5 Our questioning
17. Taking responsibility for the overall direction
and strategy of STFC involves the effective delivery of a budget
that will rise to £652 million in 2010-11[30]
and the provision of both fundamental and strategic science in
fields that impact greatly on quality of life. We questioned Professor
Sterling about his independence, priorities and the recruitment
process. We felt it was important to discuss key policy issues
that will affect his ability to deliver STFC's mission and to
raise issues which had given us concern about the operation of
the STFC in the past 18 months.[31]
Areas of questioning included:
- Professor Sterling's suitability
for the role, including his approach to a non-executive role taking
into account his experience in higher education and membership
of the Council for Science and Technology and the concerns that
the Committee expressed last year in the management and operation
of STFC;
- his views on the future strategic direction of
STFC, including the current and future priorities for STFC and
the management of STFC's budget; and.
- the relationship between STFC and Government.
18. A transcript of the hearing is printed with this
report.
30 DIUS, The Allocations of the Science Budget
2008/09 to 2010/11, December 2007, p 29 Back
31
House of Commons Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills
Committee, Fourth Report of Session 2007-08, Science Budget
Allocations, HC 215-I Back
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