§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if a new chief scientist has yet been appointed; and if he will make a statement about the administration of research management in his Department.
§ Mr. FowlerI am pleased to announce that Professor Francis William O'Grady CBE TD MD FRCP FRCPath has agreed to become the chief scientist to my Department. He will be taking up his advisory appointment which is part-time on 1 September 1986. Professor O'Grady is currently professor of microbiology at the university of Nottingham and will continue to fill that post part-time while advising me on the research structures of the Department and the scientific validity of the programme which he will steer as chairman of the departmental research committee. Professor O'Grady will also represent the Department on major research committees and councils, particularly the Medical Research Council. Executive responsibility for managing the Department's research management division lies with Dr. Jeremy Metters, the deputy chief scientist and director of research management.