Parliament Day 2023: swapping the lab bench for the frontbench
The BIA’s 23rd annual Parliament Day was our largest to date, putting 38 of our members in front of 30 senior stakeholders from right across Whitehall and Westminster to ensure the life science sector’s key messages were heard loud and clear.
Herbie Lambden, Policy, and Public Affairs Executive at the BIA, provides a run-down of the day, focusing on what the delegation learned and where our engagement will turn next.
Le Tour de Whitehall
Running around Westminster is always a feature of Parliament Day, but a clean sweep of meetings across all the relevant government departments and both Houses of Parliament meant delegates were truly put through their paces this year.
Number 10 Downing Street was a particular highlight, where members met both the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Chloe Smith MP, and Bill Morgan, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Health. This meeting provided an excellent opportunity to make sure that the needs of the UK’s life science sector are understood at the very highest level of government, including the Cabinet.
More technical discussion took place down the road at HM Treasury, where Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Gareth Davies MP welcomed a delegation, and later at the Department of Health and Social Care, where members met with Health Minister Will Quince MP. Productive discussions of critical policies like R&D tax credits and the Innovative Medicines Fund demonstrated that our sector is appreciated by those with their hands on the levers of power.
Science Secretary Chloe Smith (left) meeting a delegation of BIA members in No 10.
Having navigated security at the Houses of Parliament, the delegation was hosted at a lunch reception by Chi Onwurah MP, Shadow Science Minister. Engagement with opposition MPs was a theme of the day, with Labour’s Shadow Business Minister Bill Esterson MP and Deputy Leader of the Lib Dems Daisy Cooper MP both taking time out of their day to speak with CEOs.
Setting out the sector’s priorities
The BIA delegation spoke on behalf of the whole sector, our messaging reflecting more than a year’s worth of policy development and engagement with the membership.
Gareth Davies MP, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, meeting a BIA delegation at the Treasury
On delivering growth, BIA members made clear that there is further work to be done to ensure that the UK’s R&D tax credit system for research-intensive SMEs is internationally competitive. Stakeholders were receptive to our calls for an increased budget for Innovate UK and wanted to hear more about how we unlock pension funds, a process started by the Chancellor’s Mansion House speech this month.
The link between health and wealth is stark, so discussions flowed smoothly on to improving health outcomes. Delegates explained what was required to deliver the innovative NHS of the future, including successful VPAS negotiations, a review of health technology assessment methods, and access to funds like the IMF and ILAP for SMEs.
We relished the opportunity to talk about innovating for the future, bringing in examples from the most pioneering sections of our membership in genomics and engineering biology. Stakeholders grasped the vital importance of filling skills gaps and the power of access to health data, raising hopes that the UK is still vying for science superpower status.
Looking to the horizon
One of the attractions of Parliament Day is the opportunity to reconnect and network with colleagues between meetings. As delegates reassembled for the evening reception, we reflected on a successful day and speculated about what the next year holds for life sciences.
The prospect of a General Election had loomed over conversations with parliamentarians and civil servants alike, raising uncertainty over how much change can be achieved before the end of this election cycle and, indeed, when our 2024 Parliament Day might fall.
Attendees reassembled for a wash-up and reception with a view over central London.
The overriding theme, however, was one of opportunity. With more eagerness from stakeholders than ever, comprehension of the sector that spanned party lines and departmental divides, and a delegation that spoke volumes of the talent behind UK life sciences, we can be sure that the future is bright.
