Science cuts in the fall budget would threaten prosperity, the former minister says

Any government cuts in science spending would threaten the UK’s future prosperity, a senior Conservative MP said.

Former business secretary Greg Clark warns that government plans to double the science budget by 2024 are at risk.

His concern is shared by science and business leaders who have filed statements with the Treasury ahead of next week’s fall budget.

Mr. Clark, who chairs the Select Scientific Committee, needs to know the impact of potential cuts by prominent scientists.

Clark told BBC News: “As we prepare to compete as a country in the future, it is indisputable that one of our strongest assets is our science and technology base.

“The world is becoming more scientifically intensive. For us, going back would mean giving up future prosperity.”

In November 2019, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to double the amount the government spends on scientific research. That commitment was reinforced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in March 2020, when he pledged the government to increase annual spending on science to £ 22 billion by 2024.

The increase was to keep pace with UK economic competitors, which have invested heavily in research. British science is considered to be among the best in the world, but successive governments have spent a lower percentage of GDP on research and development (R&D) than other advanced economies.

The UK’s growth in R&D spending as a proportion of GDP between 1999 and 2019 was 0.1%, significantly lower than many of its economic competitors.

The shadow minister of science, Chi Onwurah, criticized the uncertainty about future public funding for research.

“The prime minister said he wanted to see Britain become a ‘scientific superpower’ in his speech at the conference,” he said.

“It speaks a good game, but when it comes to the decisive action needed to secure a future for British science, it is lacking.”

“Work has been steadfast in our demands to create an innovative nation and to see public and private R&D spending rise to 3% of GDP. With all this hesitation and delay, the government will not even reach its weak target of 2,” 4%. Scientists need long-term clarity on funding, the government is giving them broken promises. “

The ambitious increase in spending announced by the Chancellor last year was to help the government achieve another of its goals: to have public and private research spending in the UK reach 2.4% of GDP by the end of. 2027. But even this target is relatively modest as it would still leave the UK behind Germany, Japan, Korea and the US.

An analysis by the Campaign for Science and Engineering (Case) indicates that if the government postpones the increase in annual research spending to £ 22bn by 2024 within three years, it will lose £ 11bn of investment since private sector and therefore will fail to reach its target of 2.4% of GDP.

Professor Sarah Main, who is the executive director of the campaign, said that without the promised investment, the UK could lose jobs and economic growth in the process: ‘While the UK’s goal is ambitious, it is the the least ambitious goal of all the G7 countries, “he told BBC News.

“Around the world, other countries are pushing fast and hard on their scientific and innovative capacity. The risk is that ideas, talented people and opportunities for investment and partnerships move abroad.”

Those close to negotiations with the Treasury told BBC News that they received “strong signals” last week that, while the government maintained its goal of increasing annual science spending to £ 22 billion, it would not commit to it. by 2024. There was also concern that the Chancellor would give the impression of an increase by adding existing spending to the science budget, but the reality could be fixed liquidity for many more years.

Those calling for more research funding argue that a rise without a date is not an increase at all. I understand that the major research-intensive companies have been informed by Treasury officials that their message “has been heard”.

One week after the Chancellor’s fall budget, all the proposals have been submitted. The Treasury produced its calculations and worked out its plan. The budgets proposed for each side of the government are now in a political phase and, in a nutshell, it is now up to Boris Johnson to put pressure on the Treasury to deliver on his promise to turn the UK economy into a “scientific superpower.” “.

According to Martin Smith, who heads policy at the medical charity Wellcome, the fall budget will be an indication of whether the government is ready to “put its money where its mouth is.”

He said: “There has been talk of his ambition to make the UK a ‘scientific superpower’. The Chancellor pledged last March to put rockets into UK research and development. The best way to do that is to follow up. the commitment he has made.

“Now is the time we find out if there is a substance to these claims.”

Follow Pallab on Twitter