Written questions by Blackman.

Innovation and Technology what assessment she has made of the contribution of international postgraduate researchers to the UK’s scientific output.

The UK is committed to attracting international postgraduate research (PGR) students as part of our ambition to attract the best research talent across the research pipeline. International PGRs make significant contributions to the UK’s research strength and scientific output. In 2024/25, 42% of the UK’s 120,000 postgraduate research students were non‑UK; 58% in Engineering and Technology; and 79% in research‑intensive universities, where scientific output is highest (HESA). International PGRs contribute to the over two hundred thousand research articles from the UK each year, placing the UK globally in first position on Field Weighted Citation Impact among comparator countries since 2007 (GOV.UK).

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to increase funding for the development of non-animal human-relevant testing methods.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology are considering funding into alternatives for animal testing as part of the Spending Review and cannot commit funding amounts in advance of this process.The Government already invests £10m annually in the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) to accelerate the development and adoption of 3Rs approaches. The NC3Rs is currently undergoing a five year funding review that will determine future allocation of resources. A significant amount of research funding in the UK also goes to underpinning technologies that have the potential to deliver the 3Rs.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he plans to take to help support the semiconductor industry.

This Government is committed to building on the UK’s world-class strengths in the semiconductor sector to accelerate growth and unlock real-world benefits for citizens.Last month, we announced new support for semiconductor scale-ups to advance high-potential innovations. We are backing UK semiconductor firms producing vital technology to scale up and drive economic growth.We will also collaborate with the international community, including the EU and the G7, to ensure the UK remains a key global player.