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Chancellor pledges 10-year cash boost for UK science: Britain's future depends on research and enterprise, Brown tells top scientists as he makes R&D a priority in pre-election spending review

Posted on: Wednesday, 3 March 2004, 06:00 CST

Science is to be boosted in this summer's spending review, Gordon Brown indicated yesterday as he announced plans for a 10-year investment strategy to make Britain more attractive to research companies.

The chancellor, who has ramped up science funding in the two previous spending reviews, said it would be a "central priority" of the pre-election review and would be given a "generous settlement" - expected to be billions of pounds. He was breakfasting with 30 leading figures from the science community, as well as the education secretary, Charles Clarke, and the trade secretary, Patricia Hewitt.

He also announced plans for a fundamental review of funding needs and policy priorities, being likened to the Treasury-commissioned Wanless report into the future of the NHS.

The chancellor has long been committed to investing in science to curb the "brain drain" and boost the economy. In the last spending review, in 2002, he pledged to increase funding from pounds 2bn to pounds 2.9bn in 2005 - in what was hailed as the biggest boost to education and research since the 1950s and 1960s. In the previous pre-election spending round, in 2000, he increased it from pounds 1.6bn to pounds 2.1bn.

Britain currently spends just 0.8% of its GDP on science, placing it 16th in the world in terms of funding. Mr Brown told the meeting, which included Professor Colin Blakemore of the Medical Research Council, Mark Walport, the director of the Wellcome Trust, and the Royal Institution's Lady Greenfield: "The Britain that succeeds in the new world will be a leader in science, skills and enterprise. So we have to make it a priority as a nation to invest in what is the key to our whole economic future and well being - our science and skills.

"While it would be easier to take the short-term route and fail to make the necessary investments for the future, we propose to take the longer-term view, to choose science above many other spending priorities, and we therefore propose a 10-year investment plan for science, engineering and innovation, alongside the 2004 spending review."

Mr Brown also made it clear that the problem of boosting the static number of undergraduates studying science, improving science teaching, and changing the perception of science would not just be solved by more money. Urging scientists to contact him directly with suggestions on how to rectify these problems, he also discussed the numbers of scientists Britain would require in the future; how to increase private investment in research being carried out by the NHS; and the need for a broader vision on investment in science.

In a statement, signed by Ms Hewitt and Mr Clarke, he indicated that the 10-year framework would aim to achieve: * World class research, driven by competition for funding and talent

* A dynamic and financially sustainable research base, meeting the needs of private and public funders

* More collaboration between universities and business

* Better translation of leading-edge technologies into commercial applications

* An increase in the number of scientists, underpinned by excellent teaching in schools.

After the meeting, Dr Walport hailed the investment pledge, and stressed: "The UK can only maintain its international standing with the full support of the government for our world-class science base".

Prof Blakemore added: "He seemed to be very personally engaged. He chaired the meeting and grasped complex issues very quickly, which implies he had been thinking a lot about it. It was extremely encouraging and one didn't get the impression it was just political - there was real substance."

guardian.co.uk/life

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