Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill, Lords Amendments

The Government is due to establish an Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), a new public body which will focus on science and technology projects which are judged to be high-risk, high-pay off, as well as ‘blue-sky’ research. On Monday 31 January 2022, the ARIA Bill returned to the Commons for the consideration of Lords Amendments.

Lords Amendment 1 would enable ARIA to benefit from intellectual property created with the Agency’s support, and require the Agency to consent if intellectual property or a controlling interest in a product it supported was transferred abroad in the first ten years after invention. It is only right that technologies backed by British taxpayers go on to benefit the UK. The Government’s motion was to disagree with the Amendment. I voted against the motion, which passed, Ayes: 304 and Noes: 208.