The Science and Technology Facilities Council has warned that the future of some major projects will not be clear for some time, despite the flat-cash settlement for science that was announced this week in the government’s spending review.
In a statement to colleagues, chief executive Keith Mason says that capital funding could still pose a problem for the council, since this has not been included in the science ringfence.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been told to cut its capital spending by 44 per cent over the spending review period, which could affect large-scale science projects such as ISIS, the UK’s only neutron source.
Mason welcomed the news that the Diamond Light Source has been guaranteed funding but added that it will be “some time” before the council is offered any clarity on the future of ISIS and its other capital projects.
“The next stage will be for BIS to negotiate with all councils to set specific allocations, including capital. We do not know whether the ‘flat cash’ outcome will apply to our budget,” he said. “We do know that ‘reverting to the status quo’ is not an option and it continues to be very important for STFC to demonstrate prioritisation of its science, and clearly articulate how we will achieve efficiencies and reform our operations to deliver maximum value for the UK.”
Mason also noted that science minister David Willetts has said that he did not expect the guaranteed real terms cash increase that was announced for the Medical Research Council to be “disruptive” for the other councils.
Go to the STFC website for the full announcement from Keith Mason Chief Executive Officer.