HC Deb 23 July 2004 vol 424 cc761-2W
Chris Ruane

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much her Department spent on science research and development in each of the last 25 years; and what the projected budgets are as a result of the spending review. [186137]

Ms Hewitt

The following table sets out science budget expenditure since 1987–88, including projected spend following the 2004 spending review. Responsibility for administration of the science budget transferred from the Cabinet Office to the Department of Trade and Industry in 1995. Figures prior to 1987–88 are not available on a consistent basis.

Science budget (£ million)
1987–88 650
1988–89 697
1989–90 803
1990–91 890
1991–92915
1992–93 1,051
1993–-94 1,163
1994–95 1,223
1995–96 1,295
1996–97 1,312
1997–98 1,331
1998–99 1,334
1999–2000 1,394
2000–01 1,514
Science budget (£ million)
2001–02 1,707
2002–03 2,032
2003–041 2,366
2004–052 2,575
2005–0622,913
2006–072 3,067
2007–082 3,282
1Provisional
2 Plan
Note:
The accounting treatment of expenditure has changed over the

period. Figures to 2000–01 are on a cash basis. Figures for

2001–02 and 2002–03 are on the RAB stage 1 basis, i.e. including

timing adjustments. Figures for 2003–04 onwards are on a full

resource budgeting basis, net of depreciation.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2004,Official Report , column 282W, on research and development, what further assessment she has made, following the publication of the Spending Review 2004, of (a) the effectiveness and (b) future dates of the competition for the Grant for Research and Development. [186141]

Nigel Griffiths

Assessments under the current competition are expected to be concluded in September and I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 June.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 8 June 2004,Official Report , column 382W, on research and development, how many applicants have received funding; what the total value is of the funding allocated; and how much funding remains to be allocated for the grant for research and development for the current fiscal year. [186162]

Nigel Griffiths

In the first quarter of the current financial year 134 applicants were offered Grants for Research and Development worth £11.5 million. A planned £24.5 million remains to be allocated.

Overall spend on programmes to improve UK innovation performance and accelerate business exploitation of science and technologies is planned to increase from £377 million in 2004–05 to over £387 million in 2005–06.