§ 35. Mr. SCOTTasked the Lord President of the Council whether the Industrial Research Department carries out investigations on behalf of private firms or companies; if so, under what authority it does so; how many such investigations have been made during recent years; and whether fees are charged?
§ The LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL (Mr. Stanley Baldwin)The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research carries out special investigations for private firms and companies on repayment, under conditions which have been approved from time to time by my predecessors and by His Majesty's Treasury, and in accordance with provision made annually in the estimates of the Department. Particulars of the numbers of such investigations undertaken in recent years are not available, but the estimated receipts of the Department during the current financial year on this account amount to £22,500 approximately. This sum does not include test fees or contributions made by private firms, companies and individuals towards the cost of investigations in- 1469 cluded in the normal programme of the, Department. Receipts from these sources are estimated at £53,500 in the current financial year.