§ Dr. BrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how much of the increase of £95 million in the science budget in 1989–90 announced on 1 November,Official Report, column 605, is accounted for by those increases in earmarked programmes on the British Geological Survey, AIDS, the British Antarctic Survey and CERN, referred to by the Advisory Board for the Research Councils in its advice to him on 12 May as being decided by Government taking into account broader considerations than those of purely scientific priorities;
(2) what is the real increase in the planned expenditure in 1989–90 on the science budget over that previously planned for 1989–90 after allowing for the higher than previously assumed level of the gross domestic product deflator, and after excluding the £47 million increase in the earmarked programmes in the British Geological Survey, AIDS, the British Antarctic Survey and CERN, referred to in the Advisory Board for the Research Councils advice to him on 12 May as being decided by Government taking into account broader considerations than those of purely scientific priorities;
(3) how much of the increase of £95 million in the science budget, in 1989–90, announced on 1 November, 195W Official Report, column 605, is accounted for by the effect of the higher than assumed increase in prices on the provision of £730 million made in 1987.
Mr. JacksonIn respect of the British Geological Survey I refer the hon. Member to the reply of my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Latham) on 7 November at columns2–3. In respect of the British Antarctic Survey, I refer the hon. Member to the reply of my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire, West (Mr. McLoughlin) on Tuesday 8 November. My right hon. Friend expects to make a statement on the AIDS programme shortly. The Government has yet to take a decision on the United Kingdom's future membership of CERN.
The Government's public expenditure plans are cash plans. The central presumption of cash planning is that cash plans will not be altered to accommodate changes in relative prices or prices generally. The cash provision for the science budget in 1988–89 is £708 million, including the £9 million addition for equipment announced by my right hon. Friend on 1 November. Cash provision planned for 1989–90 is £825 million. That is a cash increase of 16 per cent., or 11 per cent. in real terms.