§ Mr. Alan JohnsonTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement about the future of the science and engineering base. [50611]
§ Mrs. BeckettAs a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review I am able to announce a £1.1 billion additional investment. This will transform the Science and Engineering Base, modernise the UK's research performance, respond to the Dearing Committee's concerns about research infrastructure in universities, and help boost economic growth. It reverses the decline under the previous Government and is made possible by a path-breaking public private partnership with the Wellcome Trust. Up to 2002, the package includes
A £600 million fund for building new and refurbishing existing university laboratories, equipment and other essential infrastructural needs as identified in the Dearing Report, funded equally by my Department and the Wellcome Trust;
Science provision settlement 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 Total Cash baseline1 (£ million) 1,349 1,349 1,349 1,349 — Additional programmes (£ million) — 61 150 196 407 Infrastructure fund (£ million) — 75 100 125 300 Total additions (£ million) — 136 250 321 707 Total new science provision1 1,349 1,485 1,599 1,670 — Percentage increase in cash terms over 1998–99 baseline — 10.1 18.5 23.8 — Percentage increase in real terms over 1998–99 baseline — 7.3 12.7 14.8 — The science budget net of these receipts is: Total new science budget (£ million) 1,338 1,474 1,588 1,659 — 1The CSR Settlement is for gross science provision which includes £11 million for EU receipts In addition, the Wellcome Trust are providing:
£ million Contribution to infrastructure Fund 300 Contribution to X-ray source 100 Total Wellcome Trust Contribution 400 Total additional funding:
£ million Science Budget 707 Wellcome Trust 400 Total 1,107