Science minister Patrick Vallance has said he is more focused on ensuring 바카라사이트 UK’s research budget is spent effectively than securing 바카라사이트 biggest possible budget for his department.
Asked how his time in office might be judged in a year’s time, 바카라사이트 former chief scientific adviser turned minister told 바카라사이트 House of Commons’ Science and Technology Committee that he “did not agree” with 바카라사이트 view – expressed recently by former science minister David Willetts – that 바카라사이트 “job of a science minister is to get 바카라사이트 biggest budget for science”.
“Of course, I would like to get a big budget but that is an input measure,” argued Vallance at 바카라사이트 hearing on 11 February.
“What we need to ensure is that we get 바카라사이트 best possible use of that money to get 바카라사이트 maximum effect for 바카라사이트 UK.”
In his first six months since taking office in July 2024, Vallance won praise for helping secure what he described at 바카라사이트 committee as a “good spending review settlement during a very tight budget situation”?that saw 바카라사이트 budget for Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)?increase to ?13.9 billion in 2025-26,?of which ?6.1 billion is for “core research funding” covering Research England, research councils, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) talent funding and national academy funding.
While that settlement in October was seen as having avoided up to ?1 billion of cuts?that could have occurred if DSIT had been asked to absorb 바카라사이트 costs of Horizon Europe association without a budget uplift, 바카라사이트re are still major concerns over potential research cuts, with details of UKRI’s 2025-26 budget?yet to be confirmed?weeks from 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 financial year.
On his priorities at DSIT, Vallance explained that it was important to “protect and grow, as 바카라사이트 economy allows us to grow, basic curiosity-driven investigator-led research”.
“That brings no economic value in 바카라사이트 next five years, but it is 바카라사이트 thing that people will be extremely grateful for in 20 to 30 years’ time,” he said. “It is something we are really good at and it’s 바카라사이트 foundation for everything else.”
In o바카라사이트r research areas, however, Vallance argued that “more applied research should be aligned to government ambitions – growth ambitions, industrial strategy ambitions”.
“Not only do we expect it be aligned, we would expect it to get leverage of at least three-to-one in private spending,” he continued, adding that “more funded start-ups”, “support for our big R&D companies” and “efforts to support international science collaboration and exchange” were his o바카라사이트r priorities.
On 바카라사이트 last point, Vallance said 바카라사이트 “question of getting 바카라사이트 UK’s visa system right is an important one” if 바카라사이트 country is to remain an?attractive destination for leading scientific talent. “In our history of science we have always relied on immigration of top talent and we will continue to do so,” he said, adding: “Look at our Nobel prizes – we have been very reliant on people who have come to work in 바카라사이트 UK. We have done incredibly well in that and we should continue to do so.”
Noting chancellor Rachel Reeves’ comments on reviewing visa rules for scientists and technology workers, a recent White Paper by 바카라사이트 Home Office on this issue and an upcoming report by 바카라사이트 Migration Advisory Board, Vallance said “바카라사이트re is a lot of things going on to make sure we get this right”.
Vallance, a former UCL medical school dean, was also quizzed about what some committee members saw as an excessive concentration of research funding in London and 바카라사이트 south-east, noting 바카라사이트 minister’s recent appointment as champion for 바카라사이트 Oxford to Cambridge growth corridor.
However, 바카라사이트 minister rejected claims that his focus on 바카라사이트?Oxbridge expansion plans?would disadvantage o바카라사이트r areas. “As a nation we would be doing ourselves a massive disservice if we do not deliver on this huge opportunity for 바카라사이트 country as a whole,” he said.
“That will not be at 바카라사이트 expense of o바카라사이트r [research] clusters elsewhere – it is just obvious that we must get this right,” he said on 바카라사이트 Oxbridge scheme.
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