§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many Medical Research Council projects have been alpha-rated in each of the last three years; and what is the estimate for 1987–88.
§ Mr. WaldenThe number of new project grant applications alpha rated by the Medical Research Council has been as follows:
Academic year 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 473 440 439 The figure for the current award year 1986–87 will not be available until August. It is not possible to make estimates for future award years.
200Wattach within their overall research programme to research into freshwater biology, with particular reference to river management, pollution assessment and nature conservation; how this priority is reflected in the current and projected level of funding from Government sources for this area of research; what representations he has received about the level of funding; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldenResearch into freshwater biology, with other environmental issues, is among a range of priority areas to be funded from within the resources available. Representations on this matter have been received from the staff of the Freshwater Biological Association.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the grant-in-aid from the Natural Environment Research Council to the Freshwater Biological Association in each of the last five years expressed at constant 1986–87 prices; what grant-in-aid is proposed for the current financial year and what percentage change this represents; and what information he has as to the proportion of its total funding which the Freshwater Biological Association attracted in the form of commissioned research from private and public sources in each of these years.
§ Mr. WaldenThe information on the Freshwater Biological Association's grant-in-aid and its commissioned research income over the past five years expressed at 1986–87 prices, together with the commissioned research income (CRI) expressed in terms of the percentage of the total income, is as follows:
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many Medical Research Council projects have been funded in each of the last three years; and what is the estimate for 1987–88.
§ Mr. WaldenThe number of new project grants funded by the M RC has been as follows:
Academic year 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 672 527 529 The figure for the current award year 1986–87 will not be available until August. It is not possible to make estimates for future award years.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate he has of the number of researchers and scientists, previously involved in Medical Research Council funded projects, who left to work overseas in each of the last five years; and if he will provide a forecast for 1987–88.
§ Mr. WaldenI understand that the Medical Research Council can only provide numbers of staff who have been employed by the council. Numbers of permanent scientific staff who have left to work overseas have been:
201W
Number 1982 3 1983 0 1984 3 1985 4 1986 2 It is not possible to forecast numbers for 1987 and 1988.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate he has of the number of researchers and scientists, trained from public funds, who left to work overseas in each of the last five years; and if he will forecast the numbers for 1987–88.
§ Mr. WaldenThis information is not collected centrally.