News & Views item - September 2011

 

 

 UK's Campaign for Science and Engineering Questions Government Commitment to Ring Fence Science Budget. (September 15, 2011)

When Britain's Conservative Liberal Democrat coalition government was elected last year it promised that its science budget would stay level between 2010 - 2015. Now an analysis by the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) lobby takes issue with that promise and estimates that there will be a 12% reduction (£1.6 billion) in support by financial 2014-15 not accounting for inflation.

 

According to CaSE the reduction is masked through allocations earmarked for capital projects—such as new buildings and equipment—being moved outside of the science budget, and CaSE concludes that were the previous definition of the science budget retained the cuts would have produced an immediate science spending drop of £200 million, and a total cut of 12% over the 5 years, before inflation.

 

Peter Knight, incoming president of the Institute of Physics told ScienceInsider: "The reduction in capital spending, but also the toll of inflationary pressures, will restrict the opportunities for investment in science and engineering over the next few years."

 

CaSE also points out although the Department of Health is not within the science budget it was promised a real budget increase. In fact budget papers indicate an increase from £1.025 billion in 2011-12 to £1.089 billion in 2014-15 significantly below expected inflation.

 

Nancy Rothwell, president of the Society of Biology, stated publicly: "This important report highlights the real terms decline in government investment in science," while Martin Rees, former president of the Royal Society commented the CaSE report was "disquieting... The U.K.'s cost-effective science base and university system are at risk."