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Spending Review
PN C4
12 July 2004
A one billion pound boost for science and innovation in the UK was unveiled today as the Government published its ten year investment framework for science and innovation.
The framework sets out the Government’s ambition for public and private spending on research and development in the UK to rise to 2.5 per cent of GDP over the next decade, and provides annual real growth in public science funding of 5.8 per cent over the 2004 Spending Review period – with science spending one billion pounds higher in 2007-08 than in 2004-05.
The Government’s vision is for many more skilled scientists and engineers in the economy delivering benefits to businesses, health and the public services. Essential to the strength of science and innovation in the UK is a world class and financially robust research base with growth in public and private investment.
The framework has been developed with stakeholders in the research base and the private sector, including The Wellcome Trust which expects to commit at least £1.5 billion in the UK over the coming five years.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, said:
“The UK needs a twenty-first century science base to compete in the twenty-first century global economy. Today’s framework represents a long term commitment to investing in science and innovation to create a platform for future wealth creation, productivity growth and better public services.
Only by working with our business and research charity partners will we achieve our goal of R&D in the UK reaching 2.5 per cent of GDP. That’s why I am delighted to be launching the framework alongside those, such as the Wellcome Trust, with whom we will be working to ensure a more sustainable future for UK science”.
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Patricia Hewitt, said:
“The transfer of knowledge from the science base to UK industry is vital to the future of innovative businesses in this country. We already have an excellent science base – today boosted by an additional £1bn commitment. The Government must now work with universities, Regional Development Agencies and businesses to boost the transfer of knowledge to industry, bolstering the UK’s position as a growing hub for global knowledge-intensive businesses.”
The Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Charles Clarke, said
“Well trained people are at the heart of innovation, and I am determined that our education system will deliver the flow of skills into the economy which will be needed to underpin the Government’s economic ambitions. This framework sets out a comprehensive strategy for tackling skills shortages in the science, engineering and technology fields and creating a responsive supply of skills in the future, by looking at issues from schools to postgraduate education.”
Director of The Wellcome Trust, Mark Walport, said:
“I am delighted by the Government’s long-term commitment to strengthen the UK science base. I am particularly pleased that the important role charities play in UK research has been explicitly recognised. The creation of a new partnership agreement to support charity-funded research will ensure a more sustainable future for UK universities. We have worked across Government to identify shared priorities and partnership opportunities. We will shortly take forward a number of exciting new initiatives, including much needed research to combat malaria, the development of UK clinical research infrastructure, training and research in the public health sciences and innovative public engagement activities.”
| £ million | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
| DTI Office of Science and Technology 1 | 2,575 | 2,913 | 3,067 | 3,282 |
| DfES funding for research and KT in English universities 1 | 1,326 | 1,465 | 1,589 | 1,709 |
| Total science funding through DTI and DFES | 3,901 | 4,378 | 4,656 | 4,991 |
| UK average annual real growth rate since 2004-05 | 5.8% | |||
| UK science funding as a proportion of GDP | 0.36 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.39 |
1 Full resource budgeting basis, net of depreciation. |
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