GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR UK SCIENCE

That this House expresses its concern over the recent comments by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills apparently signalling retrenchment in Government funding for UK science; supports the view of the President of the Royal Society that short-term austerity risks undermining the UK's future science base; notes that the United States, China, Germany and France are all significantly increasing their science budgets in the coming years as a central part of their strategies for long-term economic growth; and believes that investment in basic scientific research throughout the UK is vital if the commercial benefits of developing new technology are to be broadly spread, rather than restricting funding to a reduced number of institutions as the Government appears to propose.