§ Lord Cocks of Hartcliffeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have for the future of the fisheries research laboratory at Conwy. [HL3092]
§ The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Donoughue)The laboratory at Conwy is part of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), an Executive Agency of MAFF. Consistent with the agency's obligation to provide an efficient and effective scientific service, CEFAS has been reviewing the future requirements for this laboratory. Conwy is the smallest CEFAS laboratory and currently has spare capacity. The agency has explored whether it is realistic for this to be taken up by new work or whether it would be more efficient to relocate the existing functions to another CEFAS site.
293WAThe review has concluded that, in the interests of adapting CEFAS' structure to the longer term needs of its customers in an increasingly competitive market, the programme of work currently carried out at Conwy should be transferred to other CEFAS sites. As a result, the agency plans to vacate the Conwy laboratory by March 2000. It is intended to move the shellfish and fish cultivation work programme and the majority of staff presently based at Conwy to the CEFAS Weymouth laboratory, and the work on coastal zone management and the environmental effects of fishing to the agency's laboratory at Lowestoft. CEFAS has initiated a resettlement programme that will allow as many as possible of the science specialists at Conwy to continue their work at the new locations. Redundancies will be kept to a minimum. Recognisising local concerns, in disposing of the Conwy site we will be sympathetic to bids that propose to make use of the facilities to support the Welsh fishing industry.
The consolidation of work at CEFAS' laboratories at Weymouth and Lowestoft will improve the utilisation of existing facilities. It will enable the agency to provide a
294WA
Commercial interests Non-commercial interests SEAC Member Name of organisation Nature of interests Name of organisation Nature of interests Professor Sir John R. Pattison (Chairman) None None Medical Research Council Senior Medical Adviser to the Chief Executive Dr. R. G. Will (Deputy Chairman) Unilever Share holding Department of Health Grant Holder SmithKline Beecham Share holding Scottish Home and Health Dept. Grant Holder Marks and Spencer Share holding Medical Research Council Grant Holder European Commissioned BIOMED Programme Grant Holder Office International des Adviser Epizooties Expert Group on BSE and Related diseases (1990-present) World Health Organisation Adviser European Union Member of the Multi-disciplinary Scientific Committee Professor Dr. A. Aguzzi Boehringer Ingelheim Consultancies on an occasional basis Swiss National Foundation No: 31-36059.92 3100-040827.94 Principal investigator Abbott Laboratories (Chicago) Support of some laboratory costs e.g. care of mice, instrumentation Cancer League of the Kanton Zurich Principal investigator Immune A G (Vienna) Support of some laboratory costs e.g., care of mice, instrumentation European Union No. BMHI-CT93-1142 Co-investigator National Institutes of Health USA No 1-ROI-NS33377-01 Co-investigator Swiss National Research Program NFP38 & NFP38+ Principal investigator Professor J. W. Almond Medeva Consultant Society for General Microbiology Member of Council Cobra Therapeutics Consultant Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Chairman of the Working Group of the Biology of the Spongiform Encephalopathies Programme Arpex Biosciences Ltd. Consultant Professor R. M. Anderson Scientific Advisory Boards: The Wellcome Trust Governor —Decode Member of Board —IMS Member of Board IBHSC Ltd. Director more cost effective service to its customers and enhance its position as a world leader in the areas of environment, fisheries and aquaculture science.