Government welcomes MPs' report

The government has given a positive response to a report by an influential committee of MPs who reviewed the project to create The Francis Crick Institute. In late May, the Commons Science and Technology Committee published its report into the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI) which has since been renamed The Francis Crick Institute.

The MPs and government both praised the scientific vision for the Institute, which the Committee had described as “comprehensive, ambitious and ground-breaking”.

In its response the government added: “Investments in science and innovation are key drivers of economic growth, and investment in health research has the potential to deliver significant improvements in human health.”

The MPs had also emphasised the importance of the research at the Institute for both the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry. The government agreed: "The close proximity of clinical research facilities and faculties of other disciplines including engineering and maths is vital for the stimulation and support of translational research. In addition, the institute is well positioned to engage with biotech start-ups and SMEs, which are increasingly working with the biopharmaceutical industry to undertake early-stage drug discovery and development."

In addition, the government sought to reassure the committee which had questioned whether central London was the “only suitable location” for the Institute: “We believe that as the project is realised, the value to The Francis Crick Institute of the Brill Place site, with its location within a cluster of research and clinical excellence, will become increasingly evident.”

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