§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Minister of Technology how many visits were made to the Culham Laboratory by the committee appointed to advise on its future; how many of the members of the committee were not present on the occasion of each visit; and which members of the staff they interviewed.
§ Mr. BennI am informed that the Committee, from which one member was absent at the time, made one visit to the Culham Laboratory when they met about 18 senior members of the staff.
§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Minister of Technology when the Atomic Energy Authority received the report on the future of Culham; and if he will make a statement on the recommendations made by the committee appointed for that purpose.
§ Mr. BennThe Authority received the report of the committee in question on 22nd February. I was informed of their views on it on 12th April and have subsequently discussed them with the Chairman.
A statement will be made when we have completed our talks.
§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Minister of Technology what information he has from international sources about the relative amounts being spent in the United States of America, Germany and France on research similar to that being conducted at the Culham Laboratory.
§ Mr. BennI understand that expenditure in the United States on nuclear fusion and plasma physics research is running at about £14 million per annum.
Budgets for this work in Germany and France are currently about £4 million per annum and £3 million per annum respectively.
§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Minister of Technology how many distinguished foreign scientists have visited Culham in each of the last three years.
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§ Mr. BennForeign visitors to Culham in each of the last three years were 25, 67 and 100 respectively.
In the same years foreign scientists working in the Laboratory numbered 26, 42 and 45 respectively. In addition, 243 foreign delegates attended the International Atomic Energy Agency Plasma Physics Conference at Culham in 1965 and 90 attended a spectroscopy conference in 1966.
§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Minister of Technology how many senior members of the staff of Culham Laboratory are at present in the United States of America; and how many of these staff have indicated that they will not be returning to Great Britain.
§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Minister of Technology it he will take steps to ensure that the contract for the European Space Research Organisation satellite can still be fulfilled not withstanding any changes in the rôle of the Culham Laboratory.
§ Mr. BennI shall certainly not overlook this important matter in considering the proposals for the future of the Culham Laboratory which have been put to me by the Chairman of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.