§ Mr. Marplesasked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will give the numbers of qualified scientists and engineers in each of the Government research establishments at the beginning of each of the last 10 years.
§ Mrs. HartThe following table shows the number of qualified scientists and engineers (as defined in Cmnd. 3417) employed in each of the Government research establishments at the beginning of 1969. It would not be in the public interest to reveal details in respect of individual defence research establishments. I regret that the figures for earlier years are not readily available and could be ascertained only at disproportionate cost.
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Government Research Establishments Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland East Craigs 44 Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory 14 Marine Laboratory 50 Forestry Commission Forestry Research Stations 38 Home Office Central Research Establishment 13
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Veterinary Laboratories and Investigation Centres 197 Sea Fisheries Research 90 Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory 14 Infestation Control Laboratory 96 Plant Pathology 43 Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew 48 Ministry of Overseas Development Anti-Locust Research Centre 34 Tropical Pesticides Headquarters and Information Unit 7 Tropical Products Institute 71 Tropical Pesticides Research Unit 6 Ministry of Power Safety in Mines Research Establishment 78 Gas Standards Branch 11 Ministry of Public building and Works Building Research Station 267 Royal Botanical Gardens, Edinburgh 8 Ministry of Transport Road Research Laboratory 182 Ministry of Technology Fire Research Station 28 Forest Products Research Laboratory 36 Hydraulics Research Laboratory 37 Institute of Advanced Machine Tool and Control Technology 5 Laboratory of the Government Chemist 103 National Engineering Laboratory 179 National Physical Laboratory 424 Torry Research Station 33 Warren Spring Laboratory 91 Water Pollution Research Laboratory 47 Aerospace Research and Development Establishments 1,900 Ministry of Defence Research and Development Establishments 1,425 Total 5,619
§ Mr. Marplesasked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will list the steps he is taking to reduce the numbers of qualified scientists and engineers who are employed in Government establishments; and if he will give the most recent figure for the number so employed, together with his estimates for each of the next two years.
§ Mrs. HartThe numbers of staff (including qualified scientists and engineers) employed in Government establishments are kept constantly under review in order to ensure that only those are employed who are required to carry out the work 49W to be performed. At the beginning of 1969, 5,619 qualified scientists and engineers (as defined in Cmnd. 3417) were employed in Government research establishments: a small additional number were employed in other Government establishments. The number to be employed in 1969–70 is expected to show some slight reduction on the present figure: no estimate is yet available for the following financial year.