§ 10. Mr. Martenasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied with the dissemination of scientific information obtained from his Department's space activities for potential industrial users; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Education and Science (Mr. Goronwy Roberts)Industry has accesss to this information through scientific journals, reports of United Kingdom organisations, the Department's National Lending Library for Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Aviation's Technical Information Service. In addition the Scientific and Technical reports issued by the European Space Research Organisation, as well as those published by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, are available through the ESRO/ELDO documentation service. Moreover, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Technology is actively engaged in ensuring that industry gets the fullest advantages from knowledge derived from space activities.
§ Mr. MartenIn both parts of that Answer, the Minister of State said that the information is available. The purpose of the Question was to know whether the Ministry takes positive action to use this scientific knowledge and push it out to industry. The purpose of such knowledge is that it should be applied to the benefit of the whole country. The Question related to whether it is being pushed out to industry.
§ Mr. RobertsI am sure that this is so. Detailed scientific reports on the activities of space research groups in universities, Government research establishments and other establishments are published in annual reports issued constantly by the S.R.C. and the Royal Society. We watch the position carefully and anything which 636 we can do to disseminate knowledge, as well as to cause it to be assembled, we do.