§ Mr. Stephen O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding has been allocated by her Department to supporting(a) science, (b) innovation, (c) enterprise and (d) competition for each year between 1997 and 2007 in (i) real terms and (ii) as a proportion of the overall departmental budget; and if she will make a statement. [153534]
§ Ms HewittThe Government have invested heavily in the science and engineering base. In the current spending review period the science budget is growing at 10 per cent, year-on-year in real terms, building on the average 7 per cent. growth over the previous spending review period, and reaching just short of £3 billion by 2005–06. The recent announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of his intention to develop a 10-year investment framework for science and investment, to be announced at the time of the next spending review settlement, signals the Government's continuing long-term commitment to science.
Successive departmental reports have provided breakdowns and explanations of my Department's expenditure. However, figures can be provided only on a consistent (resource) basis from 1998–99; further, spending plans for 2006–07 have not yet been agreed, so figures are shown up to 2005–06 only.
The following table is based on information published in the 1999 to 2003 Departmental Reports, where more details and explanations can be found:
477W5Covers expenditure on Small Businesses and Enterprise (Small Business Service).
6Expenditure shown for the Competition Commission and (from 2003–04) the Competition Service.
Source:
1999–2003 Departmental Reports (Cm 4211, March 1999; Cm 4611, April 2000; Cm 5112, March 2001; Cm 5416, June 2002; and Cm 5916, May 2003).