§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has for the Department's scientific research budget; and what impact this will have on(a) continuing research projects funded by her Department and (b) future schemes (i) earmarked for and (ii) hoping to receive departmental funding for scientific research and development. [27850]
§ Ms HewittThe Spending Review 2000 set the Science Budget provision for the years 2001–02 to 2003–04. My Department published an account of how the budget was to be allocated—principally among the research councils over that period in November 2000 "Science Budget 2001–02 to 2003–04", Department of Trade and Industry. A copy was placed in the Libraries of the House and the document is available on my Department's website at http:// www2.dti.gov.uk/ost/whatsnew/index.htm.
Like all Government Departments, my Department is at present planning its input to the next spending review which covers the period 2003–04 to 2005–06 and it is too soon to say what the level of provision for the science budget will be in those years.
Some of the funding allocated to the research councils in the last spending review was earmarked at a high level for specific areas of research: genomics, e-science and basic technology. However, decisions about funding of individual science research projects—whether in these earmarked areas or not—are, by long-established convention, matters for the research councils, not for my Department.