§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the amount of money his Department gave to fund(a) arable crops research, (b) animal health, (c) animal physiology and genetics,
£s Million 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 Arable Crops 6.0 7.6 7.4 7.2 7.9 7.8 Animal Health 3.6 4.0 8.8 9.5 11.1 10.1 Animal Physiology and Genetics 6.3 6.7 8.1 8.8 9.6 9.3 Engineering 0.8 0.8 1.1 1.3 1.5 1.4 Food 6.2 6.5 7.9 9.1 14.8 10.5 Grassland and Environmental 2.2 3.6 3.6 4.4 3.2 3.1 Horticulture 2.9 2.7 3.1 2.8 3.2 3.2 Plant Science 6.9 6.2 6.8 7.8 9.2 8.7 Total 34.9 38.1 46.8 50.9 60.5 54.1 It is not possible, without disproportionate work, to provide strictly comparable figures for the years 1980–81 to 1986–87 because of the major restructuring of AFRC institutes which has taken place and which is still continuing. In those years, the council spent science budget funds as follows:
million 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 Animals 11.0 13.8 13.9 14.0 Arable Crops 8.7 9.7 12.5 18.4 Horticulture 2.1 3.4 6.0 Engineering 1.1 1.6 1.0 0.6 Food Science 2.6 3.2 2.0 3.2 Total 25.5 31.7 35.4 36.2
1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 Plant Breeding 3.4 2.8 4.8 Crop Protection 4.6 4.5 5.9 Soils and Crop Nutrition 2.6 2.7 2.4 Crop Production 6.4 6.4 7.8 Animal Breeding 4.5 3.0 4.0 Animal Disease 4.9 4.1 4.1 Animal Nutrition 1.6 1.6 2.4 Animal Production 0.5 2.2 2.9 Food 3.3 5.3 5.5 Total 31.8 32.6 39.8 All figures represent the amounts paid to institutes for both recurrent and capital costs, including payments for major restructuring projects. Grants made to bodies other than AFRC institutes (such as universities) and central funds which have been used to support institute research (central administration, superannuation and so on) are not included.
290W(d) engineering research, (e) food research, (f) grassland and environmental research, (g) horticultural research and (h) plant science research at Agricultural and Food Research Council institutes since 1980; and what are his estimates for 1991 and 1992.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthThe Department funds the research councils, including the Agricultural and Food Research Council, through grants in aid from the science budget. It is in general for councils to decide how to spend their total budgets.
The council has provided the following figures for expenditure of funds received from the science budget on the categories of research listed in the question for financial years 1987–88 to 1990–91, and for estimated expenditure in 1991–92 and 1992–93: