HC Deb 19 November 1952 vol 507 cc169-70W
91. Sir H. Williams

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the reason for the increase from £11,695,000 in 1951–52 to £14,003,000 in 1952–53 on scientific research and experiment; and to what extent his Department co-operates with the Ministry of Supply which is simultaneously spending £100,500,000 on research and development.

Mr. J. P. L. Thomas

The increase in expenditure is due principally to the enhanced effort required, and to a lesser extent to increased costs. The enhanced effort required is in accordance with Government policy to accord priority to anti-mine and anti-U-boat defence, and the principal fields of activity are underwater weapons, ship propulsion, ship construction, electronics, and communications. The Admiralty are also responsible for certain fields of research and development for the Defence Services as a whole, the chief of these being valve development.

There is full co-operation with the Ministry of Supply, and general co-ordination of programmes is carried out by the Defence Research Policy Committee.