UK furthers enquiry into EU R&D (research and development) commitment:

The director general of the UK's Research Councils, Dr John Taylor, has been summoned to give evidence in the parliamentary enquiry into the cost-effectiveness of the UK's involvement in the EU's science and technology research programmes on April 9 2003. The enquiry by the House of Commons' Science and Technology Committee is focusing on issues ranging from whether the UK government is doing enough to promote participation in the sixth framework programme (FP6) to whether the selection of priority areas and the awarding of funding is appropriate (see Clinica No 1036, p 5). FP6, spanning 2002-06, has a budget of E17.5bn ($19bn).