A clear, consistent and measurable science and technology policy
is crucial to unlocking economic growth, improved public services
and strategic international advantage for the UK, according to a
report by the Lords Science and Technology
Committee, Science and technology superpower”: more than
a slogan?, which examines the Government’s plans to
deliver a UK science and technology strategy.
A new Prime Minister must not abandon the Government’s ambitions
for science, technology and innovation, or its commitment to
research and development funding. However, they must shift the
focus to implementation and delivery, or "science and tech
superpower" will be just an empty slogan.
Key findings and recommendations include:
- The Committee welcomes the target to increase UK R&D
spending to 2.4% of GDP by 2027, the associated increases in
public funding, and the creation of the National Science and
Technology Council (NSTC) as a cabinet committee and the Office
for Science and Technology (OSTS) to prioritise science and
technology at the heart of government.
- Without clearer remits, the NSTC and OSTS will become just
another layer of bureaucracy in an already crowded landscape of
science and technology bodies.
- The Government should be much more specific about what it
wants to achieve in the broad areas of science and technology
that it has identified. A clear implementation plan is needed,
including measurable targets and outcomes in priority areas, and
a view of how these will be delivered.
- Much of the additional investment required to reach 2.4% of
GDP needs to come from business. Business and industry need to be
much more closely involved in the development of the strategy,
its targets and outcomes, and the policy levers that will be used
to support increased investment.
- The new Prime Minister must make it a priority to chair
regular meetings of the NSTC, to drive progress towards science
and technology targets nationally and across government.
- The Committee was concerned that, at the time of writing,
there was no Minister for Science, Research and Innovation. A new
Minister is needed urgently; and it should be a cabinet-level
position. There must be clear lines of accountability for the
delivery of specific reforms and strategies.
- The Government’s inconsistent approach to international
scientific collaboration has severely undermined the aspiration
to be a "science and tech superpower." The UK’s reputation and
scientific capability have been damaged by the cuts to Official
Development Assistance and the ongoing lack of association with
Horizon Europe. The UK must be seen as a reliable partner, and
the Government must be realistic that it cannot reproduce the
benefits of international collaborations domestically. The
Committee recommends that the Government urgently takes steps to
rebuild the UK's reputation as a partner.
- The Committee stresses that R&D is a long-term endeavour.
It has been undermined by frequent policy changes, with
strategies that are supposed to be long-term being abandoned
after a few years. The Committee calls on the Government to make
every effort to establish science and technology policy for the
long term, building on existing policies and with clear,
cross-party support.
- As things stand, the slogan “science and tech superpower” has
no credible definition or underpinning.
Baroness Brown, Chair of the House of Lords Science and
Technology Committee said:
“The Government has high ambitions for science and
technology, which the Committee welcomes. Science and technology
are crucial to the UK’s development and economic prosperity. Even
with significantly lower spending than comparable countries, the
UK’s excellent science base punches above its weight and can
provide the tools to tackle major challenges like net
zero.
“But science policy has been far from perfect. R&D is a
long-term endeavour which requires sustained focus and an
implementation plan. But we found a plethora of strategies in
different areas with little follow-through and less linking them
together. There are numerous bodies and organisations with
unclear or apparently overlapping responsibilities, and more are
being added in the form of the National Science and Technology
Council and the Office for Science and Technology Strategy. It is
often unclear who is accountable for individual policies, and
critically, for delivery.
“The Government has suggested areas of reform to increase
private sector investment in R&D such as public procurement
for innovation, regulatory reform, and R&D tax credits. But
these areas are perennial suggestions. New ideas - and specific
details – developed with business are needed if this time the
outcomes are to be different.
“On the international stage, the failure to associate to
Horizon Europe, and recent cuts to Official Development
Assistance, have damaged the UK’s reputation. The UK cannot be a
science superpower in isolation; relationships must be
repaired.
“UK science and technology remains strong and respected
around the world, but they will not deliver their full potential
for the UK with an inconsistent and unclear science policy from
Government. A new administration must retain the ambition for
science and technology and develop a clear plan for
delivery.”
