§ Q1. Mr. Dalyellasked the Prime Minister when he expects to announce the names of those to serve on the Central Advisory Committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Wilson)As soon as possible, Sir.
§ Mr. DalyellWill engineers be represented? Is the Zuckerman Committee to advise on the merits of big technology subjects such as the Solway and Morecambe barrages? Will its members have the resources to explore the problems of the mobility of skilled manpower between civil and defence research?
§ The Prime MinisterMembers will be appointed in their personal capacity, but it is intended that, unlike earlier committees, this will cover technology and the application of science to industry and, therefore, will certainly be representative of the engineering disciplines. The members of the Committee could certainly give advice on the Solway and Morecambe barrages, but questions of that kind go very wide indeed, affecting regional policy in its very widest sense. The Committee will certainly have the ability to probe into the other questions referred to by my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. David PriceWhat will be the relationship of this Committee to the existing Council on Scientific Policy and the Advisory Council on Technology?
§ The Prime MinisterI think that I did explain this in the House on a previous occasion. The existing Council on Scientific Policy co-ordinates the work on pure research. The Advisory Council on Technology co-ordinates work on technology. It is thought necessary to have an advisory committee bringing the two sides together and also bringing in one or two distinguished scientists from outside the Government, including particularly the President of the Royal Society.