§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what factors he took into account in deciding the period over which the Soil Survey of England and Wales should become commercially viable; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. FennerOur consideration of the work of the Soil Survey suggested that the wide range of organisations which made use of the information and expertise it provides offered scope for it to operate more commercially in the future. We made no change in the funding of the survey in the current year and have set the Ministry's commissioned expenditure at half the present level in 1986–87 in order to allow time for these commercial activities to be developed.
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§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the figures for his Department's funding for the Soil Survey for the year 1985–86; how this compares with the recommendations made by Minster Agricultline Ltd.; and if he has any figure for 1986–87.
§ Mrs. FennerMy Department's commission with the Soil Survey in 1985–86 amounts to £1,676,000 and will be set at around £850,000 in 1986–87. The consultant's report referred to both these figures. It also recommended that the operating costs of the Soil Survey should be reduced below the present level and that its business base should be developed as rapidly as possible.
§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans (a) to reduce further Government funding of the Soil Survey of England and Wales or (b) to disband the survey; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. FennerThe level of our commissioned expenditure with the Soil Survey in the current year and in 1986–87 has already been announced. We are considering what our future needs in this area might be and we are also encouraging the Soil Survey to develop alternative sources of income through its commercial activities.