S&T Committee Chairs’ letter to Sajid Javid

Past and present Chairs of the House of Lords and House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committees have written to the Business Secretary

Yesterday, past and present Chairs of the House of Lords and House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committees wrote to the Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, urging him to increase spending on the Science Budget and to support innovative businesses. They also cautioned against rushed reorganisations of funding structures that could have unforeseen and negative consequences.

The full letter is below, which was also covered in Research Fortnight (£). The signatories also wrote toThe Times to call for the protection of science (£).

Dear Mr Javid,

As current and past Chairs of Parliamentary Science Committees, we know the immense contribution science makes to the UK’s culture, society, our health, and of course, the economy.

At the Conservative Party conference, the Chancellor spoke of his grand plans for the Northern Powerhouse, fuelled by science and innovation. It is at the heart of the Conservative’s long-term economic plan and is essential to improving productivity.  Your department holds the key to its success as the main public funder of the most efficient research base in the world.

The rumoured 40% cuts to your department’s budget pose a serious threat to Britain’s position at the cutting edge of science. We are writing to urge you to increase investment in research and development in the upcoming Spending Review and not to rush reorganisations of funding structures that could have unforeseen and long-term negative consequences.

The UK already invests significantly less of its GDP in R&D than our international competitors. We cannot afford to fall yet further. Cuts to the research base would send a very worrying signal to investors and could lead to a brain drain of our top academic talent.

The Government’s aims to rebalance the economy and support high-value job creation are laudable, but they cannot be achieved without investment. Real-terms increases in the science budget and support for innovative businesses will leverage inward private investment and pay dividends for years to come through a healthier and happier society, and a stronger economy.

We have also written to The Times to express these points.

Yours sincerely,

The Earl of Selborne
Chair, House of Lords Science and Technology Committee (2014-present)

Lord Krebs
Chair, House of Lords Science and Technology Committee (2010-2014)

Lord Sutherland of Houndwood
Chair, House of Lords Science and Technology Committee (2008-2010)

Andrew Miller
Chair, House of Commons Science and Technology Committee (2010-2015)

Lord Willis of Knaresborough
Chair, House of Commons Science and Technology Committee (2005-2010)