§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what the director general of the Science Research Councils has done to achieve each of the objectives as listed on pages 19 and 20 of the Cm 2250 "Realising our Potential";
(2) what is the age of the present director general of the Science Research Councils; and when he is due to retire;
(3) whether the post of director general of the Science Research Councils is classified full time or part time;
(4) what has been the average hours per week actually worked by the current director general of the Science Research Councils since his appointment in January 1994;
(5) on what basis the element, of the director general of the Science Research Councils' remuneration which is performance related will be calculated.
§ Mr. David HuntSince taking up his appointment on 1 January 1994, the director general of Research Councils has: advised on the allocation of the 1994–95 science budget, which introduced new "Realising Our Potential" awards and industrial co-operative awards in science and engineering studentships as instruments for getting the academic research community better connected with their industrial users; taken part in the selection procedures for the chief executives of the new research councils and advised on the appointment of chairmen and members; agreed a set of 1994–95 work objectives for the chief executives of the new research councils; overseen the negotiations on the large hadron collider project at CERN, whose outcome was an agreement to proceed on the basis of a realistic, fair and sustainable financial framework; brought forward proposals for handling large international subscriptions within the science budget as a whole; overseen a review which resulted in agreement on the independent future status and operation of the Daresbury and Rutherford Appleton laboratories; overseen the consultation and advised on the reform of postgraduate education and training supported by the research councils, with the consequent proposal to pilot a number of self-standing research master's courses; advised on the issue of a policy statement which confirmed that the scientific assessment of applications for research council grants would continue to be made by peer reviewers who are expert and acknowledged as such by their peers; conducted an in-depth review of the programmes of the six research councils which, in addition to regular exchanges with the chairmen and chief executives of the research councils, has entailed some 20 visits to universities and research council institutes and centres, over 70 presentations and discussions with some 260 scientists and users of their scientific output and which will inform the director general's advice to me on the allocation of the 1995–96 science budget; advised on the health and funding needs of the science base, so contributing to the recent public expenditure surrey settlement which I secured; and taken part, as a member, in the work of the Higher Education Funding Councils for England and for Wales, the science and engineering base co-ordinating committee, the technology foresight steering group and the governing body of the European Union joint research centre.
Sir John Cadogan was appointed to the post of director general of Research Councils in January 1994 for a three-year period in the first instance. He is aged 64. The 6W post is full-time. The performance-related element of Sir John Cadogan's pay will be determined by the extent to which he has met the objectives of the post.