§ Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what are the conditions on which his Deparment's research contracts are normally let;
(2) what criteria have been drawn up to evaluate the effectiveness of the research contract to Children and Youth Action Group;
(3) whether the Government are considering making any other research contracts, and if they are prepared to entertain contracts for research work concerning children;
(4) what is the total fund available in his Department for work with children.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe Department's research contracts impose a variety of conditions relating to such matters as the duties of the contractor, progress reports and the payment of accounts. All contracts in progress are closely supervised through the Department's normal arrangements for managing research work. The Children and Youth Action Group's contract will be no exception. The Government let many research contracts and are always prepared to consider relevant new proposals. The Department's work with children is wide ranging, and some of its research work involving children is not restricted to them. It is not practicable usefully to separate money spent on this work with children; 293W and for such work there is no total fund in the sense the hon. Member seems to have in mind.
§ Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment why the General Secretary of the National Playing Fields Association was told in May 1975 by his Department that the conditions annexed to the research contract, dated 20th January 1975, to the Children and Youth Action Group had still not been finalised, when this was not in fact the case.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe hon. Member was told on 20th May that precise information about the research contract let to the Children and Youth Action Group would be made available when contract details had been settled. This is still the case.—[Vol. 892, c.329–30.]