Adam Afriyie

MP

Caring for people through choice, freedom, enterprise, and strong defence.

Innovation White Paper a ‘guilty verdict’ for Ministers

13-Mar-08, Press Release.

Responding to the publication of Innovation Nation, the Government’s Science and Innovation White Paper, Adam Afriyie said:

“After ten years in office the Sainsbury Review was a stinging indictment of Government failure on innovation, and this White Paper is an open admission of guilt.

“Under Labour, the UK has slipped in the world competitiveness rankings and departmental expenditure on R&D actually fell while Gordon Brown was Chancellor.”

“I welcome a statement on the Government’s progress towards implementing Lord Sainsbury’s recommendations, but ministers remain on the back foot while our competitors are racing ahead.”

ENDS

Contact Details:

Telephone: 020 7219 8023

Email: afriyiea@parliament.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Lord Sainsbury’s review of government science and innovation policies presented a stinging indictment of Government policy from one of Labour’s own former ministers. It was published by HM Treasury in October 2007 and is available here: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/5/E/sainsbury_review051007.pdf

2. Select criticisms of Government policy from the Sainsbury Review:

• As Chancellor Gordon Brown oversaw a decline in government department funding of R&D as a percentage of GDP – p 120

• Demand-side factors, such as procurement and regulation, which can play a role in encouraging innovation, have received too little Government focus, p 3

• The bulk of supported spending on the R&D tax credit is made by large companies, with SMEs accounting for £1.6bn of supported spending in the last financial year, p 30

• Up to 30% of all R&D projects are merely a duplication of existing technology.  This equates to an annual waste of about £20 billion…One reason is that patents are complex legal documents…which are challenging to comprehend”, p 68

• Ministers are dipping in to departmental R&D budgets to fund front-line services, p 120

• The UK Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) has so far failed to achieve anything like the success of the US scheme, p 130

• There are significant shortages of qualified teachers in key subjects and it is clear that more needs to be done urgently. The figures on retention are a cause for concern…almost half of all physics teachers leave within the first five years of teaching.” p. 96, p100

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Business is the engine of the economy that generates our jobs, incomes and taxes.

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