§ 3.17 p.m.
§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the at present, if any, authorised cost to the public for research expenditure on outer space problems as against grants at present agreed to for world refugee resettlement.]
§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAMMy Lords, at present no specific sum has been authorised for expenditure on the space research programme announced by the Prime Minister on May 12. It is envisaged that additions to the amounts to be spent on research will have to be made in respect of this work and, as the Prime Minister said in his announcement, this may be "a substantial but modest sum in hundreds of thousands rather than in millions" of pounds. The annual sum authorised for expenditure by Her Majesty's Government on refugee relief and resettlement is rather over two million pounds.
§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, may I ask the noble Viscount whether that includes provision for refugee movement in all quarters, including the Near East, or only in Europe?
§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAMMy Lords, it includes, as far as I can say without notice, three items: United Nations Relief and Works Agency, £1,928,572, which is by very much the largest of the three items; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Special Contribution for Camp Clearance), £100,000 and assistance to Polish Refugees for whom Her Majesty's Government took over responsibility from the I.R.D. in 1950, £14,000.