31 March 2006
Whitehall's scientists this week called on the government to stop its 'schizophrenic and dangerously complacent' approach to science – allowing public sites to close while investing £10bn in commercial programmes.
The trade union Prospect, which represents 68,000 scientists, said that government cuts have damaged the UK's core science capability.
Its report, Who's looking after British science?, published on March 28, claims that a third of public sector science posts have been axed since 1994/95, including 660 senior positions since 2000.
This had happened 'despite an inescapable need in today's society for government to make scientifically informed decisions' on issues such as the use of genetically modified crops, disease control and new medical treatments.
This month alone, the government plans to close its high-performing Silsoe Institute in Bedford, which specialises in agricultural engineering, and the Hannah Research Institute in Ayr, which undertakes breast cancer research. Both facilities scored well in recent peer reviews.
Further cuts will follow at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the Institute for Grassland and Environmental Research. Other sites have already been merged or privatised.
Alongside these cuts, the Treasury and Department of Trade and Industry plans to address a UK science skills shortage through a £10bn commercial investment programme.
Science minister Lord Sainsbury has argued that expertise lost to the core public sector could automatically transfer to universities or commercial organisations, which could also pick up the related fieldwork.
But Prospect is concerned that taxpayers' cash is being used to fund research that would benefit only private companies, which could switch the focus of research according to commercial demand.
Nigel Titchen, president of Prospect's science group, said: 'Scientific expertise cannot be turned off and on at will. The current chopping and changing of research priorities according to the fashion of the moment places the UK at a real risk of being unable to respond when the next BSE, foot and mouth or major crisis occurs.'
The government's chief scientific adviser, Sir David King, recently warned the Commons science select committee that Whitehall no longer has an adequate level of in-house scientific expertise.
A DTI spokeswoman told Public Finance: 'Many of the Prospect criticisms are not the fault of ministers or the department, which has substantially increased the level of funding to research councils. Research councils, led by scientists, make the final decisions on what to fund.'
DTI has increased funding to research councils by 40% in six years – from £2.06bn in 2003/04 to £2.9bn by 2007/08, she added.
Sir Ian Diamond, chair of Research Councils UK, told PF: 'Where staff reductions or closures have been necessary, there have been different issues in each case.
'The underlying theme is to secure critical mass for key scientific areas and to ensure that this is properly funded in sustainable and modern facilities.
'In most cases the excellent science at research council institutes undergoing restructuring is relocated and continued at other sites or universities.'
Bank finance chief to join DTI
The Department of Trade and Industry has recruited a private sector expert as its new finance director. But Mark Clarke can draw on a wealth of family experience in his new Whitehall role; he is the brother of the home secretary, Charles.
DTI officials confirmed Clarke's appointment as director general of finance and strategy to Public Finance on March 28.
Clarke is currently UK finance director at the Bank of Ireland and has previously held senior positions at Abbey, Barclays and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
A DTI spokeswoman said: 'Permanent secretary Brian Bender selected Clarke for the role following an open competition.' He will begin work at the department's Victoria Street headquarters in June.
Clarke, who is also the son of former Treasury mandarin Sir Richard Clarke, is the latest finance professional to be appointed to a departmental board.
Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell aims to improve Whitehall's finance function under the Professional Skills for Government programme.
PFmar2006
