§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the future of the Marine Laboratories, with particular reference to plans for merger at(a) Plymouth, (b) Liverpool and (c) Dunstaffnage. [144667]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonFollowing the Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) announcement on 29 June 2000 to disband the Centre for Coastal and Marine Science, the NERC Council agreed in November 2000 to provide continued funding for the work of each of the three marine laboratories for a further five years. Funding levels for the first two years have already been agreed; the Council's Science and Technology Board will consider funding levels for the remaining three years at its meeting in May 2001.
The Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory is scheduled to relocate to the University of Liverpool Campus in 2003. It will remain a NERC-owned and managed facility. Discussions with the Scottish Association for Marine Science over future management arrangements for the Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory are ongoing. The NERC Council will consider future management arrangements for the Plymouth Marine Laboratory at its meeting in March 2001.