Royal Society's Response to UK Ministerial  Changes. (June 6, 2009)

Martin Rees, President of the Royal Society, issued the following statement in response to the merging of DIUS (Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills) with BERR (Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform.) to form the new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Science and innovation should be the bedrock on which the economy builds as we come out of the current recession. Placing science alongside business and enterprise should help to make that happen. The UK became a world economic power through applying science during the industrial revolution and today we are still home to many of the world's leading scientists.

However, in the rush to unlock economic benefits, we must ensure that we don't divert resources away from basic research. To maintain a flow of groundbreaking ideas and ensure that the UK remains competitive in attracting mobile talent, it is imperative that the science budget remains strong and ring-fenced. In the US we have seen the positive impact of science being moved closer to the centre of the administration, it is time we followed suit.