Andrew Miller
Main Page: Andrew Miller (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)(12 years, 2 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
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Vince Cable
A lot of those projects are starting. As the hon. Gentleman well knows, infrastructure development needs to be properly planned and permissions need to be sought. The Government are anxious that these projects and infrastructure in general should now move ahead very rapidly.
Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Lab)
The Secretary of State will be aware that part of his statement lies right at the heart of the current inquiry by the Science and Technology Committee on bridging the “Valley of Death”. Many witnesses told us that the Technology Strategy Board needs to be expanded, and I am sure that the Secretary of State agrees with them, but does he also agree that that should not be done at the expense of investment in the research councils?
Vince Cable
No, indeed it should not. I was in Swindon last week talking to the research councils, whose role is entirely complementary to the TSB. They deal with an early stage of innovation. What they do is often highly relevant to British business, but it happens at an earlier stage of development than the work of the TSB. They are complementary bodies and their funding arrangements reflect that.