Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Helen Goodman Excerpts
Tuesday 16th June 2015

(9 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Greg Hands Portrait Greg Hands
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I once again congratulate my hon. Friend on his excellent election result in Basildon. I note that, to date, he has served five years on the Science and Technology Committee, so there cannot be many in the House who take a stronger interest in the matter. He will know that our capital funding for science almost doubled in the last Parliament, and that we take science very seriously. Wider decisions on science funding will be dealt with in the spending review.

Helen Goodman Portrait Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)
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Traditionally, Britain has been absolutely brilliant at basic science, but less good at translating that into innovation for industry. What are the Government going to do to address that issue?

Greg Hands Portrait Greg Hands
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The hon. Lady makes a reasonable point, but that is why in the previous Parliament we increased spending on innovation, including on the new catapult centres and on a whole host of other projects, and we look forward to doing more in this Parliament.