Memorandum 4
Supplementary evidence from Professor
Keith Mason, Chief Executive, Science and Technology Facilities
Council, following the oral evidence session on 4 February 2009
At my recent appearance before the Select Committee
we discussed the STFC's CSR07 allocation letter.
Subsequent to the hearing I was made aware that
the publication of Grants Allocations Letters to Research Councils
was the subject of a Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of
State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, which was answered
yesterday.
The Government has confirmed in that PQ that
its policy remains the same as that outlined in its response to
the IUSS Select Committee in June 2008; that is, it does not intend
to publish its specific interactions with Councils on the allocations
process, not least because these relate to commercially confidential
negotiations with international partners and suppliers.
I fully understand the reasoning behind the
Government's decision, which applies to the Research Councils
as a whole. In the light of this, I do not think it is appropriate
for me to put the specific correspondence I have received from
DIUS into the public domain. I must emphasise, however, that the
substance of STFC's allocation is in the Council's Delivery Plan
and in the DIUS Allocation Booklet.
February 2009
|
