§ Sir David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in view of last month's university pay award, he will now increase the funds available to the research councils so that they can maintain their existing level of project support.
§ Mr. WaldenThe university pay award is a generous one which will benefit the research councils by helping to encourage our best university scientists to continue to work in this country rather than go abroad. It is for the research councils to decide how best to manage their priorities. We are discussing with them the implications of absorbing the cost of the pay increase. The additional cost to the research councils in 1987–88 of the academic pay settlement is estimated to be £15 million out of a total science budget of around £660 million.