals but whole research groups, who could come to do their work in universities around the UK? Does my noble friend not agree that this would offer the prospect of a brain gain of immeasurable potential for our future growth?

I thank my noble friend. We have always been the beneficiaries of brain gain; we have been attractive to top-class overseas researchers for many years. Indeed, about one-third of our Nobel prize winners are first or second-generation immigrants. For 2025-26, UKRI has roughly £770 million for talent funding, of which £170 million is for future leader fellowships. There is an opportunity, as there always is, to attract people from overseas to the UK, both individuals and groups; indeed, there are mechanisms in place to do so. I am looking very carefully at what further mechanisms can be put in place to make sure we remain a country that attracts the very brightest and best.

I thank my noble friend. We have always been the beneficiaries of brain gain; we have been attractive to top-class overseas researchers for many years. Indeed, about one-third of our Nobel prize winners are first or second-generation immigrants. For 2025-26, UKRI has roughly £770 million for talent funding, of which £170 million is for future leader fellowships. There is an opportunity, as there always is, to attract people from overseas to the UK, both individuals and groups; indeed, there are mechanisms in place to do so. I am looking very carefully at what further mechanisms can be put in place to make sure we remain a country that attracts the very brightest and best.

My Lords, the Government’s immigration White Paper, as the Minister said, expresses the ambition to attract top global talent, including scientists. However, measures such as the increased skills charge, alongside high UK visa costs and the challenging context of flat cash real-terms cuts in core research funding, create barriers to recruitment. The Government seem not to be very clear whether they want to attract international scientists or not. Do we not need a proper long-term plan with increasing investment to maintain the UK’s research leadership and attract talent?

My Lords, the Government’s immigration White Paper, as the Minister said, expresses the ambition to attract top global talent, including scientists. However, measures such as the increased skills charge, alongside high UK visa costs and the challenging context of flat cash real-terms cuts in core research funding, create barriers to recruitment. The Government seem not to be very clear whether they want to attract international scientists or not. Do we not need a proper long-term plan with increasing investment to maintain the UK’s research leadership and attract talent?

The current SR period has £20.4 billion for R&D, which is the highest amount there has been. Of course, a proportion of that is about talent attraction. The talent attraction announced in the White Paper was geared towards the global talent visa—the level of highly skilled people who can bring great value added to this country. The desire is to increase the threshold for the skilled worker visa to aim for more qualified, more talented people. On the high-talent end of the system, there are clear measures in the immigration White Paper to try to get those systems to work better and faster. The cost of visas and the health surcharge is now met on UKRI grants and on Horizon Europe grants.

The current SR period has £20.4 billion for R&D, which is the highest amount there has been. Of course, a proportion of that is about talent attraction. The talent attraction announced in the White Paper was geared towards the global talent visa—the level of highly skilled people who can bring great value added to this country. The desire is to increase the threshold for the skilled worker visa to aim for more qualified, more talented people. On the high-talent end of the system, there are clear measures in the immigration White Paper to try to get those systems to work better and faster. The cost of visas and the health surcharge is now met on UKRI grants and on Horizon Europe grants.