HC Deb 30 July 1963 vol 682 cc214-5
12. Mr. Boyden

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science, in view of the fact that the Building Research Station is facing a spate of problems associated with industrial building, what increases of finance and staff he proposes for the Station during the next two years.

Mr. Denzil Freeth

The non-industrial staff of the Building Research Station will increase by about 6 per cent. in 1964–65. The figure for 1965–66 has not yet been decided. The new physics laboratories which I opened earlier this month show the way in which we are providing improved facilities for building research.

Mr. Boyden

While I am glad to know that the Government are moving a little forward, does not the hon. Gentleman agree that the rôle of the Government in building research must be much greater than it has been? Will he consider whether there is not great need for the Government to widen the field of the Building Research Station to include organisation, management and this field of activity?

Mr. Freeth

The hon. Member will be aware of the new research and development unit which has been set up by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Public Building and Works and also the proposals which have been made for a building information and research association.

Mr. Crossman

In view of the record of the industry itself, which, I think the hon. Gentleman will agree, is one of the worst in the country, paying for research and development out of its own resources at one-tenth of the national rate, would he not agree that the work of the Building Research Station assumes a greater importance? Is he content to know that whereas since 1950 expenditure of D.S.I.R. has gone up by 400 per cent., and of the Agricultural Research Council by, I think, 800 per cent., that of the Building Research Station has gone up by only 25 per cent.? Is this rate of increase in the Government's research and development really satisfactory in view of the deficiencies of the industry's own research and development?

Mr. Freeth

I would not like to confirm or deny the figures which the hon. Gentleman has produced, but the gross expenditure of the Station has risen from £781,000 in 1961–62 to an estimated £970,000 in the next financial year. I fully agree that there is an increasing volume of work on research for the Building Research Station to do, but there are also the additional research and development and information facilities which are being provided by my right hon. Friend.