In the Budget, the Chancellor announced the publication of the Government's Plan for Growth.

The Healthcare and Life Sciences section of the Plan for Growth highlights that health research has a key role in the national economy as well as in improving health and care. In the Plan, the Government makes a series of announcements that will be of great significance for the health R&D community and for the NIHR in the coming years.

Simpler regulation of health research at the national level

• The Government will combine and streamline approvals under a health research regulatory agency.
• The agency will be established in the first instance as a Special Health Authority, with the National Research Ethics Service as its core, during 2011.

Consistent national system of research governance

• The agency will work closely with the MHRA to create a unified approval process for clinical trials.
• The agency and the MHRA will promote proportionate standards for compliance and inspection.
• The MHRA will pilot and promote a proportionate interpretation of EU law on clinical trials.

To download a copy of the full report see Plan for Growth

For a summary of policy developments see http://www.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/default.aspx