§ Mr. Oakesasked the Minister of Transport what further action she has taken to co-ordinate university research in transport studies with similar research in her Department.
§ Mrs. CastleIn developing my research programmes I take into account relevant research at universities and elsewhere. When appropriate, contracts are placed with universities for specific research. Universities are represented in the membership of my two main research advisory bodies, the Advisory Council on Road Research, and the Urban Research and Development Group. The Science Research Council and the Social Science Research Council consult with my Department on all research grant applications from universities with transport relevance. To make knowledge and experience of survey work as widely available as possible, I have recently established a Central Index of Traffic and Transportation surveys.
With the aim of informing universities of the objects of my economic research programme, a one-day symposium was held in April. The Road Research Laboratory is to hold a two-day conference in July to consider with university representatives ways of developing further co-operation between the laboratory and universities.