Conclusion 31

However, UKRI believes that it can reduce its maintenance costs by prioritising the infrastructure it should be maintaining and disposing of the remainder.68 It explained that it has recently begun an estates modernisation programme. STFC told us that it is developing cost estimates for decommissioning facilities and expects to have a good idea of potential costs in three to six months.69 The Department told us that that decommissioning is controversial but agreed it can be the right choice where buildings are at the end of their useful lives and there are opportunities to modernise.70 UKRI noted that the sites of decommissioned buildings are often repurposed. For example, the National Quantum Computing Centre was built on land previously occupied by an older research facility.71 63 Q 11 64 Qq 6, 8 65 Q 9 66 Qq 1, 40, 67-68 67 Q 65 68 Q 9 69 Qq 65-67 70 Q 72 71 Q 73 17