§ Mr. MANDERasked the Lord Privy Seal whether any proposals are under consideration at the present time for the setting up of further research associations in industry; and what steps are being taken generally to stimulate development in this direction?
§ Mr. JOHNSTONI am advised that there are no definite proposals before the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at the present moment for the setting up of new research associations in industry; certain tentative suggestions have been put forward with this end in view, but have either not yet materialised into definite schemes or are likely to be dealt with in some other way than by the formation of a research association. The offer of State grants to research associations under the policy outlined in the Department's Annual Report for 1927–28 (Cmd. 3258) was, and still is, within the financial resources available, intended to encourage the formation of new research associations in the comparatively few industries of importance where they do not already exist, and to stimulate the expansion of existing associations.