§ Dr. IddonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he has taken to enhance science in his Department since the publication of the Government's science strategy Investing in Innovation. [162242]
§ Alan JohnsonThe Department is committed to undertaking and using the results of science to help it achieve its objectives as set out in the Department's statement in the "Forward Look of Government Funded Science, Engineering and Technology—2003". Funding for research specifically will increase from £9.1m in 2003–4 to £16.2m in 2004–5.
The Department remains committed to the use of social researchers, economists and statisticians to advise in the development, delivery and evaluation of education and skills policies and they are also deployed as "intelligent customers" for research commissioned from the wider research community. We have made substantial progress for improving the impact of science on policy.
To this end the Department has recently implemented a new process for the identification and prioritisation of research, involving senior policy makers within the Department arid external experts to enhance the transfer of knowledge."