Patricia Hewitt has announced a million pound package aimed at encouraging more women to stick with careers in science.

As part of the government's wider strategy to boost a key growth area of the economy, the industry secretary promised to make better use the 50,000 women graduates in science, engineering and technology she estimates are not working at any single time.

She committed £800,000 of government cash towards a new national science centre geared towards the recruitment and retention of female staff.

Hewitt was responding to a report she commissioned last year from Professor Susan Greenfield.

The trade secretary, who is also the minister for women, said that the Greenfield report highlighted the waste of Britain's human resources in science.

"Britain has a world class science base but we will only keep it this way if we use all our potential talent and not just half the pool," she said.

"It is also vital for the success of our economy that we make the most of our female scientists."

Greenfield's report had revealed the extent of science based industries' failure to utilise skilled women.

Just one sixth of science, engineering or technology graduates working in science-related jobs are women, it found.

And out of all the female science graduates who do return to work, the report said, only 8000 go back to jobs which use their qualifications and training.

In addition, as few as one in 20 science and maths professors in higher education are women.

"I want to see more women starting, staying and succeeding in science," Hewitt declared.

Her £1.5 million package will include the new science resource centre, which will be set up through competitive tender, with professional societies and employers' organisations having already been invited to bid.Baroness Greenfield welcomed the government's response to her work.

"The measures that they have chosen to fund will really make a difference both to women who are already engaged in research and those who are contemplating a career in science," she said.