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I am delighted to be here to help you celebrate the
official launch of Phase 1 of this laboratory expansion project for Erl
Wood. This must be a very exciting and satisfying occasion for those of
you who have worked for many months on bringing this project to
fruition. I would like to congratulate all those involved, and to
compliment you on creating a design that fits so well with the local
rural environment. I have greatly enjoyed meeting some of you this
afternoon.
I am also excited by the research you will
undertake here. I am convinced that the next twenty years will be an
extremely exciting and productive period for brain research. No
challenge that faces mankind is of greater importance than the need to
understand the workings of the human brain.
In the 20th century, science revealed a great
deal about the human brain. We now know a good deal about molecules,
cells and brain circuitry, and the challenge is to discover how these
systems come together in systems to record memories, interpret visual
data and produce language.
With the answers to these questions will come a
clearer understanding of the causes of diseases of the brain and mind,
and with it the hope of more effective therapies for such devastating
neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers diseases,
for disabling diseases of mental function such as schizophrenia, and for
traumatic brain lesions such as stroke and spinal cord injury.
It is a great achievement that Zyprexa, a
breakthrough product for schizophrenia and acute mania associated with
bipolar disorder, was discovered here at Erl Wood in 1994, and that it
won the Queen’s Award for Innovation and the Prix Galien medal in 2000.
I hope therefore that this laboratory expansion will lead over time to
the discovery of many more products that can similarly help alleviate
the suffering of people with these types of mental disorder.
Lilly has a long established history of
investment in the UK. It was over 60 years ago that Lilly’s first
manufacturing facility outside the USA was opened in Basingstoke. This
new investment, which is building Erl Wood into a centre of excellence
for pharmaceutical research, is extremely welcome to us. It demonstrates
the confidence and ongoing commitment the world’s ninth largest
research-based pharmaceutical company has in the UK; and is a
significant addition to the existing facilities here, and to your
headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Basingstoke and Speke.
It also demonstrates the UK’s continuing ability
to attract quality investment from one of the most innovative sectors of
the global knowledge economy: the pharmaceutical and biotechnology
sectors contribute a quarter of all business R&D in the UK, and are
amongst the strongest in Europe. UK sites have discovered and developed
a quarter of the world’s top 100 medicines.
The Government is committed to creating the best
possible conditions for them to innovate, grow, and be profitable. But
we are well aware that in order to maintain and improve the environment
here for research, development and manufacturing we must build on the
UK’s strengths and work to reduce and remove the barriers to growth. We
are acutely aware that your business is global, and that investment
decisions are made on a global basis. The UK needs to continuously
improve its appeal in the face of growing competition from other
countries.
That is why there is such a close, high-level
dialogue between the Government and industry, as well as a strong
relationship at working level. We are working together to develop a
long-term strategy for the pharmaceutical sector which is focussing on 3
areas – developing partnerships with the NHS, improving the business
environment in the UK & Europe, and the regulatory environment.
The UK is an attractive location for companies
for many reasons. Our Universities, research institutions and industry
all contribute to produce highly skilled bio-scientists and chemists. We
know that access to staff with the right skills and knowledge is a key
priority for the pharmaceutical industry. Through our Skills for
Business Programme, we are working with industry to build on this and
safeguard the supply of skilled researchers for the future. Only last
week I was discussing with senior R&D executives from the industry some
practical ways to do it.
Finally, I want to mention a major objective for
the year ahead, which is putting an end to the harassment of researchers
by the animal rights extremists.
It is unacceptable that researchers are hampered
in their vital, lawful and highly-regulated work by the criminal
activity of a tiny minority of extremists. The Government has repeatedly
stated its commitment to defeating animal rights extremism, and we
intend to deliver on that commitment this year.
We have made several changes to the law to give
the police greater powers to deal with animal rights extremists, most
recently in The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, which
received Royal Assent on 7th April.
As a result of these improvements there have
been some significant convictions of high-profile extremists recently,
including one for criminal damage where the offender was sentenced to
six and a half years’ imprisonment. Courts are also increasingly using
ASBOs as part of the sentences and these are proving very effective in
limiting extremist activity. However I recognise that the problem has
not gone away and we are, therefore, stepping up again the resources we
put into this area. We are determined to ensure that the vital
scientific research carried out at places like Erl Wood and elsewhere is
not disrupted by extremist activities.
So, for all of these reasons, I am delighted to
take part in these celebrations, and I congratulate you all for your
vision, commitment and hard work in making this laboratory expansion a
reality, and can I now declare this laboratory opened.
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