At a breakfast seminar with leading figures in the UK scientific community, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, UK Secretary of State for Education Charles Clarke, and UK Secretary of State for Industry Patricia Hewitt announced plans for a fundamental review of funding needs and policy priorities for science, engineering and innovation, with a ten-year investment plan to be announced as a central priority for this summer's Spending Review.

Gordon Brown said:

"The Britain that succeeds in the new world will be a leader in science, skills and enterprise. So we have to make it a priority as a nation to invest in what is the key to our whole economic future and well-being - our science and skills.

"While it would be easier to take the short term route - and fail to make the necessary investments for the future - we propose to take the longer term view, to choose science above many other spending priorities, and we will therefore propose a ten-year investment plan for science, engineering and innovation alongside the 2004 Spending Review."

"To help inform this plan Patricia Hewitt, Charles Clarke and I will consult widely with the scientific community, with universities and research institutes, with charities, and with business over the next few months."

Patricia Hewitt said:

"The UK has some of the best scientists and universities in the world, and to secure that science base, we've invested over $3.25 billion (1.75 billion) in university infrastructure since 1997. But as our Innovation Report showed last year, we still need to get science out of the labs, into our companies and onto the balance sheet. Our businesses can and should benefit from this fundamental
'"/>

Contact: Gennadiy Belotserkovskiy
gennadiyb@britainusa.com
British Information Services
2-Mar-2004