§ Mr. Palmerasked the Minister of Technology if he will give a breakdown of the figure of £11.6 million for the total of Government support for the computer industry.
§ Dr. BrayThe figure of £11.6 million was composed as follows:
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£m. S.R.C. Research grants in computing science (including allocation for awards to September, 1968) 2.5 N.R.D.C. (Excluding £4m. lent to I.C.T.) 3.0 Mintech Advanced Computer Technology Project (authorised ceiling to March, 1969) 2.6 Atlas C.A.D. Centre, Cambridge 2.5 University Research Contracts 0.5 U.K.A.E.A. sponsored work (mostly Aldermaston Project for the Application of Computers to Engineering) 0.5 Government expenditure in direct support of computer manufacture since the beginning of computing has been as follows:—
Committed £m. Spent to date £m. Through N.R.D.C. 6.60* 6.60 Advanced Computer Technology Project 2.05 1.08 University contracts 0.21 0.04 8.86 7.72 * Expenditure. The above refers to expenditure in direct support of the computer manufacturing industry, either by way of capital assistance or support for research and development. It does not, however, include the cost of work in Government establishments, expenditure on computer development purely for military purposes, nor the cost of any support on projects aimed at furthering the application of computers, nor purchases of computers.
The main items of expenditure by the Ministry of Technology in support of projects aimed at furthering civil applications of computers are the following:
Committed £ Spent to date £m. Computer Aided Design (Cambridge) 2.50 0.58 Contracts with Universities 0.30 0.15 Aldermaston Project for the Application of Computers to Engineering (A.P.A.C.E.) 0.35 0.11 Cold Rolling Mill Automation (jointly with A.E.I. and Imperial College) 0.28 0.02 Warehouse Automation (C.W.S.) 0.15 — N.C.C. 1.59 1.14 5.17 2.00 Neither set of figures above includes expenditure on computers or computer projects by Research Associations, either from their own funds or by way of capital grants from Mintech.