Office of Science and Technology

HC Deb 03 December 1996 vol 286 c584W

Mr. Ingram

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the implications of the Budget statement for the OST. [7152]

Mr. Ian Taylor

The science budget—the funding available for distribution to the research councils, the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering and a number of other small programmes—has been maintained at the planning level announced in November last year (£1,330 million) for 1997–98 and represents an increase of £18 million over the level for the current year. The planning figures are shown in the table:

Science budget	£ million
1996–97 estimated outturn	1,312
1997–98 budget	1,330
1998–99 planning	1,338
1999–00 figures	1,333