Geraint Davies MP has got Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt MP to commit to raising with Chancellor Hunt the plight of universities in particular in Wales who face a funding cliff edge with end of EU structural funding in March.

Speaking in the House of Commons Geraint Davies said:

“The Leader of the House may be aware of an article in yesterday’s Financial Times about the funding cliff edge faced by universities across the United Kingdom at the end of structural funding in March, which will end 166 projects.

Will she urgently raise this matter with Cabinet colleagues, particularly those from the Treasury, ahead of the Budget, so that we can get the green growth research and development that we need to make Britain strong again?”

Penny Mordant replied:

“belt and braces—I shall make sure that the Chancellor has heard him.”

Swansea West MP, Geraint Davies said:

“The fact that members of the Cabinet, including the Leader of the Commons and Welsh Secretary, recognise that in Wales alone there are 1000 high skilled jobs and 60 projects at the cutting edge of green growth at risk of being immediately lost shows how important this funding is to include in the Budget.

I’ve been leading the parliamentary campaign alongside Universities Wales but this affects 166 projects across UK.

We need £71 million bridge funding in Wales of the £170 million across UK over 12 months to keep these projects going so many can still become market and export ready after EU funding ends.

The U.K. Government must intervene to save Welsh universities from job and project loss which is why I’m raising the case for bridging funding for investment in Swansea & Welsh Universities for green growth research with the Chancellor.”

If the UK Conservative Government does not make up the funding lost, it could lead to the imminent closure of 166 UK projects, 50 of which would be in Swansea, resulting in 240 job losses.

Geraint Davies MP said:

“This is crucial investment in our future green economy after EU funding ends and is not day to day spending. I have led the campaign in Parliament supported by other Welsh MPs and I hope the Chancellor will listen to me and his own cabinet colleagues to give these vital jobs and projects a lifeline”

The Swansea West MP had already raised this issue with Welsh Secretary at Welsh debate, who, in response to Geraint, the Minister aims to meet with Welsh universities. Universities across the UK have called for the immediate bridging funding so projects, like the ones in Swansea, can continue.

You can read about the FT article Geraint Davies referred in his tweet https://twitter.com/geraintdaviesmp/status/1631365668070105088?s=46&t=uejegrxSRXehEON8_eHjag