BRITISH scientists are calling on the Prime Minister to put his money where his mouth is, and honour a promise to spend more on science. John Major told the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee in February: 鈥淒espite the absolute necessity of restraining public expenditure, we expect spending on the science base to rise in real terms next year.鈥�
The lobby group Save British Science has asked the science minister, David Hunt, to increase the science budget by 2.5 per cent above inflation, and expects good news next Tuesday when Major announces his budgetary allocations to individual government departments. 鈥淭his is where we see if what Mr Major said in February will come to pass,鈥� says John Mulvey secretary of SBS.
鈥淲e want to see 拢50 million extra each year in the science base,鈥� says Mulvey. This would raise the existing science budget of 拢2083 million by 2.5 per cent above inflation. This figure includes the sums given to research councils and universities.
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Mulvey also expects Hunt to support Major鈥檚 pledge. 鈥淗unt can鈥檛 let Major down by not fighting,鈥� says Mulvey.