§ Sue DoughtyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 15 December 2003,Official Report, column 646W, on the Science and Society Directorate, if she will make a statement on the Government's strategy for supporting science that is of social rather than economic benefit; and what the role of the Science and Society Directorate is in promoting the value of science that is without economic benefit. [151088]
§ Ms HewittIn the context of the work of the Science and Society Directorate, 'science' includes engineering, technology, medicine, mathematics and the natural and social sciences all of which have social and economic benefit. Working with and through others the Directorate aims to support activities which address all of these areas such as National Science Week.
The Government are also supporting social research directly through the Economic and Social Research Council.
Ensuring that all of these areas are properly addressed is a key consideration when we allocate resources to the science base.