§ 4. Mr. Ernie RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has instructed the research councils to increase their planned future expenditure on environmental research since 27 September.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science (Mr. Robert Jackson)There is no need for the Government to instruct the Natural Environment Research Council to spend money in this way. That is its job. The council will, of course, benefit from its share of the substantial increase in the science budget which was announced last Tuesday. This will be decided by my right hon. Friend, after he has considered the advice of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils.
§ Mr. RossWith 95 per cent. of the earth's circulating carbon within the biological feedback processes in the oceans, why is the Natural Environment Research Council £1 million short of funding for the Discovery cruise in the north Atlantic next year?
§ Mr. JacksonThere are two different kinds of environmental research which are supported through the NERC. Basic research into the environment is funded by the Department of Education and Science. Expenditure on that has increased by more than one third in real terms since we came into office. Of course, the Secretary of State has to consider the Advisory Board for the Research Councils' advice, to which I have already referred. As for environmental research for specific purposes, the 160 requirements of Government Departments and of industry are constantly changing and priorities constantly have to be reassessed. There has been a reduction in such commissioned work at the NERC, but I emphasise that the council has maintained its great strength in basic environmental research.
§ Dr. BrayOf the £120 million increase in expenditure on science and technology in 1989–90 which the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced, how much is accounted for by the 3.5 per cent. increase in costs in the universities and research councils above the level expected a year ago? How much is accounted for by the £47 million increase in earmarked programmes for other than scientific purposes, of which only £3 million is for AIDS? Does that not leave a real increase of only £24 million in the budget for the science base?
§ Mr. JacksonThe hon. Gentleman is always carping. On this occasion he is trying to look a gift horse in the mouth. I can assure him that this gift horse has real gold teeth. I prefer the language of Sir David Phillips, who described the settlement as very encouraging indeed.