PM proposes Minister for Life Sciences

The Association for the British Healthcare Industry (ABHI), the Association for the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), the BioIndustry Association (BIA) and the British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA) have welcomed Prime Minister Gordon Brown's plans to appoint a Minister for Life Sciences in the next Parliament.

This announcement follows an active first year by the Office for Life Sciences, which included a number of initiatives as part of the UK 'Life Sciences Blueprint', such as the Patent Box, the Innovation Pass, the Super Cluster, the UK Innovation Investment Fund and the Strategic Health Authority Innovation Board. 

In a joint statement, all four associations said: "The UK life sciences industry applauds Gordon Brown's plans to create a Minister for the Life Sciences. It is further recognition of the vital role our industry plays in the health of the nation and in its economic wellbeing and would bolster the work of the Office for Life Sciences. Supporting the UK's science and innovation base must be a priority for any future Government. The UK must send a clear message to the rest of the world that it is - and is determined to remain - a world leader in the field of life sciences."