§ 9. Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what public resources are currently being devoted to research in biotechnology through the appropriate research councils and universities.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science (Mr. William Shelton)I refer the hon. Member to the written answer that I gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Carshalton (Mr. Forman) on 13 May. In addition, support by the research councils for fundamental research directly related to biotechnology is expected to amount to some £7 million in 1982–83. At least a further £10 million is expected to be spent in the same period on underpinning basic research in this area.
§ Mr. HooleyWhat is the point of slashing millions of pounds from grants to universities and research councils and then pretending that important areas of technology can be effectively financed by dishing out a piddling £100,000 here and there over a period of three years?
§ Mr. SheltonI certainly would not refer to £800,000 as piddling. It is important and very much welcomed by the institutions receiving it.
§ Mr. DalyellIs it not a pity that the development of monoclonal anti-bodies, pioneered by the Argentine born Cesar Millstein at MRC, Cambridge, should be further developed in Japan and Germany, because of the inadequacy of our patent laws? Will the Minister consider a subject that I raised yesterday in the debate on advanced technology, namely, the whole question of the sense of having patent laws when trying to patent living organisms?
§ Mr. SheltonThat is another question. It is a good one and we shall certainly look at it.