§ 2.50 p.m.
§ LORD AVEBURYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government when it is exepected that the Dainton Report on the future of Research Councils will be published.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE (LORD BELSTEAD)My Lords, my right honourable friend expects that the Report by Sir Frederick Dainton and his colleagues on the Council for Scientific Policy will be published by the end of the year.
§ LORD AVEBURYMy Lords, is the noble Marquess aware that great anxiety has been aroused in the Research Councils and in the staff working for them, as well as in the people who are dependent on the Research Councils for support, at the length of time that is elapsing between the submission of Sir Frederick Dainton's Report and its publication? Does he not consider that there is a danger of an overlap between the investigations conducted by Sir Frederick Dainton and those which are now under way by Lord Rothschild; and how do the Government propose to reconcile these two studies that have been conducted under their auspices?
§ LORD BELSTEADMy Lords, of course the Report forms part of the review of the functions of my right honourable friend's Department in respect of science, and we feel that until that review is complete it would be premature to publish the Dainton Report. In answer to the second part of the noble Lord's supplementary question, my right honourable friend has already informed the Research Councils that there will be full consultation on the Government's proposals for the future organisation of research and development.