HC Deb 24 May 1994 vol 244 cc116-7W
Mr. Win Griffiths

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how he measures the success of investment decisions made by his Department through the research and development budget.

Mr. McLoughlin

All programmes supported by the Department's innovation budget are subject to regular monitoring and ex-post evaluation. Reports of completed evaluations are lodged in the Library of the House.

Mr. Win Griffiths

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will list the schemes organised by his Department to provide public investment in research and development relevant to industry, the amount of money made available for each scheme in each of the last five years, its distribution between the private and public sectors and the percentage allocation in each standard planning region;

(2) how much money in each of the last five years has been allocated to the research and development of advanced composites; what organisations or companies have received financial support; and what percentage of funding went to academic research in each year;

(3) if he will list for each of the last five years the amount of money that was awarded to each company and organisation in each standard planning region of the United Kingdom for research and development, indicating the percentage awarded in each region;

(4) what percentage of his research and development budget is awarded to small companies.

Mr. McLoughlin

Information about my Department's schemes for supporting research and development is given in "Trade and Industry 1994" (Cm 2154) and in the "Forward Look of Government Funded Science, Engineering and Technology 1994", published by HMSO (ISBN 0 11 430098 4).

The additional detailed information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Win Griffiths

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the criteria and procedures set out for applications for, and granting of, funding for research and development from schemes operated by his Department.

Mr. McLoughlin

My Department's small firms merit award for research and technology—SMART—and support for products under research—SPUR—support research and development by individual smaller companies. The LINK and EUREKA schemes support collaborative research. Eligibility criteria and procedures are given in the scheme literature.

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