§ 5. Mr. LambieTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science for what reasons the Government are planning for a reduction of the science budget of 2 per cent. in real terms in 1990–91 relative to 1988–89, according to table 12.14 of "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1988–89—1990–91" (Cm. 288-II).
Mr. JacksonThe figures for 1988–89 and 1989–90 include special additions for AIDS research and research in the Antarctic which are not carried forward into 1990–91. Expenditure in 1990–91 in these and other areas of the science budget will be reviewed in this and next year's public expenditure surveys.
§ Dr. BrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate he can make of the total size of his science budget relative to the increase of industry's funding of its own research and development needed to bring such industrial research and development up to the lowest level as a proportion of gross domestic product in Germany, Japan and the United States of America.
Mr. JacksonThe latest year for which we have a complete set of relevant statistics is 1985. The figures for industry's own funding of R and D as a percentage of GDP are as follows:
Country Percentage United Kingdom 1.0 Federal Republic of Germany 1.6 Japan 1.8 United States of America 1.3 If the science budget in 1985–86 were increased by 60 per cent., 80 per cent. and 30 per cent., the figures would be respectively £920 million, £1,035 million and £745 million. However, United Kingdom Government funding of civil R and D as a percentage of GDP, although lower than in the Federal Republic of Germany, was higher in 1985 than that in Japan and the United States of America:
Country Percentage United Kingdom 0.63 Federal Republic of Germany 1.0 Japan 0.57 United States of America 0.4 Source: OECD.