In an often stormy debate on the EU budget in the House of Commons last night I urged the Government not simply to negotiate the size of the EU Budget, but to engage in the debate about its shape and protect research funding. EU research and innovation funding plays a vital part in stimulating growth and creating jobs, and the UK is a major beneficiary, but it's an area that has been cut in the past. In the interests of the UK, David Cameron should get into the detail and not just talk about the size of the budget.

In my speech (which you can read in full here) I highlighted the benefits that EU spending brings to the UK and pointed out that "EU research and innovation funding contributes 10% of our national science budget" and that "the quality, breadth and depth of UK research puts us in a position whereby we gain disproportionately from European research programmes. Nearly 15% of the EU's funding from the FP7 Framework Programme for Research has gone to UK researchers. The UK is involved in more successful FP7 projects than either France or Germany, accounting for 40% of all grants to date. We also benefit extensively from the collaboration and research networks that the EU facilitates. Of the 5,105 research projects that have been funded under FP7, 43% include UK partners."

In my conclusion I said "We know that future growth will rely on knowledge-based industries, so I look to the Government to make two commitments: first, that the additional projects in Horizon 2020 (the successor programme to FP7), which I am sure they would support, will be considered outside the framework; and, secondly, that they will argue the case for protecting the research and innovation budget in the overall negotiations."

Do you work in research and innovation funding? If you do I'd be interesting in getting your views on this issue and my speech. Do get in touch to let me know what you think.