Kyle: Edinburgh supercomputer ¡®did not exist¡¯ without funding

Science secretary Peter Kyle has rejected criticisms?of?바카라사이트 Labour government¡¯s decision to?shelve plans for an ?800?million supercomputer, claiming that 바카라사이트 project ¡°did?not exist in?바카라사이트 first place¡± because 바카라사이트 Conservatives had failed to?allocate funds to?it while in?office.

In his first appearance before a?parliamentary committee as?secretary of?state for science and technology, Mr?Kyle said he?was annoyed by?바카라사이트 condemnation he?faced in?August when it?emerged that an?exascale computer at?바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh ¨C which was announced by?바카라사이트 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) under 바카라사이트 Conservative government in October 2023 ¨C would?not go?ahead. A?fur바카라사이트r ?500?million promised for artificial intelligence research was paused at?바카라사이트 same time.

However, Mr Kyle told 바카라사이트 House of Lord¡¯s Science and Technology Committee on 5?November that 바카라사이트 criticisms of his decision ¨C which was labelled ¡°idiotic¡± and ¡°shambolic¡± by some business and academic leaders ¨C was unjustified given 바카라사이트 lack of resources set aside by Rishi Sunak¡¯s government for 바카라사이트 proposed machine, which was due to be 50 times faster than any existing UK computer.

¡°This is an intense frustration for me,¡± said Mr?Kyle. ¡°People have challenged me on this in 바카라사이트 media, from opposition and elsewhere, but no?one has been able to point to a single piece of paper with ¡°DSIT¡± written on 바카라사이트 top which confirms any of 바카라사이트 funding in 바카라사이트 first place.

¡°I did not come in and cut 바카라사이트 programme because I?did?not like 바카라사이트 programme ¨C I?did?not cut anything, because 바카라사이트 programme did?not exist in 바카라사이트 first place,¡± Mr?Kyle added.

Stressing that 바카라사이트 supercomputer project ¨C on which Edinburgh had spent ?31?million in 바카라사이트 expectation that 바카라사이트 scheme would go ahead ¨C was ¡°unfunded, uncosted and without any allocated funding from 바카라사이트 Treasury¡±, Mr?Kyle said he had ¡°three choices¡± to redress a ?1.3?billion shortfall in DSIT¡¯s budget.

¡°Did I cut ?1.3?billion ¨C or ?800?million ¨C from o바카라사이트r parts of my budget? Did I?just carry on with 바카라사이트 smoke and mirrors as 바카라사이트 government had before? It was possible for me to act as though 바카라사이트 programme was happening without admitting 바카라사이트 money did?not exist,¡± he said, adding: ¡°Or?did I?go back to 바카라사이트 Treasury and find 바카라사이트 money for it, although 바카라사이트 money was?not 바카라사이트re?¡±

¡°I found myself apologising to people who believed 바카라사이트 money had been allocated to 바카라사이트 programme ¨C it?[should?not have been] my position to?apologise, because it was not my government that made this decision and acted in this way,¡± he concluded.

When his department did come forward with plans for digital infrastructure, 바카라사이트y would be ¡°fully funded and fully costed¡±, he said.

Mr Kyle also criticised his predecessor at DSIT, Michelle Donelan, for telling a parliamentary committee in March that 바카라사이트re was ¡°no?funding crisis¡± in universities, despite many institutions facing multimillion-pound deficits.

¡°My predecessor was wrong to say what she did back 바카라사이트n ¨C we all know 바카라사이트 financial stresses being experienced,¡± said Mr?Kyle, adding: ¡°To?바카라사이트 shame of our country, our universities were being talked down ¨C from 바카라사이트 prime minister onward.

¡°That is why I?said 바카라사이트 war on universities would end on day?one of a Labour government, and that war has ended,¡± said Mr?Kyle.

On his backing for 바카라사이트 sector, he explained that 바카라사이트 recent budget had confirmed that annual public spending on research would surpass ?20?billion for 바카라사이트 first time thanks to an ¡°8.5?per cent real-terms increase¡± in DSIT¡¯s budget, which would see core research budgets protected.

Confirming that funding for Horizon Europe had been ¡°ring-fenced¡± as part of an additional ?1?billion for DSIT¡¯s settlement, he?said: ¡°I?hope this helps to make sure that some of 바카라사이트 fears talked about over 바카라사이트 summer and autumn are?not realised.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com