Go back

Opposition MPs argue for more parliamentary scrutiny of Aria

Image: Drop of Light, Shutterstock

But they fail to garner enough support to make key amendments to agency bill

MPs have dismissed a series of amendments to the Advanced Research and Invention Agency bill which would have seen more public scrutiny of the £800 million funder for “high-risk, high-reward” research.

At the fifth sitting of the Aria bill committee on 22 April, shadow science minister Chi Onwurah took issue with a clause of the bill that enables the business secretary to “give Aria directions as to the exercise of its functions” if considered “necessary or expedient in the interests of national security”, including the “power to vary or revoke a direction”.

This article on Research Professional News is only available to Research Professional or Pivot-RP users.

Research Professional users can log in and view the article via this link

Pivot-RP users can log in and view the article via this link.