Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has privately backed the UK’s return to a €96 billion ($84.6 billion) EU science programme, it was revealed on Wednesday.
Mr Sunak has written to Nobel Prize winners assuring them he favours a post-Brexit deal on the Horizon Europe scheme.
It comes despite ministers drawing up a £14 billion ($17.4 billion) UK rival to Horizon, to be brought in if talks with Brussels fail.
Horizon is a seven-year push for breakthroughs in areas such as artificial intelligence, cancer research and climate change.
British scientists fear a go-it-alone scheme would cause a brain drain and foil Mr Sunak’s aim to make the UK a “science superpower”.
Downing Street said the UK "hopes negotiations on Horizon Europe will be successful, and that is our preference".
But "it must be on the basis of a good deal for UK researchers, businesses and taxpayers that also reflects two years of EU delays to the UK’s association," it said in a statement to The National.
Hopes of a deal rose after the UK and EU turned a page on Brexit by striking an agreement on Northern Ireland.
However, ministers are wary of Horizon’s subscription costs and there have been claims Mr Sunak is cool on the idea.
Nobel Prize laureates led by Sir Adrian Smith, the president of the Royal Society, wrote to Mr Sunak in February about Horizon’s importance.
Sir Adrian said on Wednesday that a reply had come from Downing Street two days ago.
“In that letter, the Prime Minister did personally state his preference for association,” he told the UK Parliament’s science and technology committee.
Mr Sunak had previously accused the EU of “playing politics” with Horizon during the talks on Northern Ireland.
A UK role in Horizon was agreed in principle in 2020 but the EU later said it did “not seem opportune” to finalise it amid post-Brexit tension.
One possible sticking point is whether the UK will have to pay for the share of the 2021-27 budget from which it has not benefited for two years.
Scientists in Britain have been able to apply for Horizon projects, with funding underwritten by the UK government for now.
But £1.6 billion ($1.98 billion) had to be handed back to the Treasury because of delays in implementing the scheme.
The uncertainty is also driving away talent and undermining Britain’s influence in scientific circles, the committee was told on Wednesday.
Britain's Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan has held talks on Horizon with the EU's innovation commissioner Mariya Gabriel.
“If we don’t associate, I see us drifting off into the cold North-east Atlantic rather by ourselves,” said Prof Paul Nurse, one of the Nobel laureates and the director of Francis Crick Institute, which focuses on biomedical research.
He said the almost “universal message” from scientists was that “association with Horizon is crucial for the success of UK science and therefore the future of our country”.
Prof Irene Tracey, vice chancellor of the University of Oxford, said it would be preferable to have a deal done by the start of the new academic year in the autumn.
The £14 billion Pioneer scheme unveiled this month would be brought in if Britain cannot join Horizon on “fair and appropriate terms”, the UK government has said.
Some scientists said there were elements of Pioneer that should be taken forward regardless of Britain’s role in Horizon.
But Sir Adrian and other scientists said a UK-only replacement would be problematic.
“There’s a grown-up recognition and acknowledgement that it is right and proper and prudent to think through alternatives,” he said.
“I don’t think it would be right to say that there is enthusiasm that some of those alternatives would be sensible substitutions.”
Besides Horizon, Britain could also join the EU's Copernicus Earth observation programme and its Euratom nuclear fusion research.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
