§ Mr. ACLANDasked the Lord President of the Council whether he is aware that dissatisfaction is being expressed by scientific workers with the appointment of a man without scientific qualifications as director of research to the Glass Research Association; whether, as the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research provides four-fifths of the funds of the association, the Department was consulted before the appointment was made; and does he approve of the appointment as giving a guarantee that State funds devoted to scientific research will be wisely expended?
§ Mr. H. FISHERThe dissatisfaction expressed by certain scientific workers with the appointment of the director of the Glass Research Association has been brought to my notice. I understand that this association, after making careful inquiry into the qualifications of the various applicants for the post, considered that the successful candidate, who I am informed has a wide and successful experience of scientific research into the problems of the glass industry, was the man best suited for organising and directing the reseach needed by the association. The responsibility for the selection of a director of reseach rests in each case with the reseach association concerned, and not with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, who have no power to approve or disapprove the appointment of any individual, since the only possible basis for the establishment of reseach associations is to leave to the industry concerned the selection of the officers required to carry out the duties and responsibilities falling to the association. In this case the Department guarantees three-quarters of the expenditure of the reseach association up to a certain limit, but payment of the grant is conditional, among other things, on the approval by the Department of the programme of research and of the estimate of expenditure thereon. I may say that the Advisory Council of the Department, which, as the hon. Member is no doubt aware, is almost entirely composed of persons of the highest scientific standing, after considering all the relevant circumstances with great care, recommended the approval of the expenditure involved 1279W in this director's appointment. I am satisfied that the conditions under which grants are made to reseach associations provide an adequate guarantee that the State funds intended for the encouragement of scientific research for the benefit of the industries will be wisely expended.