HC Deb 14 December 1992 vol 216 cc17-8W
Mr. Alfred Morris

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what major international collaborative science programmes the United Kingdom research councils participate in.

Mr. Waldegrave

The United Kingdom research councils participate in a wide range of internationally collaborative research, including laboratory twinnings, access to overseas facilities, and formal collaborative partnerships. The following list identifies internationally collaborative programmes or facilities with an annual subscription or other cost to councils of over £0.1 million.

Medical Research Council

  • European Molecular Biology Laboratory.
  • European Molecular Biology Conference.
  • International Agency for Research on Cancer.
  • Human Frontier Science Programme.

Natural Environment Research Council

  • World Ocean Circulation Experiment.
  • Earth Observation Satellite Programmes.
  • Ocean Drilling Program.

Science and Engineering Research Council

  • European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN).
  • Institut Laue-Langevin.)
  • European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.
  • European Incoherent Scatter Facility.
  • European Space Agency (Space Science Programme).
  • Individual space projects eg Roentgen Satellite (ROSAT) Along Track Scanning Radiometer Infra-red Space Observatory.
  • Anglo-Australian Telescope.
  • Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (La Palma).
  • James Clark Maxwell Telescope (Hawaii). EUROGAM (detector for nuclear physics experiments).
  • Hadron Electron Ring Accelerator (HERA).

All Research Councils

  • EC Framework Programmes.
  • European Science Foundation.
  • European Co-operation in Scientific and Technical Research Programme (COST).
  • NATO Science Programme (subscription paid by FCO).

Mrs. Anne Campbell

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made on the fourth framework research and development programme.

Mr. Robert Jackson

The Commission submitted its working paper on the EC fourth research and development framework programme—FP4—to the Council of Ministers on 9 October, and Vice-President Pandolfi presented his ideas at the meeting of the Research Council on 12 October. EC Research Ministers had a wide ranging discussion on the subject at the meeting of the Research Council on 9 December. I expect the EC to make good progress on FP4 during 1993 as a result of these exchanges. A copy of the United Kingdom Government policy document setting out our views on the shape and content of FP4 has been placed in the Library.