Wellcome responds to government's £86bn science and technology spending announcement

John-Arne Røttingen, chief executive of Wellcome, the UK's biggest non-governmental research funder, said:

"The government rightly acknowledges that investing in science and technology is a key way to boost the economy.

"But while it's positive under the financial circumstances, a flat real-terms science budget, along with continuing barriers such as high visa costs for talented scientists and the university funding crisis, won’t be enough for the UK to make the advances it needs to secure its reputation for science in an increasingly competitive world.

"The UK should be aiming to lead the G7 in research intensity, to bring about economic growth and the advances in health, science and technology that benefit us all. We look forward to seeing the full details at the spending review."