WEDNESDAY 18 APRIL 2007

MALCOLM WICKS MP, AND DR DAVID WILLIAMS

  Q700  Mr Newmark: 70 to 80% from China and India.

  Malcolm Wicks: My own view is that we have got to produce more home-grown expertise. That is not to sort of be too nationalistic about it. One of the good things about science in recent years and the investment in university is the way in which we are attracting some really very excellent people into our universities. However, if that figure is correct, and I have no reason to think it is not, then—

  Q701  Mr Newmark: This comes on to my next question, and I am not sure if you have got the stat there. Has the number of students studying space science declined, increased or remained stable in the past five years, let us say?

  Malcolm Wicks: Space science itself, I do not know. David?

  Dr Williams: I do not think we have that statistic. We would have to ask STFC if they have that statistic.

  Malcolm Wicks: We will see if we have got that. I was relating it more generally.

  Q702  Mr Newmark: So you look at it through the field of physics, astro-physics, mathematics, and so on?

  Malcolm Wicks: I think it is the main way I would look at it, but if there is a figure on space science, per se, we will try to get it to you.

  Chairman: Can I ask Brian to come in on the China question?

  Q703  Dr Iddon: Are you aware that a number of organisations, the Learned Society, the CBI, etc, are growingly concerned about the drying up of Chinese students, both at undergraduate and, particularly, at postgraduate level? The growing investment in science and engineering in China means there is less pressure on them now to come and study in countries like Britain and the United States. Even if they come and study a first degree here there are jobs now for them to go back to at reasonable wages. This is going to cause problems, a number of organisations believe, across the sciences. Are you aware of that?

  Malcolm Wicks: I am aware of some concern. More generally, I am aware of the fact that Britain has been a very good place for Chinese students to study. I would need to check my figures but I think we have more Chinese students studying in Britain than they do in the United States, but I just need to check that. It has been a success story. If there is now a downward trend let me go away and look at that.

  Q704  Dr Iddon: There is.

  Malcolm Wicks: I think the links with China have been a huge success.

  Chairman: On that note, can I say, Minister, that Adam's wife is a good judge. I do not know why she has such intimate knowledge of this situation, but we have enjoyed enormously our session with you, Minister, and the frankness of the responses you have made to us. Thank you very much. Thank you, too, to Dr David Williams; we have enjoyed your presence once again.