Recent Press Releases
Chancellor calls upon UK science in Budget 2009
Institute of Physics
PR13 (09)
Wed, 22 April 2009
The Chancellor, Alistair Darling, used today’s, 22 April, 2009, Budget announcement to stress the challenges that the UK faces in the country’s worst economic downturn since the Second World War.
Through a number of measures announced today, he hopes to encourage growth and ensure that the UK remains a world-leading economic power.
Headline figures include £2.5 billion for the industries of the future, including digital communications and biotech; £1.5 billion specifically for low carbon technologies; and the creation of a £750 million venture capital fund to help technology start-up firms prosper.
Dr Robert Kirby-Harris, chief executive at the Institute of Physics, said, "The Chancellor has called upon UK science to play a key role in ensuring we have a world-leading economic future. Money is being directed by the Government towards the industries which will help us to deliver on this agenda. This is commendable and we are confident that the UK science base is up to the challenge. It must be remembered however that scientific advances - in renewable energy research, in the digital industries that have spurred the communications revolution and in other important future industries like biotechnology - require a healthy research base. We must continue investing in order to ensure that the UK has a healthy pipeline of scientifically trained individuals and to maintain and strengthen our leading position in research and its applications.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The Institute of Physics
1. The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of more than 36 000 and is a leading communicator of physics-related science to all audiences, from specialists through to government and the general public. Its publishing company, IOP Publishing, is a world leader in scientific publishing and the electronic dissemination of physics. Go to www.iop.org.
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