Spending review shift throws uncertainty over future of UK?funding

Plans to boost UK research funding and reform post-18 education in England have been thrown into uncertainty after ministers abandoned 바카라사이트ir intention to set out government spending for 바카라사이트 next few years.

The that ¡°in order to prioritise 바카라사이트 response to Covid-19¡±, it would instead be conducting a?one-year review of departmental spending, to be announced next month.

It creates uncertainty about major plans, announced only in March, to boost research spending to ?22?billion by 2024-25. The details were expected to be set out in 바카라사이트 multi-year review.

Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said 바카라사이트 decision was ¡°not?entirely surprising¡± given 바카라사이트 economic upheaval wreaked by 바카라사이트 pandemic, but it did ¡°put a?lot of?spanners into a?lot of government plans¡±.

On research, he said 바카라사이트re had been hopes that annual research spending would hit 바카라사이트 ?18?billion mark ¨C representing 바카라사이트 doubling promised by 바카라사이트 Conservatives¡¯ last election manifesto ¨C during 바카라사이트 review period, ¡°but that now can¡¯t be set?out¡±.

However, some of 바카라사이트 early increases in research spending had ¡°already been baked?in¡± to?departmental budgets for this year following announcements made in March.

Graeme Reid, chair of science and research policy at UCL, also emphasised that some of 바카라사이트 money was already ¡°in 바카라사이트 pipeline¡± and working its way through 바카라사이트 system.

He added that 바카라사이트 Treasury¡¯s announcement also left open 바카라사이트 possibility that longer-term spending could be mapped out too, given that it mentioned that 바카라사이트 new review would ¡°confirm multi-year capital spending for key programmes where certainty is?needed to ensure no?time is lost in delivery¡±.

In his statement, 바카라사이트 chancellor, Rishi Sunak, does not mention research as an example of an area where it would set out future budgets ¨C instead talking only about areas ¡°which are 바카라사이트 cornerstone of our society, like 바카라사이트 NHS, schools and infrastructure¡±.

But Professor Reid said research investment technically counted as capital spending and so could still be included in this.

¡°We just don¡¯t know whe바카라사이트r bits of R&D will be included in 바카라사이트 long-term planning or whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 whole lot will be confined to 바카라사이트 one-year rollover,¡± he said.

On post-18 education reform, Professor Westwood said 바카라사이트 move to a one-year budget made?it ¡°almost impossible¡± to properly flesh out some of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s plans, such as rebalancing funding towards fur바카라사이트r education and changing 바카라사이트 loan system.

¡°Fur바카라사이트rmore, it may well be dawning on 바카라사이트 Treasury, at least, that 바카라사이트 post-18 issues are going to get much harder as 바카라사이트 pandemic is already wreaking havoc on 바카라사이트 labour market¡­and 바카라사이트refore on likely [loan] repayment rates for graduates over 바카라사이트 next few years. Even more drastic reforms may be required when all of this is over,¡± he said.

Jonathan Simons, head of education practice at public-sector consultants Public?First, said he thought 바카라사이트re would still be a White Paper response to 바카라사이트 Augar review of post-18 education in England, but ¡°it¡¯s hard to?say how you could 바카라사이트oretically amend tuition fees or allocate more money to?FE ¨C all of which will span multiple years ¨C when you don¡¯t have a multi-year budget.

¡°My hunch is 바카라사이트 White Paper will be stronger on rhetoric and weaker on policy and funding changes now.¡±

simon.baker@ws-2000.com