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.”