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The 2006 bugdet is available to view in full online at the website: http://budget2006.treasury.gov.uk/
Professor Colin Blakemore, Chief Executive of the MRC, said:
“The Medical Research Council (MRC) has warmly welcomed the Chancellor’s Budget statement. Gordon Brown had demonstrated clear support for biomedical research and had recognised its importance to people’s health in Britain and the UK economy with the commitment of at least one billion pounds for the Medical Research Council and NHS R & D.
“Success in translating basic research into new approaches to treatment and prevention depends on a close, two-way interaction with the NHS, through the Department of Health and the devolved administrations. It also needs partnerships with the health charities, industry and the other research councils. The establishment of a single, jointly-held health research fund will hugely facilitate the translation of research findings into clinical benefits for people in the UK and around the world.
“We look forward to engaging with the government’s consultation process to build the best institutional arrangements to serve the entire community of science, industry and clinical medicine. Britain now has the opportunity to create a mechanism for supporting medical research, training and innovation that is unrivalled anywhere.”
Aisling Burnand, Chief Executive of the BioIndustry Association (BIA), said:
“The Government’s ring-fencing of the R&D budget and other new measures announced today will help to support the vital bioscience R&D work being conducted in this country developing new medicines for patients. The UK is a world leader in bioscience research, second only to the US, and the BIA warmly welcomes the Government’s commitment to enhance its competitive position and support a sustainable bioscience sector.
“The BIA has actively supported an extension of R&D tax credits to larger research-intensive companies for several years. The previous limit, in addition to acting as a disincentive for consolidation, was especially problematic for bioscience companies which have to operate at a commercial scale for a significant period before generating profits.”
Simon Denegri, chief executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), said:
“AMRC welcomes the measures announced today by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to support medical and health research in the UK, not least the creation of a single health research fund to underpin the NHS R&D Strategy launched a few months ago. The 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review will also be an opportunity for medical research charities and universities to continue to work together with Government in building on the success of the Charity Research Support Fund announced in 2004 under the last Spending Review. In 2006/7 the Fund will provide £135 million of funding to English universities, increasing to £180 million by 2007/8. It is important that this momentum is not lost.
“Finally, as one of the largest umbrella bodies in the voluntary sector representing charities that have contributed over £3.25 billion to research in the UK over the past five years, we also welcome the Government’s announcement of a comprehensive review into the future role of the third sector in social and economic regeneration. We look forward to hearing further details of the review and of the planned remit for the new Office of Charity and Third Sector finance within HM Treasury.”
Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust, said:
“The Wellcome Trust is very pleased by the Government’s strong and continued support for biomedical research and development.
“The decision to ring-fence the Department of Health research and development budget is good news. We note the intention to create a single jointly held health research fund, but are concerned that the figure mentioned of at least £1 billion per annum is considerably less than the combined research and development budgets of the Medical Research Council and Department of Health which currently amount to almost £1.3 billion.
“Consultation on any new institutional arrangements will be key – the devil will be in the details.”
Prof Ian Fells, Energy Consultant, said:
“It is disappointing that all Mr Brown is willing to do is change the climate change levy in line with inflation because the tax has been a failure in two respects. This levy hit small industry very hard while larger industry got off relatively lightly, but even worse the tax has been levied on nuclear and hydroelectric power which are carbon free.
“I welcome the billion pounds to be put into a new Energy and Environmental research institute. Energy research has been one of the casualties of the privatisation of the electricity industry and we have fallen way behind France and Germany in our research spending on energy. This money will go someway to redressing this problem. It is to be hoped that the new centre will be situated in the North, perhaps at the New and Renewable Energy Centre, set up at Blyth in Northumberland only three years ago, where experimental research in energy is being successfully carried out.”
Derek Bell, Chief Executive of Association for Science Education, said:
“Obviously supporting science teachers is welcome but the devil will be in the detail. 3000 new science teachers is great but it’s certainly isn’t enough and what is really important is long term support and the continuing professional development of our existing teachers so that they are fully equipped to teach the curriculum that our pupils need.”
Dr Barry Cleasby, Head of Research, the Engineering and Technology Board (ETB), said:
“The ETB welcomes the UK government’s investment in the UK science base – particularly their investment in academic basic research. However, the challenge to the UK government and UK universities is to convert this investment into commercially viable products and services which contribute to the competitive position of UK plc. This can only be achieved if academics are provided access to entrepreneurial individuals and skills-sets, which allow them to take their academic ideas into the business world. This is beginning to happen with many of the Universities’ spin-out companies, however more work needs to be done to ensure that government investment in the science base is directly tied to the development of commercially viable science and engineering. Central to this is ensuring that the UK economy has the correct skills base to compete in the 21st century – this will require UK universities to provide the technical skills inherent in science and engineering subjects but in combination with the entrepreneurial skills needed to commercialise ideas and knowledge. One challenge will be the provision of incentives for academics to engage in commercial activities. We are concerned that the present structure does not provide academics with a real incentive to engage with business.”
Lord Robert Winston, said:
“I really welcome the Chancellor’s focus on education of children. I do hope that the teaching will be devoted to the times when we tend to lose our young people from science – at around 11. But recognising that science teaching needs special attention is most welcome.”