HC Deb 19 March 1963 vol 674 cc180-2
5. Mr. Bence

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what additional financial assistance is being given to biological research.

41. Mr. Farr

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science whether he will implement the proposals of the Royal Society's report on biological research which was appended to Command Paper No. 1920.

52. Mr. Dalyell

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what additional financial assistance is being given to research in biology, as a result of the Report of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Royal Society on Biology.

Mr. Denzil Freeth

As will be seen from the recently-published Estimates, the expenditure of the three research councils which support work in the biological field will, subject to the approval of Parliament, increase by 15 per cent. in 1963–64. Matters of organisation are still under consideration by the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy. As regards school curricula for biological students, I would refer the hon. Members to the replies given by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Education, to the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Mr. Boyden) and the hon. and learned Member for Kettering (Mr. Mitchison) on 24th January and 21st February.

Mr. Bence

Can the hon. Gentleman tell the House whether any of this financial assistance given to biological research is provided by the War Office or the Air Ministry?

Mr. Freeth

Not without notice, and possibly the supplementary question would be better addressed to my right hon. Friends.

Mr. Dalyell

Does the Minister realise that 15 per cent. is quite out of keeping with the demand put forward by Sir Howard Florey and his associates who wrote the Report of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Royal Society on Biology?

Mr. Freeth

I do not think so, no.

Mr. Hirst

I thank my hon. Friend for his Answer, because it shows an advance. Will he have in mind the need to organise and finance research in biochemistry, because it is the same sort of demand and it needs the same sort of attention that I am sure that he will give to it?

Mr. Freeth

I agree with my hon. Friend. It is certainly the fact that we are giving to biochemistry the same close consideration regarding organisation and scale as to the problems of biology.