HC Deb 24 January 1963 vol 670 cc264-5
19. Mrs. Hart

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set up a departmental committee to review the present arrangements for the financing of research in Great Britain through university funds, the Research Council and the Department for Scientific and Industrial Research, and through private British and foreign funds and to consider how far they are adequate to support projects of accepted scientific merit.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

A Committee is already reviewing the organisation for the promotion of Government sponsored civil scientific research. The terms of reference and membership of this Committee were announced by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for Science in a reply on 28th May, 1962, to the hon. and learned Member for Kettering (Mr. Mitchison).

Mrs. Hart

Is it not the case that the whole of this question is too compart-mentalisied and that in fact there is no adequate review going on of all the means by which research is financed in this country? Is this not the difficulty? Is not this one of the reasons Why there is not enough money and why scientists are emigrating to find better facilities? Will not the Minister seriously take note of the alarm which is being felt in the universities about this and appoint the committee I proposed?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

The hon. Lady asked me in her Question to set up a committee. My answer is that we did so as long ago as 28ith May.

Mr. Mitchison

When can we expect a report? Will the right hon. Gentleman point out to the Committee that this is a matter of real urgency?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I am certain that the Committee appreciates the serious importance of its task, but I cannot without notice indicate when a report is likely to be received.

Mr. Elwyn Jones

Is there not an occasion for reviewing the deplorable situation whereby this country spends twice as much on advertising as it does on research? Is not this a thoroughly unsatisfactory state of affairs?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I do not think that the question of expenditure on advertising arises on this point. What is clear, as has been made clear many times, is that there is a very substantial increase in expenditure on research and development.