§ 27. Mr. FlynnTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what new proposals he has to improve the application of scientific inventions to industrial use.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science (Mr. David Davis)On 2 February, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced a range of initiatives worth £15.4 million to focus our research and postgraduate effort on wealth creation and the quality of life. In addition, last Monday we initiated the latest stage of Technology Foresight when my right hon. Friend announced the sector panels that will carry out that foresight.
§ Mr. FlynnApart from the miracle of resurrection that has just been mentioned, the true miracle of science in the next few years will be the development of supercomputers and information highways. How can the Imperial Science college in my constituency take advantage of them when Mr. John Mulvey of Save British Science has said that, by cutting investment, the Government have proved that they have no faith in the future of British research? Why is it that one single campus in America—the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—has more supercomputers than the whole of the United Kingdom?
§ Mr. MansDoes my hon. Friend agree that, to improve the application of scientific inventions, it is important for his Department, the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Trade and Industry to get together to ensure that inventions made in one sector are moved across to others so that the best use is made of them?
§ Mr. DavisMy hon. Friend raises an important point. I hope that he noticed, in the Central Statistical Office figures published last week, that the 1 per cent. reduction in defence research and development spending in 1992 was more than made up for by a 5 per cent. increase in civil research and development. That is the sort of thing which I hope to see more of in the future.
§ Dr. BrayIf the Minister has examined the strategic research activities of Germany, Japan and the United States, can he justify the effective closure of all the principal applied laboratories under Government control and, in particular, can he justify the type of review taking place in the National Engineering Laboratory in East Kilbride?
§ Mr. DavisThe hon. Gentleman is wrong in talking about "the effective closure". The whole purpose of the review exercise is to improve value for money for the taxpayer and to deliver a better service in the national interest.
§ Mr. DafisBearing in mind that industrial success springs largely from scientific research, does the Minister agree that Wales is seriously disadvantaged by the absurdly low level of funding—2 per cent. of the research councils' funding—for research establishments there? Is not that grossly discriminatory against Wales? Will the Minister ensure that the position does not get even worse by intervening to prevent the closure of the Welsh office of the British Geological Survey at Aberystwyth?
§ Mr. DavisThe hon. Gentleman does not do Welsh scientists any service by suggesting that they should be funded on the basis of where in the United Kingdom the research establishment stands. The research councils rightly look for the best value for money, the best sites and the centres of excellence, all of which factors they will use in determining where the money is spent. That is the best way in which to determine where money goes. I am sure that Sir John Cadogan, who is himself a Welshman, would agree with me.