HC Deb 13 February 1996 vol 271 cc539-40W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what council funds have been earmarked for(a) "realising our potential" awards and (b) other schemes in each of the last 10 years (i) in cash terms and (ii) as a proportion of the Medical Research Council budget. [14721]

Mr. Ian Taylor

(a) The following additional allocations have been made to the Medical Research Council—MRC—for the first year costs of new realising our potential awards, ROPA, grants:

Cash terms (£ million) Proportion of MRC budget (per cent.)
1996–97 1.0 0.4
1995–96 2.6 0.9
1994–95 1.0 0.4

In 1996–97, the MRC's allocation includes £5.8 million for expenditure on new and on-going ROPA grants, 2.1 per cent. of its total allocation.

(b) Information is not available in the form requested. Over the past 10 years, the MRC was allocated additional funds for the first-year costs of the following specific programmes:

Year Programme Cash terms (£ million) Proportion of MRC budget (Per cent.)
1996–97 Equipment 1.5 0.5
1995–96 Equipment 1.0 0.4
1994–95 Genome and Immunology 2.4 0.9
1993–94 Genome Mapping Programme 2.5 1.0
Year Programme Cash terms (£ million) Proportion of MRC budget (Per cent.)
1992–93 Genetic basis of disease 4.2 1.9
Neuroscience 1.4 0.6
Clinical research 1.3 0.6
1991–92 None — —
1990–91 None — —
1989–90 Equipment at units and institutes 2.9 1.6
LINK 0.7 0.4
Human genome mapping 2.3 1.3
AIDS strategic programme 2.6 1.5
Macromolecular interaction 2.0 1.1
Cell biology 3.6 2.0
National Institute of Medical Research animal accommodation 2.0 1.1
1988–89 Interdisciplinary Research Centre in toxicology 0.3 0.2
AIDS programme 6.0 4.1
1987–88 None — —

In most years, there have in addition been allocations for less specific programmes, such as the support of studentships and responsive mode grants, and allowances for the ongoing costs of new initiatives started in previous years.

Mr. Hughes

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much money the Medical Research Council has been allocated in each of the last 10 years. [14720]

Mr. Taylor

The allocations made to the Medical Research Council from the science budget over the last 10 years are as follows:

  • 1996–97: £281.9 million
  • 1995–96: £278.0 million
  • 1994–95: £269.2 million
  • 1993–94: £256.9 million
  • 1992–93: £227.6 million
  • 1991–92: £200.4 million
  • 1990–91: £185.7 million
  • 1989–90:£176.3 million
  • 1988–89: £146.7 million
  • 1987–88: £139.8 million.