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| Osborne: UK lead role in Mars mission | Osborne: UK lead role in Mars mission |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| In his Autumn Statement, Chancellor George Osborne has announced the UK will play the "lead role" in Europe's ExoMars mission to the red planet. | In his Autumn Statement, Chancellor George Osborne has announced the UK will play the "lead role" in Europe's ExoMars mission to the red planet. |
| He also confirmed a £235m materials science institute for Manchester. | |
| Mr Osborne loosely outlined the spending of some of his previous commitment of £1.1bn per year on science infrastructure, to 2020-21. | Mr Osborne loosely outlined the spending of some of his previous commitment of £1.1bn per year on science infrastructure, to 2020-21. |
| These measures join a £200m icebreaker research ship announced in April, and a the Met Office's £97m supercomputer. | These measures join a £200m icebreaker research ship announced in April, and a the Met Office's £97m supercomputer. |
| Although they do not represent "new money" for science outside of previous commitments, the announcements come amid belt-tightening across government spending: Mr Osborne said there would be two more years of cuts to departmental budgets. | Although they do not represent "new money" for science outside of previous commitments, the announcements come amid belt-tightening across government spending: Mr Osborne said there would be two more years of cuts to departmental budgets. |
| The new institute in Manchester will be called the Sir Henry Royce Institute for Materials Science, and will also have branches in Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield. | |
| The BBC understands that the commitment to the ExoMars programme amounts to around £50m, alongside a similar amount for the International Space Station (ISS). This more than triples the sum offered as a "one-off" payment to the ISS two years ago. | The BBC understands that the commitment to the ExoMars programme amounts to around £50m, alongside a similar amount for the International Space Station (ISS). This more than triples the sum offered as a "one-off" payment to the ISS two years ago. |
| Joking at the expense of the opposition benches, Mr Osborne said: "We on this side have often gazed on the barren waste of the red planet. We have given up hope of finding intelligent life there. But signs of any life at all would be an advance." | |
| The mission, overseen by the European Space Agency (Esa), is scheduled for 2018 and the rover is now likely to be assembled in the UK before being sent to the launch pad. | |
| Introducing his comments, Mr Osborne said that science was a "personal priority" for him as chancellor. He also said that the Rosetta comet mission had "captured the nation's imagination". | |
| Elsewhere, the chancellor announced government-backed loans of up to £10,000 for all young people taking postgraduate masters degrees. | |
| Reacting to the news, the president of the Institute of Physics Frances Saunders said she was "pleased that there is recognition from government of the continuing value of investing in science", but cautioned that long-term commitment was essential. | |
| "While one-off initiatives such as the Manchester centre are welcome, we'd like to see how they intend to deliver a sustained commitment to science and innovation in their forward strategy," Dr Saunders said. | |
| "Previous Government investments in science and engineering have delivered huge economic and societal benefits, and a long-term commitment to sustain that investment can ensure that they continue to do so into the future." | |
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