HC Deb 12 July 1990 vol 176 cc314-5W
Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the effect on expenditure covered by the science budget as a result of actual inflation in 1990–91 as against that allowed for in the science budget announced on 15 November 1989.

Mr. Jackson

The value of the science budget announced on 15 November 1989 represented at that time a 4.8 per cent. increase in real terms; this has been reduced to a real terms increase of 3.3 per cent. according to the latest published GDP deflator.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice the Secretary of State has received from the Advisory Board for the Research Councils this year with respect to the funding requirements of the science base; and when it will be published.

Mr. MacGregor

The ABRC, which was reconstituted and given new terms of reference in April, submitted its advice on this year's public expenditure survey on 22 May. I intend to treat the advice on a confidential basis, in common with the corresponding advice from the Universities Funding Council and the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council. I recognise that the board may wish to make its views on some matters, including priorities for United Kingdom science, more widely known, and I will be considering with the board's chairman the appropriate form of an ABRC publication for this purpose.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the year in which the data were collected on which was based the survey of academic research equipment in the United Kingdom commissioned by the Advisory Board for the Research Councils which was published in November 1989; and what plans the Advisory Board for the Research Councils has to update the survey.

Mr. Jackson

The data were collected in 1988. The Advisory Board for the Research Councils was reconstituted in April, and the new board has yet to consider what policy studies should be undertaken.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made by his Department in establishing an index to take into account inflation for scientific equipment rather than that indicated by the retail prices index.

Mr. Jackson

My right hon. Friend is at present considering whether it is feasible to construct an index of recurrent scientific costs. If he concludes that such an index can be produced he will then consider the feasibility of an index of scientific equipment costs.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much per head the Government are spending on equipment for scientific research in higher education institutions; and what information he has on the comparable sums spent in the United States of America, West Germany, Japan, France and Italy.

Mr. Jackson

The allocation of block grant to individual higher education institutions is the responsibility of the funding councils, with funding for specific research projects provided by the research councils. Allocations for research equipment are not separately identified. The Department does not hold the requested international comparisons.