CROSS-CUTTING REVIEW OF SCIENCE AND RESEARCH

On 25 June 2001, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Andrew Smith, announced seven initial cross-cutting reviews to contribute to the Spending Review 2002. The Science and Research cross-cutting review included a review of funding of the UK science base, and the effectiveness of departments’ own science and research programmes to ensure that they deliver maximum long term benefits to the economy and quality of life.

The full terms of reference were:

To consider how to maximise the benefits provided by public spending on science and research to the UK’s economy and quality of life. In particular:

Science funding by OST/DTI and DfES

• to review current funding mechanisms and levels, and to identify the priorities for resources across the funding streams held by the Office of Science and Technology and the Department for Education and Skills; 
• to review current funding mechanisms for knowledge and technology transfer from the science and engineering base and mechanisms to promote adoption by business, and to identify priorities for future use of resources; and 
• to take stock of studies commissioned or reporting since the last Spending Review, and with potential implications for resources, including:
• • the Transparency Review, on the costing of university activities;
  • the Roberts Review into the supply of scientific skills for business R&D;
  • the review of investment in university research infrastructure;
  • the Quinquennial Review of the grant awarding Research Councils;
  • the review of business support schemes in DTI; and
  • the HEFCE/OST Higher Education Business Interaction Survey.

Civil research commissioned by government departments

• to assess the scientific and technological capabilities of government departments with significant research needs; to review current and planned levels of activity; and compare both capabilities and activity levels with likely scenarios over the next decade, and to identify priorities; and 
• to identify proposals for improving the effectiveness and value for money of civil research commissioned by departments, to maximise the impact of available resources; and to increase the contribution made to the Government’s broad goals for the economy and quality of life, including mechanisms for knowledge and technology transfer.

Lord Sainsbury (Minister for Science) was the ministerial lead for the Review and was supported by a team of officials from HM Treasury, the Office of Science and Technology and the Department for Education and Skills.  The Review reported to ministers in March 2002 and was used, with the Roberts Review, as key input to the 2002 Spending review and to the Government’s science strategy Investing in Innovation: A strategy for science, engineering and technology, published July 2002.

Further information can be obtained from:

Tim Horton
Technology & Innovation Team
HM Treasury
1 Horse Guards Road
London SW1A 2HQ

Tel: 020 7270 4514
e-mail: Tim.Horton@hm-treasury.x.gsi.gov.uk

Hard copies of this document are available from the Treasury Public Enquiry Unit.
Tel: 020 7270 4558

The Cross-Cutting Review of Science and Research is available below in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF).   If you do not have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer you can download the software free of charge from the Adobe website.

For alternative ways to read PDF documents and further information on website accessibility visit the HM Treasury accessibility page.

Media links

• PDF file of Cross-Cutting Review of Science and Research: Final Report (387Kb)
• Text file of Cross-Cutting Review of Science and Research: Final Report

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