HC Deb 02 April 1953 vol 513 c1340
7 and 8. Mr. Albu

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) to give details of the advisory service to be financed out of counterpart funds, in accordance with paragraph 3 (a) of Appendix A of Command Paper No. 8776;

(2) to state the funds to be allocated in the forthcoming year to research in accordance with paragraph 3 (b) of Command Paper No. 8776, the subjects to be studied and the institutions which will be responsible for them.

Mr. P. Thorneycroft

Arrangements are still being discussed with the wide range of interested parties concerned with each section of the programme outlined in the White Paper. I am, therefore, not yet in a position to make any announcement.

Mr. Albu

Who will be responsible for the organisation and administration of the advisory service set out in the document mentioned in Question No. 7? Secondly, in view of the very strong criticisms made by the advisory council to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research of the Government's cutting of industrial research, are the funds to be allocated under paragraph 3 (b) likely to do any more than make up for the restriction on research that has already been put into operation?

Mr. Thorneycroft

Any Question on the subject of organisation should be addressed to me. The Board of Trade take general responsibility for the application and working out of this scheme. With regard to the second part of the supplementary question, I cannot give an answer to the hon. Gentleman without looking at the figures.