§ Mr. CryerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what initiatives have been taken recently by Her Majesty's Government on the development of the oiotechnology industry.
§ Mr. Leigh[holding answer 21 October 1991]: Biotechnology features strongly in the Government nitiatives to foster future industrial competitiveness. It dominates the collaborative research between industry and he science base supported in the LINK initiative. The argest grant (£7. million) awarded under the EUREKA nitiative to encourage European collaboration between:ompanies was to a biotechnology project. Governmenl tre active in establishing a balanced regulatory regime for tuman and environmental safety, consistent with European directives; a consultative document will be ssued shortly. The second edition of the successful "Plain Man's Guide" to support/regulations has been published. And Government have collaborated with the research councils in developing a strategy to encourage take-up of 605W the technology from the science base, published by the Biotechnology Joint Advisory Board as "A Strategy for Industrial Strength".