§ 9. Mr. WallaceTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last met the chairman of the Natural Environment Research Council; and what subjects were discussed.
Mr. JacksonThe new chairman, Professor John Knill, took up his appointment on 1 October and my right hon. Friend has yet to meet him. However, I met Profesor Knill informally in September and we discussed a range of topics concerning the council's activities.
§ Mr. WallaceI am sure that the Minister is aware of the breeding failure of a number of sea bird species in Shetland. Finding the causes of that will require a considerable amount of research, not least into the availability and abundance of sand eels. Will the Minister assure us that he will encourage the NERC to play its full part and that, along with other Departments, his Department will provide resources for that research? If the North sea project were to extend to parts of the sea north of the Wash, does he agree that some of the information from that might help?
Mr. JacksonDecisions on these matters are made by the Secretary of State only on advice from the scientific community and the research councils, once they have had their allocation of funds. My right hon. Friend has not yet received advice from the Advisory Board for the Research Councils about the disposal of the considerable additional new resources that have been provided. Those resources have not yet been allocated to research councils. I am sure that note will be taken of what the hon. Gentleman has said.