§ 1. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Chief Secretary to the Treasury if he will make a statement on the work of the Dounreay scientific station indicating its practical contributions to industry to enable Scottish industry to keep ahead of industry elsewhere based on the advances and practical applications of science during the last twelve months.
§ The Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster-General (Mr. John Boyd-Carpenter)The Atomic Energy 776 Authority's establishment at Dounreay is primarily concerned with the development of fast reactors, the commercial application of which lies some years ahead. Science and technology in Scotland have, however, materially benefited from the existence of Dounreay, and, in particular from its relations with the Scottish Universities, the Royal College of Science and Technology, the National Engineering Laboratory at East Kilbride, and with industry.
§ Mr. HughesIn view of the undoubtedly great contributions which Dounreay is making to the application of science, will the Minister see that those contributions get more publicity than they are getting at present with a view to ensuring that Scotland, which at present generates some 30,000 new jobs every year, will increase that number to 35,000 or 40,000 new jobs a year?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe hon. and learned Member is quite right as to the justifiably high reputation of Dounreay which, as the House knows, leads the world in fast reactor techniques. I will certainly consider what the hon. and learned Gentleman says.
§ Mr. CrossmanDoes the Minister realise that some of us who had a chance of visiting Dounreay in September and saw something of its work of national importance still share the anxieties of my hon. and learned Friend concerning the practical application locally? For example, does the Minister appreciate that the magnificent facilities for training apprentices in Dounreay were being only half-used when we visited the establishment? Is this not something worth looking into from a local point of view?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI should like to look into the point about apprentices. As regards the more general interconnection of technology in Scotland, I think that the placing by the authority of research contracts with the Scottish universities is useful to both.