§ 49. Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he proposes to fund the Medical Research Council at the same level in real terms in the next financial year.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneI refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. and learned Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Chippenham (Mr. Needham) on 11 December last, which gave the allocation from the science budget to the Medical Research Council for 1980–81 as £50.9 million at 1979 survey prices. The corresponding figure for 1979–80, following the public expenditure reductions 171W announced in June 1979, was £51.4 million at 1979 survey prices. After allowing for minor adjustments in respect of certain special items, the underlying level of the base allocation for the two years is the same.