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Drayson maps out new arrangements for SciTech Council

Posted by Jon Wilcox on Thu, 04/03/2010 - 15:29
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The science minister, Lord Drayson, has outlined new arrangements for the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), which it’s hoped will allow the Council to plan with greater predictability and provide its community with more stability.  Two of the primary arrangements include better management of pressures arising from international subscriptions (such as CERN), and longer-term planning and budgeting for large domestic facilities (such as Diamond). Such measures, it’s claimed, will address the two main sources of uncertainty STFC faces.

Following STFC’s reprioritisation exercise establishing the Council’s funding priorities in December 2009, Lord Drayson undertook to work with Professor Michael Sterling, STFC’s Chairman, to resolve structural issues putting undue pressure on the Council’s finances.
 
“There is no doubt STFC faced a difficult situation. A lot of work has gone in to finding ways of preventing such pressures rearing their heads again in future. The better management of international subscriptions through measures to manage exchange rates, and longer-term planning and budgeting for large domestic facilities will allow STFC’s grant-giving functions to be managed with a higher degree of predictability,” said Lord Drayson. “The community has come out strongly in support of grants remaining with STFC to deliver investment continuity from facility design through to exploitation, and I accept this argument. These measures will allow the Council to pursue the programme it set out in December within its budget.”
 
The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has also confirmed the STFC’s budget will remain in place for the rest of the year, though admitted it will be “looking at options for managing the currency risks better” by the time of the 2011/12 spending review is undertaken.
 
"STFC delivers world leading science and technology of real benefit to the UK, but has been hampered by structural issues since its creation. The Minister's decisions will enable STFC to move forward with greater financial confidence, removing the risk of foreign exchange impacts, and securing a longer term funding arrangement for our big science facilities,” said Professor Michael Sterling. “The Council and management of STFC have also taken the opportunity of the review to re-examine our engagement with our scientific and other stakeholders. We remain committed to further improvements in our processes and systems."
 
Finally, it is anticipated that the UK’s subscription to the European Space Agency will in future be managed by a UK Space Agency. This would bring together in one body those representing the UK at ESA and those footing the bill for it. Uniting these functions will enhance the UK’s capability to negotiate the best possible deal for Britain while safe-guarding STFC’s grant giving functions from future fluctuations in space subscriptions.