HC Deb 27 February 1995 vol 255 c422W
Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if he will make a statement on the allocation of the science budget.

Mr. Robert G. Hughes

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy announced the allocation of the science budget of £1,281.675 million for 1995–96, subject to parliamentary approval of the Supply estimates,Official Report, 2 February, column 754.

The figures for the two subsequent financial years have now been provided to assist the bodies funded from the science budget with their forward planning. As the table shows, part of the provision has not been attributed to individual bodies at this stage, in order to provide flexibility to target funding to emerging high priority initiatives, including those resulting from the technology foresight exercise. The total provision will also be reviewed in the normal way in the forthcoming public expenditure survey. Actual allocations for 1996–97 will be announced early next year following advice from the Director-General of Research Councils.

Science budget: Planning figures for financial years 1996–97 and 1997–99
1996–97 £ million 1997–98 £ million
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council 160.03 161.63
Economic and Social Research Council 60.63 61.23
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council 354.96 358.51
Medical Research Council 275.06 277.81
Natural Environment Research Council 153.94 155.48
Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council1 196.37 196.37
Royal Society 20.79 20.79
Royal Academy of Engineering 2.62 2.62
Pensions 34.77 37.06
OST initiatives 2.25 2.25
High performance computing2 12.21 12.21
Additional funding for LINK 6.00 12.00
Technology Foresight/strategic initiatives 20.76 31.43
Total 1,300.39 1,329.39

Notes:

  1. 1. includes £8 million provision for international subscriptions reserve (to be adjusted as necessary to provide the agreed level of cover).
  2. 2. high-performance computing was previously included within the EPSRC allocation.