HC Deb 23 April 1991 vol 189 cc883-4
1. Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set up an inquiry into the state of scientific research in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science (Mr. Alan Howarth)

No Sir. Britain has a science base of remarkable quality and the Government will continue to provide appropriate support for it.

Mr. Kirkwood

Is it not now time for a full-scale inquiry into the levels of funding available to scientific research and the rates of pay available to university teachers? Does the Minister share the concern that has been shown by others about the conclusions of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology, which, for example, showed that this year the science and engineering research council has enjoyed—if that is the right word—a 3 per cent. increase over its budget of last year? Does he also agree that it is time that the Government came forward with reasonable and adequate resources to enable university employers to pay a more reasonable level in wage settlements than the 6 per cent. currently on offer?

Mr. Howarth

The Government have advisory bodies—the Advisory Board for the Research Councils and the Advisory Committee on Science and Technology—that are well placed to advise us on scientific research and I see no need for a special inquiry. We are considering the report of the House of Lords Select Committee, and the Royal Society is conducting its own inquiry, so we need no further inquiry. As for resources, the Government have increased the science budget by 22 per cent. since they have been in office. That matches the expansion of gross domestic product. We shall continue to support British science, but the extent of that support depends on the progress of the economy.

Mr. Rhodes James

Is my hon. Friend aware that concern about that matter is not confined to one side of the House? The wise warnings of Sir Claus Moser last August should be taken seriously.

Mr. Howarth

As my hon. Friend represents Cambridge, he is particularly knowledgeable on, committed to, and concerned about those matters, but he will also be immensely proud of the outstandingly distinguished science work that takes place in Cambridge. I was disappointed because, after Sir Claus Moser made his speech at the annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, I suggested that it might be helpful if we met to talk on the subject. However, he declined to take up my invitation.

Dr. Bray

Is the Minister aware that we need action, not another inquiry? We need wide-ranging action not only on resources, which have fallen far behind those of our industrial competitors, but on science education. There are many priority areas within science to which resources need to be switched, such as the realignment of defence research. It is clear that the Government are failing the nation.

Mr. Howarth

The hon. Gentleman has overlooked the introduction of the national curriculum and the redefinition and improvement of science education for all our children. He has also overlooked the remarkable increase in the number of students undertaking science and engineering courses. As for action, the hon. Gentleman may have been a little disappointed by the Labour party's policy document that was issued last week. I found it remarkably vague and imprecise. His party seems to have adopted a policy of favouring particular sectors of science. It seems both foolish and wrong in principle to politicise decisions about scientific priorities. That document proposes the borrowing of unspecified sums to support the hon. Gentleman's purposes. It proposes to reduce defence spending, again on an unspecified scale. It is an extremely unimpressive prospectus.