To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to page 34 of the Life Sciences Vision published on 6 July 2021, (a) what recent progress he has made on establishing the Life Science Scale Up Taskforce; how that Taskforce is funded; from which budget that Taskforce receives its funding; what criteria his Department will use to award funding to life sciences start ups; and whether he has made an assessment of that Taskforce's contribution to levelling up.
Answered on
27 January 2022
In September 2021, the Government convened a Life Sciences Scale-up Taskforce (the Taskforce), who were asked to consider how we can drive progress on the ease with which Life Science companies across the UK can start, grow, and scale up. This Taskforce was industry-led and not funded by Government.
In December 2021, the Taskforce provided its response to my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. This included recommendations on issues that inhibit scale-up and growth, identified throughout the Life Sciences Vision (the Vision). These recommendations will now be considered by the Government as it takes forward implementation of the Vision.