Less is more: Investing in science and research is key to the UK's financial recovery, but how much can be achieved in the face of cuts?

摘要

Over the next few months, major decisions will be made on government spending priorities as part of a wider move to stabilise the country's finances and rebalance the economy. Investing in science and research is a critical part of that. There is a school of thought that says that government commitment to science and technology is measured by how much money we spend. The question I have to address is can we achieve more with less? Research and technical priorities are set at arm's length, yet the government spends ￡6bn a year supporting science and research and it is right that I speak about strategic priorities.