§ 87. Mr. Soamesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the objectives of Her Majesty's Government in its science policy.
§ Mr. WaldenThe Department's aim in science is to maintain and enhance the strength and quality of the science base in higher education and the research councils. Consonant with this, the objectives are: to encourage greater concentration and selectivity of research activities; closer and better working with industry and commerce; more funding from private sector sources; better management yielding greater value for money: and increased flexibility enabling faster response to new scientific opportunities; to keep under review the balance between international and national scientific endeavours; and thereby to strengthen the knowledge and skills of the United Kingdom in science and technology, and improve the efficiency, competitiveness and innovative capacity of the United Kingdom economy.