Response to 'Strategic Science Provision in English Universities'

The Royal Society of Chemistry welcomes the report by the Science and Technology Select Committee into 'Strategic Science Provision in English Universities', but reiterates its call for immediate short-term funding to secure the academic infrastructure until longer term measures can be put in place.

Dr Simon Campbell, President of the RSC, said: "We welcome the acknowledgement from the committee that science and engineering disciplines are under resourced, particularly the funding allocated by HEFCE for teaching. Like the committee, we hope that changes HEFCE propose to make to the funding model by 2008 will improve the situation. However, we still believe that £300 million is required over the next few years to ensure there is a firm physical science base in 2008 to build on. So far, the government has shown no sign of providing such urgently needed funds.

"We are pleased that the committee recognises the need to ensure regional provision of science subjects, but are concerned that even if their scheme of 'hubs and spokes' could be made to work it could still leave a lack of an overarching national strategy for such a strategically and academically important subject as chemistry."

Ends