Adam Afriyie

MP

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

Ministers ‘treating scientists like fools’ over astronomy cuts

21-Feb-08, Press Release.

Challenging the Government in the House of Commons, Adam Afriyie today called on the science minister to acknowledge that the Government’s science budget has forced British astronomers into crisis.

Commenting on the exchange at Innovation, Universities and Skills questions, Adam Afriyie said:

“The Minister has announced a new space programme for the UK, but he is cutting research grants by 25 per cent.

“He calls this a bright future for astronomy, but astronomers say they’re in crisis.

“Ministers are treating scientists like fools.  From my experience, this is an unwise course of action.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. The Government’s science budget, published in December 2007, left the newly-formed Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) with an £80 million shortfall.

2. A statement from the STFC’s Council in February 2008 confirmed that there would be a 25% reduction in new commitment on research grants and that the number of post-doctoral research assistants for astronomy supported in 2011 will be 11% below the 2005 level. There will also be redundancies at the Daresbury and Harwell Science and Innovation Campuses and the Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh.

3. The full statement from the STFC Council is available here: http://www.scitech.ac.uk/About/Strat/Council/CSRResp.aspx.

Contact Details:

Telephone: 020 7219 8023

Email: afriyiea@parliament.uk

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