By Helen Finn EDIT

Cuts, cuts, cuts. It seems to be all we are hearing about at the moment.  The latest sector to be cut is astronomy and particle physics. According to The Science and Technology Committee, astronomy funding will decrease by 20% over four years and the overall science budget has been cut by 14.5%. The UK is one of the leaders in the science sector, but experts are worried that these cuts will discourage leading scientists from coming to the UK to work. The cuts have already taken effect – the UK has withdrawn from ground-based telescopes in the Northern Hemisphere as there was not enough funding to pay for access to observatories in the Southern Hemisphere. However the money needed was only a few million – a relatively small amount. Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, President, Institute of Physics told the BBC "It only takes £2-3m to keep several Northern Hemisphere telescopes operating. The amount seems to me remarkably little and I observed when we met with the select committee that it would be no more than a banker's bonus." There are concerns that these cuts will also affect the UK’s future scientist as the funding that the sciences receive plays “a crucial role in inspiring younger people to become involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics," said the funding body.