§ 31. Mr. KIRKWOODasked the President of the Board of Education which firms or groups of firms, outwith the control of the State, are receiving assistance in their research work from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; the number of State servants who are assisting these firms and groups of firms; and the total amount of money paid by the State to assist in research work for industries outwith the control of the State?
§ Lord E. PERCYNo direct financial assistance is given to individual firms for their research work. Full information of the conditions under which financial assistance is given to groups of firms and particulars of the research associations formed under the Government scheme for industrial research will be found in the Annual Reports of the Department and in a publication entitled "Co-operative Industrial Research" recently published by the Stationery Office, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy. No State servants are directly assisting research carried out by groups of firms except in an advisory capacity. Special investigations are carried out for firms or groups of firms on repayment terms in State research establishments.