HC Deb 30 July 1963 vol 682 cc212-4
10. Mr. Albu

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what machinery exists in his Department, other than that of the Atomic Energy Authority, for selecting projects for development contracts and for selecting firms capable of carrying them out.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Science (Mr. Denzil Freeth)

Projects for development contracts are selected by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research from proposals submitted by individual firms. Those selected are carried out by the firms concerned. The Council makes its choice on the basis of expert industrial, technical and economic advice obtained from the best available sources.

Mr. Albu

Would I be right in assuming from that Answer that there is absolutely no machinery within the noble Lord's Department for doing this job and that the function of the D.S.I.R. is an entirely passive one in waiting for projects to be put up to it, asking people outside the Department to comment on them and finally, over a period of two or three years, managing to place two or three development contracts?

Mr. Freeth

This does not mean to say that the help is not available, nor would it be wise purely to have machinery which was confined to D.S.I.R., which, naturally, takes advice from those best qualified to give it, whether in industry or in Government.

Mr. Crossman

In view of the Minister's negative reply, would he like to comment on the suggestion made in Civil Research Policy by the F.B.I, that his noble Friend's Ministry bears responsibility for determining the allocation of State aid and strategy. This recommendation was made by the F.B.I. Does the hon. Gentleman repudiate it? If not, what reorganisation of the Ministry will he undertake to do the job?

Mr. Freeth

That is rather like asking me if I have stopped beating my wife. I tried to explain the situation in the debate on 15th July.

Mr. Crossman

Is not the hon. Gentleman aware that what he has explained is that he was not doing anything about it? We are asking him once again whether he is telling us that the Ministry, with its present strength of manpower, is continuing to pretend to do a job which it cannot conceivably do without further manpower, as recommended by the F.B.I.

Mr. Freeth

The essential point about development contracts, which are the subject of the Question, is that they should be proposals from the firms concerned, in which those firms have faith, but that where they need Government aid, the D.S.I.R. has ample machinery to deal with these applications.

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