Request Received: 27 February 2026
Clarification Received: 13 April 2026
Please note that the clarifications you provided in your email of 13 April 2026 have been included in line with the relevant points in your request.
Recent UKRI communications indicate a period of substantial reprioritisation across research infrastructures:
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On 1 February 2026, UKRI Chief Executive Professor Sir Ian Chapman issued a public letter1 outlining major changes to UKRI’s investment approach, including pressures on STFC and a shift toward focused prioritisation.
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On 28 January 2026, Professor Michele Dougherty, Executive Chair of STFC, informed the PPAN community of significant reprioritisation in the PPAN portfolio, including reductions in grants and a transition to a more concentrated set of priorities.
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In a letter dated 19 December 2025, Professor Sir Ian Chapman informed UK collaborators in the LHCb Upgrade II project, the LHCb Collaboration management and the Director General of CERN that the LHCb2030+ Infrastructure project proposal had been deprioritised following a UKRI-wide assessment of Infrastructure Fund proposals after the government spending review. The letter states that this decision was taken by the UKRI Executive Committee to ensure alignment with UKRI’s strategic investment priorities.
Given the central role of the Infrastructure Advisory Committee (IAC) in these processes, I request the following.
1. IAC Recommendations (1 Jan 2025 – Present) Please provide the full text of all:
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IAC recommendations, advice papers, reports, or submissions to the UKRI Executive Committee, Executive Chairs, or UKRI Board;
Clarifications: I request all IAC papers relating to all areas. This includes both all IAC papers relating to the 2025 LHCb Upgrade decision and all IAC papers relating to discussions not relating to the 2025 LHCb Upgrade decision. Although focus is on LHCb, it is important to see how these papers fit into overall picture of advice from IAC.
Clarifications:
The requested information relates to the IAC reprioritisation of bids and reprioritisation process in 2025.
The request is to cover IAC discussions on the specific impacts of the reprioritisation on both STFC-wide and STFC-PPAN areas (where STFC-PPAN is not limited to LHCb). Request is to cover IAC discussions that have an impact on CERN-associated or other international infrastructures
2. Inputs Used by the IAC
Please provide all evidence and materials used by the IAC in forming its recommendations, including:
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Evidence packs, briefing papers, financial projections, cost/risk models and data tables;
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Submissions from UKRI directorates, research councils (including STFC), external reviewers, or facilities;
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Options analyses, feasibility studies and impact assessments;
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Meeting papers, slide decks and preparatory documentation circulated to IAC members;
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External consultancy reports or benchmarking studies.
Clarification:
Scope of request is to include anything used by the IAC in any meeting that was in any way connected to the communications issued on 19 December 2025. This may cover inputs to more than one IAC meeting.
3. Inputs and Advice Relating Specifically to the LHCb Upgrade II Decision
With reference to the decision communicated on 19 December 2025, please provide:
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All IAC assessments, comments, scoring matrices, advice notes, or recommendations relevant to LHCb Upgrade II;
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All inputs considered by the IAC or UKRI concerning LHCb Upgrade II, including:
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Business-case assessments or reviews,
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Cost and risk analyses,
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Prioritisation or ranking models comparing LHCb Upgrade II with other
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Infrastructure Fund proposals,
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Documentation from the “exercise to review and reconsider all Infrastructure Fund proposals” referenced in the 19 December letter.
4. Minutes, Notes and Covering Documents
Please provide:
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Minutes or summaries of IAC meetings where infrastructure prioritisation was discussed;
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Covering notes or internal UKRI papers accompanying IAC advice when passed to decision‑making bodies;
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Papers considered by the UKRI Executive Committee relating to infrastructure reprioritisation (including decisions on LHCb Upgrade II).
Clarifications:
Scope of request is to include:
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IAC meetings leading up to the communications of 19 December 2025
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IAC advice arising from any meetings leading up to the communications of 19 December 2025
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The December 2025 ExCo meeting considering the outputs of the most recent IAC (may be more than one meeting)
5. Timing and Communications Strategy Concerning the 19 December 2025 Letter Given that the 19 December 2025 LHCb Upgrade II letter was issued immediately before the Christmas period, I request:
5.1 Timing of the decision and letter
The internal timeline for:
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When the LHCb Upgrade II decision was taken,
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When it was approved for communication,
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When the communication was drafted, finalised and authorised for release.
5.2 Communications strategy and policy compliance Any internal guidance, instructions, policy documents, or analyses considered by UKRI in deciding:
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The timing of the 19 December 2025 communication,
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Whether issuing the letter immediately before the Christmas break was evaluated in terms of public transparency obligations.
5.3 Consistency with government communications principles Any documents relating to:
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UKRI’s obligations under UK Government communications standards, including principles against attempting to “bury bad news” through timing of releases,
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Communications advice received from UKRI’s communications directorate, BEIS/DSIT, or Cabinet Office communications teams, where relevant,
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Assessments of whether the timing of the 19 December communication was consistent with these standards.
5.3 Clarifications:
Scope of request is to include:
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Any specific documentation and how it was applied/compliance checks relevant to the recent infrastructure decisions communicated late afternoon on Friday 19 December 2025.
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Any specific communications on the recent Infrastructure decisions
For clarity, this request is not asserting impropriety: it seeks documentation of the process, reasoning and compliance checks underlying the timing of the communication.
6. Guidance from ExCo to UKRI
I would like to obtain all advice, briefings, reports, communications, meeting notes, recommendations, or decision‑related documents provided by the Cabinet Office Executive Committee (ExCo) to UKRI.
Clarification: request is for UKRI Executive Committee, not Cabinet Office. Please include any such material:
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Provided directly by ExCo members, the ExCo secretariat, or officials acting on behalf of ExCo
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Sent to UKRI as written advice, guidance, direction, or policy interpretation
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Shared during meetings, consultations, correspondence, or cross‑government working groups
