Cash boost for research labs

The Government yesterday announced a pounds 1.1 billion boost to the country's scientists and engineers.

The cash injection will help upgrade laboratories and equipment at universities as well as providing the Research Councils with vital funds.

The funds - pounds 700 million to be provided as part of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review and pounds 400 million from the Wellcome Trust - will be available in addition to the pounds 1.35 billion science provision money.

The extra cash will be spent over three years.

As part of the partnership, the Wellcome Trust will match the Government's pounds 300 million contribution to the Infrastructure Fund and pay pounds 100 million towards a ground-breaking X-ray gene research machine.

Dr Michael Dexter, director of the Wellcome Trust, said that there were "no strings attached" to the Trust's contribution and it would not receive preferential treatment when it came to distributing funds.

Mr John Battle, Minister for Science, Energy and Industry, said: "It's the first time there has been a three-year bracket and the first time we have broken out of the annual rush for funds, which is crucial."

Sir John Cadogan, Director-General of the Research Councils, said the Wellcome Trust's contribution was "marvellous" but denied it amounted to private enterprise bailing out British science.

As a result, the science budget will grow for each of the next three years from pounds 1.34 billion in 1998-99, to pounds 1.66 billion in 2001-02.

A total of pounds 400 million will be made available to Research Councils programmes with a further pounds 600 million for the Infrastructure Fund.

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