Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much of the £1.1 billion capital infrastructure fund for 2015-16 has been (a) allocated for specific projects and (b) spent on delivering specific projects to date.

For the purpose of my response I have interpreted the £1.1bn capital infrastructure fund to be the long term Science Capital allocation announced at Spending Review 2013 at £1.1bn a year.

a) All of the capital spend supports scientific infrastructure projects. It is allocated by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to, and managed by, BIS partner organisations, including the Research Councils, HEFCE and the UK Space Agency.

Further details on the 15-16 Science Capital allocations are available in the 15-16 science and research allocation publication:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/332767/bis-14-750-science-research-funding-allocations-2015-2016-corrected.pdf

b) In the 15-16 financial year, around £415m has been spent on Science Capital to end of August 2015.