§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Minister of Transport if she will give details of any contracts for research which her Department has placed with universities or colleges of advanced technology, and of the value of such contracts.
§ Mr. SwinglerThe following list gives the research projects which the Ministry of Transport, including the Road Research Laboratory, has had on commission at universities and similar institutions during the current financial year:
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University/College Project Title Duration of Project Estimated Value of Contract £ Imperial College, London Research on fatigue of pre-stressed concrete beams. 2 years 8,000 University College, London Research on rainfall in tropical convective storms. 4 years 21,000* Institute of Opthalmology, London. Study of sensitivity of the eye to glare 3 years 4,528 University College, London, Bartlett School of Architecture. Examination and review of factors affecting service area design. 2 years 9,000 University of Nottingham Study of absorption of long-chain hydrocarbons 3 years 3,000 University of Oxford, Institute of Economics & Statistics. Development of cost/benefit techniques and their application to transport. 3 years 20,000 University of Reading Study of rôle of social isolation in motoring accidetns and offences. 2 years 4,791 University of Reading Feasibility study of displacement measuring vibration unit. 6 months 400 University of Reading Research on perceptual and conceptual problems of teaching road safety to children. 3 years 3,300 University of Strathclyde Study of area traffic control in Glasgow 3 years 10,500 University of Strathclyde Study of effect of water on road bitumens 3 years 3,280 * Recoverable from the Ministry of Overseas Development. The Ministry is also meeting the cost of the following studies which are being undertaken on behalf of the Regional Economic Planning Councils:—
University of East Anglia Study of freight movements to and from Harwich, Felixstowe and Ipswich. 6 months 1,000 University of Exeter Study of passenger transport in the South-West in relation to tourism. 6 months 800 University of Lancaster Study of peak-hour travel-to-work problems in mid-Lancashire. 6 months 600 Leeds School of Town Planning. Study of integration of goods transport to and from Immingham docks. 6 months 3,000 University of Leicester Study of passenger transport in the Leicester area. 7 months 1,800 University of Sheffield Study of possibilities for integrated local passenger services in Sheffield. 8 months 3,200 University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. Study of passenger and freight transport problems in the area west of Carmarthen. 7 months 1,450