HC Deb 22 November 1966 vol 736 cc1168-9

4.16 p.m.

The Minister of State, Department of Economic Affairs (Mr. Austen Albu)

I beg to move Amendment No. 1, in page 1, line 17, after 'industry', insert 'technology'.

This Amendment has been tabled in response to a promise I made in Committee following a suggestion by the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Mr. David Price), supported by the hon. Member for West Lothian (Mr. Dalyell), that the Secretary of State, should be able to invite, for example, a leading professor of engineering or other advanced technology to join the I.R.C. Board if such an appointment were considered desirable. We think that it is a useful addition.

Mr. David Price (Eastleigh)

We on this side of the House are grateful to the Minister of State for proposing this Amendment. It is modest, but I think that, marginally, it improves the Bill.

Sir Harry Legge-Bourke (Isle of Ely)

I was not a member of the Standing Committee which dealt with the Bill, but I did speak on it on Second Reading. I have glanced through what happened in the Standing Committee and I welcome the Amendment which the hon. Gentleman has moved. I would, however, like to know a little about how the Government intend to go about assessing these people. During the Second Reading debate I made some observation on the wisdom of certain people accepting appointments on the Board.

Mr. Speaker

We are not discussing the Question that this particular part of the Clause should stand part of the Bill. We are discussing whether the word "technology" should be added.

Sir H. Legge-Bourke

I am conscious of that, Mr. Speaker, and I am grateful to you for reminding me.

I fully realise that the effect of this Amendment is to ensure that members of the Corporation shall be people who appear to the Secretary of State to have a wide experience of technology. I wanted to ask the right hon. Gentleman how he proposed to arrive at the conclusion that a particular individual was suitable under that category, because since the Second Reading some very important changes have taken place in the organisation of the Ministry of Technology. The work that it is to do will obviously be greater than it is already. How do the Government propose to assess people against the criteria that are now being included in this Clause? That is the purpose of my rising.

Mr. Speaker

There is only one criterion, that applying to the Amendment itself.

Sir H. Legge-Bourke

If it be that we have to accept, without knowing how, that the Secretary of State will be able to decide that certain people appear to have adequate knowledge of technology, then so be it. I was seeking to find out how the Government visualised assessing certain people for this technological requirement. Bearing in mind the great weight of work which now falls on the Department, will they delegate this? What body will they rely upon to advise them on this matter, or will they leave it entirely to the chairman and the managing director of the Corporation?

It would seem to be very important, bearing in mind that there has tended to be a divorce between science and technology in recent years and now there is a threat to bring the two together. It would be interesting to universities, to industry, to bodies such as the Royal Society, and to the country as a whole, to know how the Government propose to select these people.

Amendment agreed to.