§ Mr. ChallenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action the Government is taking to improve(a) the quality of research and (b) access to high quality research in universities in Yorkshire and Humberside. [124148]
§ Alan JohnsonThe Government are committed to supporting and encouraging the highest quality research to ensure that we maintain our international standing and competitiveness. A year ago we announced the most generous research settlement for many years, with total expenditure on science and research set to increase by 30 per cent. by 2005–06 compared with 2002–03.
Yorkshire and Humberside will receive quality-related research funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) of £102.3 million in 2003/04 to support university research in the region. This represents an increase of over 12 per cent. on last year. The HEFCE formula for distributing the funding ensures it is targeted at the highest quality work. Our 799W White Paper proposals encourage higher education institutions to engage increasingly in collaborative work giving them greater flexibility to determine the focus of their research. In Yorkshire and Humberside, Leeds, York and Sheffield universities are already working successfully together through the White Rose consortium.