Development Contracts and Grants

HC Deb 05 February 1964 vol 688 cc193-4W

Mr. Albu

asked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science if he will give details of the development contracts and earmarked grants placed by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Mr. Hogg

The following developments contracts have been placed:

1. (1) With Staveley Industries Ltd. for a numerically controlled machine tool at a total cost, to both parties, of £336,000.
2. (2) With Dobbie McInnes (Electronics) Ltd. for an automatic cartographic equipment at a total cost of £57,000.
3. (3) Five contracts for research and development into advanced computer techniques placed with Mullards Ltd., The Plessey Co. (U.K.) Ltd. Standard Telephones and Cables and Elliott Bros. (London) Ltd. at a total cost of just over £300,000.
4. (4) With Craven Bros. (Manchester) Ltd. for a gear grinding machine at a total cost of £200,000. This was terminated in October, 1963, because the design study phase revealed major obstacles in the development of the basic design concept.

An earmarked grant of up to £107,200 over six years has been placed with the British Welding Research Association for research into fatigue of welded structure. Five more earmarked grants have been offered, but not yet accepted.