October 2000

Westminster Report, IEE Review

Although it has been a somewhat miserable summer from a weather point of view, it has been quite a surprisingly good time for science and engineering. No causal effect should be sought here: the fact that Parliament has been in recess (and will be until October 23rd when a new Speaker must be chosen) and MPs have been on their holidays has nothing to do with it.

But just before the rising of Parliament, at the end of July, the Government announced the Comprehensive Spending Review, detailing future expenditure plans. Whilst a number of economic commentators expressed concern about the potential damage to our economic well being (particularly with regard to inflation and interest rates), some announcements will undoubtedly benefit our science base.

In particular, it was revealed that there would be a new two-year science research investment fund partnership between government departments and the Wellcome Trust: the result being that investment in science infrastructure will rise from £325 million in 2002/3 to £450 million in 2003/4. This research investment fund will have a number of streams including £675 million for universities from the DTI Science Budget and the Higher Education Funding Council. But, as always, there are strings attached.

Universities are being asked to inject sufficient own or third party resources to ensure that this funding represents on average 75% of the funding. This seems a good idea as universities will be encouraged to deepen their relationships with third parties, including business through sponsorship, joint developments or generation of research income. Given that we need to do everything we can to encourage students in science and engineering, I was also delighted to see that the stipends for PhD students are also going to be raised.

The Wellcome Trust contribution to help our science base is quite remarkable - they have agreed to spend £225 million. The Trust's involvement shows the private and voluntary sector at its best. As the Trust Director Mike Dexter stated, the Trust's collaboration "is already delivering crucial new investment to the UK's universities". However, he also warns "that there is a great deal more to be done to keep UK science at the cutting edge".

Of course, Mr Dexter is right, as there is still so much to be done to end the skill shortage and encourage youngsters into science and engineering. Clare Curtis-Thomas, a Labour MP raised this with the Government just before the Recess. She tabled a Parliamentary Question to the Department for Trade and Industry, asking what funding had been allocated to promote science engineering and other sciences to children and the public since 1994.

Responding, DTI Minister Patricia Hewitt MP highlighted two programmes: The first funded by the Office of Science and Technology supporting the British Association for the Advancement of Science and other projects to bring science to a wider audience. The second main programme, supported by the DTI innovation budget, also helps engineering through various promotion schemes.

Currently the DTI supports the Campaign to Promote Engineering, which is funded by £425,000 per annum. Clearly much more needs to be done in this area. Everything must be done to encourage our skills base and to change misguided public perceptions about working in manufacturing and engineering.

That is why I was delighted to note that the IEE is hammering home this point. In a submission to the DTI Foresight Directorate on redefining manufacturing, the IEE note that "the Government need to offer more incentives to individuals, employers, training organisations and education providers if the UK is to remain towards the top of the world rankings as a good place to manufacture". The IEE is also right to stress that "in order to change public perception examples of UK manufacturing successes should be publicised much more widely". This submission is an important one and I hope that it will reach Ministers desks at the DTI and that they will act on it.

In a recent IEE Westminster report, I mentioned that Britain has much to be proud of regarding mobile telephony innovation. There has been a further exciting development in this area. The Radio Communications Agency is to award a Wireless Telegraphy Act Licence to a paging company in order to provide two way paging services in the UK. This is a first for the UK and European paging market, which currently provides one way paging services only. Two way paging is essential to enable paging to survive the ever-increasing growth of mobile phones.

This is excellent news as it means that electronic pagers will be given a new lease of life. On the downside, it may have significant repercussions for MPs. Although mobile phones are not allowed in the precincts of Westminster, each MP is given a pager by the party whips to remind them when (and which way!) to vote. With these new pagers, the Whips will able to check on us to greater effect, by demanding responses to their pager messages and MPs' whereabouts will unfortunately be more easily traced!!