‘UK ARPA’ to launch as soon as possible despite Dominic Cummings exit

By Adam Vaughan

Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The UK government has confirmed that it still plans to create an independent £800 million “blue skies” research agency as soon as possible, despite the architect of the scheme resigning.

Details of the leadership and funding model of a delayed body modelled on the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA, previously known as ARPA) will come in “due course”, says the government. Sources suggest that it could be launched before the summer.

Dominic Cummings, former chief adviser to prime minister Boris Johnson, first proposed the idea of a UK …