3.2 Government spending on R&D
Why is it significant?
The Government is a key investor in basic scientific research and has a leading role in creating the UK�s science capability.
	How does the UK perform?
	The UK is in the bottom half of the G7 in terms of public R&D per worker. Although the UK�s spending has increased slightly between 1997 and 2002, in common with most of the rest of the G7 (chart 3.2). As noted in the first edition, government R&D spending has been affected by cuts across the G7 in term of military R&D.