Thank you for contacting me about support for charities.
During these incredibly difficult times the work of charities is more important than ever. I was reassured to learn that Ministers in BEIS and officials have met with the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) and their members regularly in recent months, covering topics like the potential challenges as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
I also know that the Department of Health and Social Care is working with the AMRC, as well as individual charities, to understand the impact of the pandemic on the sector, and how the UK Government and charities can work together to ensure that patients continue benefiting from charity funded research. Medical research charities are an integral part of the United Kingdom’s world-leading life sciences sector, and I support the work ongoing between the Government and AMRC.
More broadly, I warmly welcome the Government’s support for charities during the coronavirus pandemic. In April, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £750million support package for charities, including medical research charities, to ensure they can continue with their vital work. Furthermore, in June, the Government announced a major pack of support for universities to enable them to continue their research and innovation activities that are being impacted by Covid-19. This includes a package of low-interest loans with long pay-back periods, supplemented by a small amount of Government grants, to cover up to 80 per cent of a university’s income losses from international students for the academic year 20/21.