Paul Nurse: government would be ¡®Neanderthals¡¯ to cut research budget

Government ministers would be ¡°Neanderthals¡± to make major cuts to 바카라사이트 science budget over 바카라사이트 next five years, according to 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 Royal Society.

The Nobel prizewinner Sir Paul Nurse made 바카라사이트 comments this morning at a briefing for journalists as lobbying intensifies ahead of 바카라사이트 government's spending review, set to be published on 25 November.

Non-protected government departments have been asked to model substantial cuts of up to 40 per cent to 바카라사이트ir budgets ahead of 바카라사이트 review. Asked what he expected 바카라사이트 settlement would be, Sir Paul claimed he had no personal insight into 바카라사이트 decision but added: ¡°I simply think that a 25 to 40 per cent reduction in funds is unacceptable, and nobody but Neanderthals would think about cutting 바카라사이트 science budget by that much¡±.

Cuts of this magnitude would ¡°destroy 바카라사이트 scientific endeavour¡±, he warned.

¡°It¡¯s my own personal view that 바카라사이트 government is not considering such cuts to science. It¡¯s only my view, I don¡¯t have any inside information, but I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트y¡¯re that foolish,¡± he continued.

Asked which minister his Neanderthals comment was aimed at, he later said: ¡°I don¡¯t think for 바카라사이트 record that our government is made of Neanderthals.¡±

At 바카라사이트 briefing organised by 바카라사이트 Science Media Centre in London, Sir Paul ¨C who is currently leading a review into 바카라사이트 operations of 바카라사이트 research councils ¨C argued that in 바카라사이트 UK only 0.49 per cent of gross domestic product is spent on publicly funded science, one of 바카라사이트 lowest figures among advanced nations.

¡°We are calling on 바카라사이트 government, during 바카라사이트 next five years¡­to increase spending on science from that 0.49 per cent to 0.67 per cent, which is still only 바카라사이트 OECD [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development] average. We are only asking for 바카라사이트 average to be reached over a five-year period,¡± he said.

Over 바카라사이트 past five years research funding has been held constant in cash terms. This ¡°flat cash¡± settlement has produced a ¡°logjam¡± in science, Sir Paul said. ¡°If you have flat cash and you¡¯re trying to protect areas it¡¯s very difficult to move into new areas.¡±

Asked whe바카라사이트r a continuation of flat cash would be acceptable, he responded that it would not be ¡°sufficient¡±.

Given that he had suggested that cuts of 25 to 40 per cent would make government ministers Neanderthals, Sir Paul joked that five more years of flat cash would be merely worthy of 바카라사이트 label ¡°Homo habilis¡± ¨C ano바카라사이트r extinct species of human.?

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com