MPs slam government plans for new £800m tech research agency

Dominic Cummings had been a strong advocate for the research agency

Credit: HANNAH MCKAY/Reuters

MPs have criticised the Government’s plan to push ahead with a new £800m research agency, saying it remains a "brand in search of a product".

The Government allocated £800m to the new "blue skies" innovation agency, which is modelled on the US’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, in the budget last year. At the time, the Government had said it would fund "high-risk, high-reward science”. The agency has yet to be launched. 

MPs on the Science and Technology Committee today warned that the purpose of the moonshot agency "remains unclear".

Greg Clark, the Conservative MP who chairs the committee, said: "The Government must make up its mind and say what ARPA’s mission is to be. Only then can the necessary high-risk, but hopefully high-reward research commence."

He said the money set aside for the agency "will not be put to good use if ARPA’s purpose remains unfocused".

Experts have said it is likely ARPA would sit separately to the government research agency UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), which is responsible for providing grants for entrepreneurial schemes as well as funding research.

The establishment of a new "moonshot" agency is understood to have been driven by Dominic Cummings, who stepped down as one of Boris Johnson’s adviser’s last November.

His departure sparked questions over the future of the agency, with senior figures including Ian Campbell, the outgoing chairman of UKRI body Innovate UK, branding Mr Cummings a “strong advocate for public investment in research and development and therefore a positive voice".

“His leaving may reduce government interest and spend in this area, which would be hugely negative.” He said it could put ARPA “possibly in doubt”.

However, government figures have maintained that ARPA will be set up in "due course" and could be launched as soon as the summer. 

MPs today urged for greater clarity over what areas the agency would focus on, given the US agency that it is being modelled on, DARPA, was set up to create technologies for a specific client — the US Department of Defense. 

The parliamentary committee said "the new agency should focus on no more than two central missions", as well as having guaranteed long-term funding. 

A spokesman for BEIS said: "The UK’s new research agency will have the independence to experiment with new funding models to back cutting-edge, high risk, high reward science right here in the UK. 

"The Government will be setting out further details about the new agency in the coming weeks and will continue to work at pace to deliver this exciting new addition to the UK R&D landscape."