23 March 2010
million+ comment on select committee's science cuts report
Commenting on the Science and Technology Select Committee’s report on the impact of spending cuts on science and scientific research, Professor Les Ebdon, Chair of the university think tank million+ and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire, said: “The Science and Technology Committee’s recommendations that a broad research base should continued to be funded by government on the basis of excellence wherever identified is very welcome. MPs are also correct to identify the potential damage to higher education funding and to research of the proposed further reduction of £600m announced in the Pre-Budget Report as well as the risk of a new administration removing the ring-fence from the science and innovation budget.
“Unfortunately, the Government has already moved away from funding research excellence wherever it is found and adopted a policy which emphasises the funding of excellence on the basis of critical mass. As a result, universities which historically have been better funded for research and which already receive 75% of Hefce’s research allocation, will receive an additional £30m per annum for the next four years without having to demonstrate any improvement in research performance. At a time when all universities are being required to make efficiency savings and when we have students queuing up to get places, this policy of protectionism will undermine innovation, research in new subject areas and in the social sciences which are key to understanding how we address the challenges of a complex and globalised world.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- million+ is a leading university think-tank, working to solve the complex problems in higher education www.millionplus.ac.uk
- For more information, comment or interviews from million+ please contact Victoria Mills on 07900 277819
- Further details of the Select Committee’s report can be found at here