§ 4. Mr. Cleaverasked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science how many companies have joined the Machine Tool Industry Research Association; and whether any companies have refused to take part.
§ Mr. Denzil FreethMembership of the Machine Tool Industry Research Association, which was incorporated in November. 1960, amounts to sixty-four machine tool manufacturers, representing about half of the output of the industry, and twenty manufacturing firms in allied industries. Further efforts will be made to secure the membership of those firms which have not yet responded to invitations to support the research association.
§ Mr. CleaverCan my right hon. Friend suggest any reason why other firms are not co-operating in this?
§ Mr. FreethI think that possibly they do not as yet fully appreciate the benefits which co-operation in research can bring them, if they are small firms, by enabling them to get the benefits of research they could not finance by themselves; and if they are large firms, by getting research done in the research association and thereby relieving their own resources to be devoted to the more competitive aspects of the industry.
§ Mr. John HallIs my hon. Friend aware that in Russia, to quote but one example, there are some 10,000 to 13,000 graduate designers in the machine tool industry as against some 130 or 150 in this country? Will my hon. Friend see, therefore, that the machine tool industry increases the effort it is now trying to put into research?
§ Mr. FreethI fully accept my hon. Friend's desire to get more research and development in the machine tool industry, and it was, of course, with that in mind that the Machine Tool Industry Research Association has been but recently set up.