Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 17
16th Report - UK Research and Innovation: Investment in research infrastructure
Published 21 Oct 2026
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Investment in research infrastructure All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
UKRI was clear that it needs to innovate and therefore should expect a few projects in its portfolio to encounter problems or even fail, because it is doing things never done before. It views its ability to ‘course correct’ when this happens as crucial.34 It told us it can act quickly when it needs to, for example by approving the business case for the National Cryogenic Facility within roughly nine months of the project being conceived.35 It also explained how it manages risk on some research infrastructure projects by providing seed funding before deciding whether to go ahead with the main investment.36
From: Public Accounts Committee, 16th Report - UK Research and Innovation: Investment in research infrastructure (HC 104), 21 October 2026
Government response
Government response awaited: deadline 21 December 2026.