Government keeps science plans under wraps

THE GOVERNMENT will not reveal its plans for science, engineering and technology in a Forward Look report until a full assessment of science in light of Government-wide reviews has been made, it confirmed this week, writes Julia Hinde.

Rather, this year's SET Statistics 1997 present a picture of the science and technology situation inherited by Labour.

They show that the science and engineering research base is declining in real terms this year by some Pounds 20 million, while Government spending on science, engineering and technology will fall by about Pounds 125 million.

Science funding highlights the growing divide between the higher education funding councils and the research councils over the past decade. The research councils now allocate almost Pounds 250 million more than the funding councils.