HC Deb 16 July 1986 vol 101 cc996-7
13. Mr. Richard Page

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many projects involving United Kingdom companies have now been approved under the EUREKA initiative.

Mr. Butcher

A total of 33 projects involving British firms have now been approved under the EUREKA initiative. Twenty-eight of these were among the 62 announced at the third EUREKA ministerial conference held in London on 30 June. The remaining five are projects announced at the second ministerial conference in Hanover on 6 November 1985.

Mr. Richard Page

I thank my hon. Friend for his reply. It appears that the initiative to put a commercial face on research is working. First, what is the value of these projects to British companies? Secondly, what steps are being taken by my hon. Friend or by his Department to make sure that projects which would have gone ahead anyway are not being funded through the EUREKA scheme?

Mr. Butcher

The total value of the projects that were announced on 30 June was £1,400 million. The value of those projects which involve the United Kingdom is over £730 million. Many of the projects are in the definition phase. The exact British share is difficult to assess at present, but an average of 25 per cent. is likely. As for my hon. Friend's question about whether these projects would have been supported anyway, he will be aware that a significant number of them require no public sector funding. They are levered forward because the companies are attracted by the market-opening opportunities, or the collaborative venture opportunities, or the exchange of information opportunities, but, where companies approach the Government for support, the additionality criteria will, of course, meet my hon. Friend's question.

Mr. Geoffrey Robinson

Will the Minister please explain that the Department is now committed to meeting the required levels of Government support for industry under ESPRIT and EUREKA, and that he is committed to maintaining national programmes at a very full level to enable us to participate in those programmes? At the same time, the support for innovation budget had been reduced. Flow much money is foreseen as being available for Government support for EUREKA, and where will it come from?

Mr. Butcher

The prime objective of EUREKA is not to lever forward public sector-funded initiatives. They are market-driven initiatives. The hon. Gentleman asks how much money will be made available. It is precisely because our support for innovation programme is demand-led on a case-by-case basis against viable projects that I cannot give him an answer to his question.