Peter Fortune

Peter Fortune

Conservative — Bromley and Biggin Hill

Speaking in the House of Commons on 15 October 2026

Debate

Jodrell Bank Observatory

Contribution

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker—the renationalisation of the railways is not working. [Laughter.] The Drayson partitions exist to ensure that costs which the UK must meet and cannot change, such as international subscriptions that give us access to scientific facilities, are treated separately to costs that we have control over, such as grants funding. With the Science and Technology Facilities Council given a flat cash settlement, but with international subscriptions rising with inflation, the STFC now has less money to spend on actual research, leading to world-leading scientific research being dropped and to the closure of facilities such as Jodrell Bank. Can I ask the Secretary of State who made the decision to disregard the Drayson partitions?

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