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news release:
UK Department of Trade and Industry Announces
New Large Science Facilities Council
Oxon, UK, July 25: This morning the Department of Trade and Industry announced
that the Government has decided to create a new Large Facilities Council merging
the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils [CCLRC]
and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council [PPARC]
following the 'Next Steps' consultation exercise. The Government aims to set up
the new Council so that it can take on its new functions by 1 April 2007.
The announcement was jointly welcomed by Professor John Wood, Chief Executive of
CCLRC and Professor Keith Mason, Chief Executive of PPARC who made the following
joint statement.
"Science is undoubtedly international both on a European and global scale, and
the new Council will enable the UK to be a major player in the forthcoming era
of scientific facilities and discoveries that lie ahead.
Through the new Council and our membership of major European organisations, the
UK will be in a much stronger position to help shape and exert greater
leadership and leverage in the development of strategies for large research
facilities, enabling the UK research community to have access to the best
facilities in the world.
The UK's technology capability will be enhanced through the development of the
Harwell and Daresbury Science and Innovation Centres leading to greater
industrial engagement, knowledge transfer and economic impact.
During the months ahead we will conduct wide consultation with our broad
community and stakeholders in 'designing' the new Council which presents an
enormously exciting opportunity for the UK science and engineering base".
Background Information
The joint response from CCLRC-PPARC to the 'Next Steps' Consultation Exercise on
the potential for merging two Councils can be seen at:
http://www.pparc.ac.uk/Nw/Md/Artcl/NewRCProposal.pdf
The Department of Trade and Industry announcement can be seen at
http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/detail.asp?releaseID=216698&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False
The Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils [CCLRC] is one
of eight UK research councils and is one of Europe's largest multidisciplinary
research organisations supporting scientists and engineers across the world. It
operates world-class large-scale research facilities, provides strategic advice
to the government on their development and manages international research
projects in support of a broad cross-section of the UK research community.
The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council [PPARC] is government funded
and provides research grants and studentships to scientists in British
universities, gives researchers access to world-class facilities and funds the
UK membership of international bodies such as the European Organisation for
Nuclear Research, CERN, the European Space Agency and the European Southern
Observatory. It also contributes money for the UK telescopes overseas on La
Palma, Hawaii, Australia and in Chile, the UK Astronomy Technology Centre at the
Royal Observatory, Edinburgh and the MERLIN/VLBI National Facility.
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