HC Deb 18 May 2004 vol 421 cc897-9W
Mr. Stephen O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the(a) mechanism and (b) criteria are for the allocation of the departmental science programme funds; and who in the Department is responsible for allocating the funds. [172096]

Ms Hewitt

Details of the allocation of the department's present Science Budget are set out in the publication "Science Budget 2003–04 to 2005–06" published in December 2002, a copy of which is available in the Libraries of the House.

The publication sets out the objectives of the Science Budget and the drivers for the allocation of funds.

Allocations are approved by me on the advice of the Director General of the Research Councils.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will break down by budget heading the expenditure of the departmental science programmes in(a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04. [172098]

Ms Hewitt

The information is as follows.

(a) Actual expenditure for 2002–03 from the Science Budget was as follows:

£000
2002–03 Resource Capital Total
MRC1 340,867 19,589 360,456
BBSRC2 249,953 2,676 252,629
NERC3 224,006 17,907 241,913
EPSRC4 507,019 3,407 510,426
PPARC5 246,231 2,755 248,986
ESRC6 77,736 182 77,918
CCLRC7 23,168 19,414 42,582
Research Councils Pension Scheme 28,450 28,450
Royal Society 28,783 28,783
Royal Academy of Engineering 4,770 4,770
SRIF8 190,402 190,402
Diamond Synchrotron 489 14,366 14,855
Higher Education Innovation Fund 22,791 22,791

£000
2002–03 Resource Capital Total
PSRE Fund9 4,977 4,977
CMI 10,705 10,705
Other10 34,455 34,455
Total 1,994,802 80,296 2,075,098
1 Medical Research Council
2 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
3 National Environmental Research Council
4Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
5 Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council
6 Economic and Social Science Research Council
7 Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils
8 Science Research Investment Fund
9 Public Sector Research Establishment
10 Includes expenditure on nuclear fusion and residual expenditure on closed schemes.
Notes:
1. Expenditure includes funding brought forward from previous years, under "End-year Flexibility" arrangements. In addition, some Research Councils were given transfers from central budgets.
2. Abbreviations used are as follows.

(b) The actual expenditure figures for 2003–04 are yet to be finalised and audited.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the resource budget for the departmental science programmes(a) was for each year since 1995 and (b) is for 2004–05; and if she will make a statement. [172099]

Ms Hewitt

Resource budgets were first introduced in 2001–02, and information on a comparable basis is not available prior to that date. The budgets for 2001–02 to 20004–05 are as follows:

£000
2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05
MRC1 389,887 416,097 429,875 458,080
BBSRC2 224,474 244,104 265,032 287,872
NERC3 236,778 253,572 264,102 280,237
EPSRC4 439,331 464,972 468,524 491,714
PPARC5 216,946 232,071 250,770 266,470
ESRC6 75,352 83,756 94,584 104,074
CCLRC7 40,847 44,770 119,018 129,488
Research Council Pension Scheme 26,970 28,450 29,740 31,140
Royal Society 25,945 28,745 29,245 31,045
Royal Academy of Engineering 4.270 4,270 5,270 5,600
Roberts review 6,000 18,020
SRIF/University research capital8 125,000 125,000 250,000 296,570
Diamond synchrotron 20,000 20,000 25,361 84,081
Large Facilities and RC Institutes (unallocated) 34,000 52,500 68,550
Higher Education Innovation Fund 20,000 20,000 50,000 60,305
PSRE Fund9 10,000 4,655
CMI10 14,000 14,000 14,000 14,000
Other11 28,266 42,063 24,364 46,364
Total 1,898,066 2,055,870 2,378,385 2,678,265

1 Medical Research Council

2 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

3 National Environmental Research Council

4 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

5 Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council

6 Economic and Social Science Research Council

7 Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils

8 Science Research Investment Fund

9 Public Sector Research Establishment

10 Cambridge/MIT Institute

11 Includes unallocated provision and contingency

Notes:

1. Figures include resource and capital budgets.

2. Abbreviations used are as follows.