INTRODUCTION

  Before we deal with the specific recommendations on which the Committee has requested an update, we would like to keep you informed more generally about our progress in ensuring strategic science provision in English universities.

  The creation of the new Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) on 28 June provides a timely opportunity to tell the Committee about the Government's achievements to date and the challenges ahead. The new Department will provide a strong integrated voice across Government for effective investment in research, science, innovation and skills, embedding these into the heart of the Government's competitiveness strategy.

  British science and innovation was badly damaged during the 1980s and 1990s because of years of underinvestment. However, since 1997, we have worked hard to remedy that. Public spending on science has more than doubled under this Government and will continue to rise in real terms between now and 2011.

  Our support for science in higher education has included £2.6 billion spent since 2002 on refurbishing university science facilities so that our scientists can work in world-class laboratories. This is evidence of a Government committed to ensuring that British science can continue to compete successfully on the world stage.

  Indeed, in terms of the number of science graduates we produce per head of young population, we are ahead or in line with most of our international competitors and way ahead of China and India, although given their population, they produce more scientists in absolute terms.

  The overall number of science students has increased by 150,000 since 1997. In addition to the massive investment outlined above, over the next three years we will spend a further £75 million to directly support the teaching of strategically important and vulnerable subjects, including chemistry and physics. This additional funding will ensure the continuation of sufficient places to meet student demand for a number of years to come.

  We are also engaged in work with our partners to encourage more students to continue studying science. We are expanding the Science and Engineering Ambassadors scheme, which is run by STEMNET, whereby practicing scientists and engineers go into schools to support teachers and engage and enthuse pupils to continue studying science. By 2007-08, the total number of ambassadors will be 18,000. Another aspect of this is HEFCE's £160 million programme to raise the aspirations of young people to study subjects that are of fundamental importance to the prosperity and knowledge base of the country. This includes funding the Chemistry for Our Future Project, which is led by the Royal Society for Chemistry and the Stimulating Physics Project, which is led by the Institute of Physics. Schools are also raising attainment in science through the secondary national strategy and are making double and triple science more available to those who would benefit. The Department for Children, Schools and Families are piloting 250 science clubs for pupils at key stage 3 with an interest and aptitude in science.

  There is no room for complacency but this is starting to bear fruit. The latest UCAS application figures have continued to show a positive trend in the uptake of STEM subjects. There have been increases in accepted applications in a number of subjects including physics (+12%), chemistry (+9%), biology (+6%), maths (+9%), combined maths/computer studies (16%), as well as most of the engineering subjects.

  We expect that the combination of all of our work as outlined above will allow us to maintain capacity in universities and will secure continuing stability, and even growth, in science provision.

UPDATE ON RECOMMENDATIONS AND COMMENTS

Recommendation 5

  Whilst the Government's decision to conduct a fundamental review of the RAE is welcome, it is essential that the review involves thorough and detailed consideration of the potential implications of any replacement system, including unintended effects on the sustainability of STEM departments.

  The Government ran a consultation during summer 2006 on proposals for new research assessment arrangements and we announced the outcome in December 2006. After 2008, new arrangements will be introduced, basing assessment on a "basket" or metrics including research income, student numbers and a quality indicator. The use of metrics to assess quality is better established in some disciplines (including most STEM subjects) than others, and the new arrangements respond to the demand from consultation respondents to recognise the differences between disciplines within a common assessment framework.

  For subjects where metrics are well established, the quality indicator will be a bibliometric measure and an assessment using the new measures will take place in 2009. This assessment will begin to inform funding from the 2010-11 academic year and will be fully implemented by 2014. For other subjects, including Mathematics, where bibliomentrics are less well established, a lighter touch expert review will be used alongside income and student number indicators, with the first assessment taking place in 2013-14. This timeframe will allow account to be taken of any potential impact on sustainability of STEM departments.

  HEFCE is taking forward the development of the new arrangements and has extablished key aims for the framework, which include avoiding creating undesirable incentives and providing a stable framework for continuing support of world-leading research. However, it should be noted that the overall policy aim is to support research excellence across a variety of subjects, not to specifically focus on supporting the needs of STEM departments in particular. HEFCE will make a progress report to the Secretary of State later in the autumn.

Recommendation 6

  We urge the Government to be proactive in evaluating the impacts of the introduction of full economic costing to ensure that emerging problems are identified at an early stage.

  Government wholeheartedly supports this recommendation. DIUS will continue to work closely with Research Councils, Funding Councils and other stakeholders such as the British Universities Finance Directors Group to monitor the impacts of the full economic costing. HEFCE will also be providing data on full economic costing and teaching next year.

Recommendation 8

  By working with the Sector Skills Councils, Regional Development Agencies, learned societies, employers, careers advisory services and universities, HEFCE could play a useful role, both in leveraging student interest in non-core STEM subjects to promote the uptake of core STEM subjects and ensuring that the employment prospects associated with different STEM degrees are communicated to prospective students.

  The Government continues to work with stakeholders to find the best ways of communicating key facts about STEM careers to young people. In addition to the actions outlined in our earlier response, we announced in May 2007 proposals for a national campaign to promote STEM careers in partnership with universities, employers, subject associations and other stakeholders. The campaign will run from September 2008, using the Science Council's "Careers from Science" website and other shared materials to promote an agreed set of messages to young people, parents and teachers. It is part of a wider action programme that includes the incorporation of careers information into the teaching of STEM in schools, using resources such as the Science and Engineering Ambassadors scheme and the appointment of a national STEM careers co-ordinator to bring together promotional activities and improve the range and quality of information available.

Recommendation 12

  We believe that it is both inappropriate and ineffective for HEFCE to rely on UUK to disseminate important information relating to the process of reorganisation in universities.

  Following the original recommendation HEFCE wrote to all institutions on 28 July 2006 (http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/circlets/2006/cl17_06/#annex). Since then, HEFCE have been kept informed of changes in provision affecting Strategically Important and Vulnerable Subject and were closely involved in discussions with the University of Reading during 2006 before it announced its decision to withdraw physics provision. Apart from Reading, although there has been some minor re-structuring, there has been no significant further withdrawal of provision in physics or chemistry since the committee's report.

  It should be noted that some institutions have recently chosen to revive or increase their science provision. For example, the University of Central Lancashire at Preston is now offering a single-honours chemistry degree; Queen Mary, University of London has recently invested £2.5 million into two new chemistry teaching laboratories, and is launching new BScs in chemistry with biochemistry and chemistry with forensic science this autumn; and at the University of Hertfordshire, £2 million has been invested in new chemistry labs as part of a newly-created School of Pharmacy.

  Most encouragingly of all, these positive developments are being matched by increasing demand for science among prospective students. Applications and acceptances for university courses starting this autumn for subjects like physics, chemistry and chemical engineering are all increasing at nearly 10% above last year's level.

Recommendation 14

  It is disappointing that the University of Sussex contacted HEFCE so late in the day, but it also highlights the severe disadvantages of an arrangement where HEFCE is entirely dependent on universities alerting it to the potential closures at an appropriate stage with no power to reprimand universities that do not do this. The softly, softly approach adopted by HEFCE has failed at its first test. We recommend that universities be required to alert HEFCE to proposed departmental closures in STEM subjects not less than 18 months before the changes are due to come into effect.

  We refer the Committee to our previous response.

  The Government does not want to specify a particular time period for notice for such decisions. Both we and HEFCE have made it clear that HEIs should entire into early and effective dialogue with HEFCE so that they are able to reach a judgement and as can be seen by the case of Reading's physics department, HEIs are following this guidance. Therefore, if another situation were to arise where a department may be closed, HEFCE would be able to work with the institution to assess the overall impact on the national and regional provision and to encourage collaboration between institutions in order to secure the continuation of provision in each region.

September 2007