A TORY minister has claimed tortuous talks to get Scotland back into a top EU science programme are a benefit of being in the Union.
The “laughable” claim came as the Government was grilled in the Commons on Tuesday over its ongoing battle to be readmitted to the Horizon Europe research programme after Brexit.
Britain has been excluded from the programme since the country left the EU – and is currently in a dispute with the bloc to readmit the UK.
Europe minister Leo Docherty faced a number of questions on the Government’s progress in being readmitted to the programme.
He said he was “optimistic” about the outcome of the negotiations but declined to give a “running commentary” on their progress.
Alyn Smith, the SNP’s EU spokesperson, said: “I’m puzzled by the UK Government’s approach to this. There’s actually cross-party unity amongst the House and the minister is missing an opportunity for a lot of support. We all want to see our universities back into Horizon Europe, we all want to see the thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of pounds guaranteed.
“Professor Iain Gillespie from Universities Scotland was in Brussels just a couple of weeks ago highlighting the £9m that Scotland’s universities got out of the last funding programme.
“There’s a willingness in Brussels, there’s a willingness in Scotland. When will the UK Government match that ambition?”
Docherty replied: “We are willing and we are negotiating in good faith and of course Scotland’s scientific future will be a part of that and it’s another reminder why Scotland is better and will flourish within the Union.”
Speaking afterwards, Smith told The National: “I had no idea the minister had such a talent for stand-up comedy. To suggest that the UK negotiating to re-join Horizon Europe, a €95.5 billion programme it voluntarily left, is an argument for the union is simply laughable.
“It is no laughing matter though for Scotland’s universities who benefited from more than £900 million of funding from the previous programme. Yet instead of getting on with the job of helping our academics and researchers, the UK continues to dither and delay for no apparent reason.
“For Scotland’s universities, the best future is independence in Europe. Instead of having to negotiate access from the outside, we will have a seat at the table for Horizon’s successors.
“By being part of one of the world’s leading research projects, our universities and businesses will be able to innovate with our European friends in providing solutions to many of the local, national and international challenges we are facing."
The UK Government announced in August 2022 it had launched “formal consultations” with the EU on regaining access to the Horizon Europe programme – accusing Brussels of holding up the process.
Then-Europe minister Graham Stuart said: “It is disappointing that the EU has not facilitated UK participation in the agreed scientific programmes, despite extensive UK engagement on the issue.
“Now more than ever the UK and the EU should be working together to tackle our shared challenges from net zero to global health and energy security. We look forward to constructive engagement through the formal consultations.”
