HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : £1.25 billion for boost to science skills and research [July 2002]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 23 July 2002.

The Government today published its science, engineering and technology strategy, which sets out how the additional £1¼ billion investment in science and technology from the 2002 Spending Review will be used to boost the UK’s  economic performance and  raise levels of  innovation and growth. Building on the Spending Review commitment of additional resources, this strategy demonstrates how the Government is strengthening the science and technology research base and improving scientific and technical skills throughout the UK. This includes classroom to PhD training, school labs to national research facilities, world class research and development, and business innovation.

As part of this strategy, the Government is today setting out its full response to the review by Sir Gareth Roberts of the supply of skilled scientists and engineers into the economy. The Government is positively embracing the wide range of recommendations and investing new resources to implement them.

Launching the Government’s science, engineering and technology strategy at the Wellcome Trust, Paul Boateng, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said:

“Our investment in science represents the largest sustained increase in science spending for more than a decade. We are taking forward Sir Gareth Roberts’ recommendations, which will ensure we have a strong supply of scientists and engineers in the UK. The investment we are making will allow science to be properly funded in the long term, and will fund the development of research in new areas.

We are determined to make sure that the UK remains at the forefront of scientific and technological progress, and that it converts this advantage to our economic gain.”

Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, said:

“Today’s announcement shows we’re delivering on the manufacturing strategy that I published in May. Our manufacturing strategy said that more needed to be done to stimulate innovation and close the productivity gap . Today we’re putting our money where our mouth is, with one and a quarter billion pounds to fund our science strategy. I am determined to drive a coach and horses through old-fashioned views on manufacturing. Our investment today will help companies innovate to produce the products that people want to buy tomorrow.”

Estelle Morris, Secretary of State for Education and Skills, said:

“This new investment will support scientists and budding scientists from school age through to post graduates and from schools through to cutting edge research. It will boost teaching skills, fund increases in pay in higher education and provide exciting new training opportunities.  The Government investment in science is a recognition of its importance both to the economy and to society.”

Hosting the launch, Dr Mike Dexter, Director of The Wellcome Trust said:

“The Wellcome Trust shares the government’s vision for improving science teaching in our schools, research infrastructure in our universities, stipends and salaries for our Ph Doctorates and researchers, and the translation of research into real benefits for society. We also applaud the government’s recognition of the role that charities play in driving forward these programmes. In recognition of this positive investment in science, the Wellcome Trust has announced a number of strategic partnerships with government.”

Responding to the Government’s commitment to strengthen science and technology skills, Sir Gareth Roberts, President of the Science Council and President of Wolfson College, Oxford, said:

“I am delighted that the Government is taking forward wholeheartedly the conclusions of my report on science and engineering skills alongside additional investment in scientific research. Through these measures I believe the Government can secure a strong future for science, engineering and innovation in the UK.”

The strategy, issued jointly by DfES, DTI and H M Treasury, ties together the major increases to science, engineering and technology spending across schools, universities and the research base, along with the Government’s actions to boost business innovation through wider economic reforms. It also sets out how the Government will improve the way it manages science within Government. The new spending plans will:

• move the research base onto a more sustainable long term footing, by providing a dedicated capital funding stream, increasing to £500 million a year by 2004-05 for universities’ science research infrastructure, and providing an additional £120 million a year from 2005-06 to the Research Councils to increase their contribution to the costs of research projects undertaken in universities;
• increase resources for science and engineering research programmes by £400 million a year by 2005-06 (compared to 2002-03), an average rise of 5 per cent per year in real terms;
• increase resources for knowledge transfer from the science base (including funding from OST and DfES), with £90m per year by 2005-06 for a newly enlarged Higher Education Innovation Fund. This will be complemented by rising resources (an extra £50m by 2005-06) for DTI’s programmes to stimulate business innovation; and
• provide for an additional investment by the Office of Science and Technology of £100 million a year by 2005-06 (in addition to significant extra resources for DfES) to ensure a strong future supply of skilled scientists and engineers by taking forward the recommendations of Sir Gareth Roberts’ Review.

To demonstrate the importance of a strong science base for British manufacturing industry, these announcements coincide with the laying before Parliament of a Command Paper on manufacturing policy.

In response to Sir Gareth Roberts’ review the Government will:

• bring forward measures to address difficulties in recruiting and retaining science and maths teachers , building on student loan write-offs and the flexibilities already available to schools;
• create a new national centre for excellence in science teaching (in partnership with the Wellcome Trust) to provide enhanced training opportunities;
• introduce a major programme to pay undergraduates and postgraduates (particularly in science, maths and technology) to go back into schools and support teachers and pupils;
• review the maths and science curricula to ensure they appeal to pupils whilst meeting the needs of employers and higher and further education;
• invest to modernise science and technology laboratories and equipment in universities and schools;
• increase the minimum stipend for Research Council students to £12,000 by 2005-06, with the average stipend for Research Council PhD students rising to over £13,000 over the same period;
• increase the pay of Research Council funded postdoctoral researchers by an average of over £4,000 by 2005-06;
• ensure that Research Council funded PhD students and postdoctoral researchers have access to significantly improved training opportunities to develop further the transferable skills important to employers;
• make further resources available for universities to recruit and retain key academic staff, including those in science and engineering; and
• work with employers to improve the employment prospects for scientists and engineers choosing to work in business research and development.

To complement the programme of resources and reform from the Government, the Wellcome Trust is committing an additional £280 million over the next 5 years for complementary funding across the range of shared priorities. This will support new programmes of science research and improved training for science teachers. This commitment follows the major contributions of the Wellcome Trust to research infrastructure funding in the previous two Spending Reviews.

There will also be a new strategic alliance with the Wellcome Trust to strengthen clinical veterinary teaching and research in universities. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are announcing today that they will be investing £15 million between 2003-04 and 2005-06 into this area, in addition to an associated investment of £25 million over five years from the Wellcome Trust.