HC Deb 25 October 1966 vol 734 cc821-2
Q1. Mr. Marten

asked the Prime Minister what steps he will now take to further the Government's policy of scientific advance.

The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Wilson)

As the hon. Member knows, the Government are concerned not only to promote the growth of our scientific and technological resources at a rate which is sensible in relation to our needs and resources, but also to ensure that they are deployed to the best national advantage. In addition to strengthening interdepartmental co-ordination for this purpose, we propose to establish a small central Advisory Committee, under the chairmanship of the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government, comprising not only representatives of the Council of Scientific Policy, the Advisory Council on Technology and the Royal Society, but also some other independent members.

Mr. Marten

In view of the serious rise in the brain drain of scientists and technologists, will this Committee deal with the subject of the brain drain? Secondly, does not the Prime Minister believe that if we had a sensible national space programme, for example, that would retain in this country a number of our space scientists to work in Britain on the frontiers of knowledge?

The Prime Minister

The function of this Committee will be to help to advise the Government on the broadest strategy of allocating resources among some of the fundamental types of research. The hon. Gentleman mentioned space, which is important and highly expensive, and there are others which may be less expensive but perhaps no less important. On manpower and the position of scientists; the increase in the provision for scientists is helping to provide work for a much more variegated group of scientists than before. This is a question for the Advisory Council on Scientific Manpower.

Mr. Dalyell

In view of the widespread opinion that British science tends to be far too pure, would the Prime Minister make certain that the six Government Departments involved give urgent and coordinated attention to the recommendations of the Swan Committee and, in particular, to the ideas of the Swan Committee on post-graduate work inside industry?

The Prime Minister

Yes, Sir, but the Ministry of Technology was created particularly to expand that part of our scientific effort which means clothing the results of pure science and technological discoveries with "know-how" for the use of industry, and a considerable part of the increased expenditure in the last year or two has been on the practical rather than the pure side.

Mr. Hogg

How does the new body which the right hon. Gentleman has announced tie in with the existing functions of the Council on Scientific Policy, which up to this moment has been performing precisely this rôle? Why does the right hon. Gentleman continually cloak his failure in this department by inventing new gimmicks?

The Prime Minister

For the simple reason, which the right hon. and learned Gentleman, who has enough knowledge to appreciate, will understand, that the Council for Scientific Policy deals with pure research, with the work of the research councils for which the right hon. and learned Gentleman was once responsible. But there is also the whole field of Government expenditure in technological research and the application of science to industry. It is therefore necessary to bring together not only these two, but the Royal Society, which is not a Government body but which also has important functions, so that the whole scientific strategy of the nation can be reviewed by one body. When the right hon. and learned Gentleman speaks of failures, he will recognise the size of the increase in provision for scientific and technological research since he ceased to hold office.