The British government has pledged to protect research funding and spend more on schools in its latest budget, but some students are disappointed that they are excluded from future cost-of-living payouts.
Jeremy Hunt, chancellor of the exchequer, announced that the government will maintain the current research and development budget, which is set to increase to £20 billion by 2024/25, in a bid to make the UK a “science superpower”.
Universities have welcomed the chancellor’s re-commitment, with Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group, calling it a “clear signal of intent”.
“It is a huge, and well-deserved, vote of confidence, underlining the potential of an ideas-driven economy to boost growth, create high-value jobs and crowd-in other investments in skills and infrastructure,” he said.
