§ 51. Mr. Varleyasked the Minister of Technology whether the £6 million a year spent by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, on work in support of the AGR designs for the Dungeness B and Hinkley Point B power stations, is taken into account when estimates are being made of its total operating costs.
185W
§ Dr. BrayThe Atomic Energy Authority's present expenditure of £6 million is on research and development designed to obtain the full potential of the A.G.R. reactor system. It has been agreed that the Generating Boards will pay a royalty to the A.E.A. of .014d. for each unit sent out from their A.G.R. stations, including Dungeness B and Hinkley Point B. For a 1200 M.W. power station with an assumed life of 20 years and a lifetime load factor of 75 per cent. the total cash return to the A.E.A. would be somewhat over £9 million which would have a present value discounted at current rates of just over £4½ million. The total royalty paid will depend upon the number of A.G.R: stations built. This royalty has not been included in the estimates of unit costs published so far but is negligible in relation to them and would not affect comparisons.
§ Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Minister of Technology what research activities, research bodies and research groups have now been set up at the establishments of the Atomic Energy Authority to carry out work in fields other than atomic energy; and if he will tabulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the name of the group, the activity, the number of scientists, technologists and engineers involved in the activity and the budgeted cost in the current year in each instance.
§ Mr. BennThe Authority utilises its existing resources in undertaking the research into fields other than atomic energy which I require it to perform in accordance with Section 4 of the Science and Technology Act, 1965.
The necessary effort is contributed full time or part time as appropriate, and is measured in units equal to the annual effort of a qualified scientist or engineer.
Provision has been taken in 1967–68 as follows:
186W
Q.S.E. £'000 (nearest £50,00)) Desalination 30 550 Hydrostatic extrusion press 6 100 Non destructive testing 14 150 Ceramics research 35 350 Improved utilisation of steels 2 50 Other requirements 3 50 Projects under consideration 20 650 Total 110 1,900 The above figures exclude research commissioned and paid for by customers, the bulk of which is undertaken on behalf of Government Departments.
§ Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Minister of Technology how many qualified scientists, technologists and engineers are employed by the Atomic Energy Authority establishments; how this figure compares with last year; and how many of each category are involved with work connected with the atomic energy and how many are used on other research programmes.
§ Mr. Benn4,885 on 1st April, 1966, and 4,730 on 1st April, 1967.
The Atomic Energy Authority's provisional estimate is that during 1966–67 an effort equivalent to 65 qualified scientist and engineer man years was deployed on civil research into matters not connected with atomic energy including work commissioned and paid for by other bodies, mainly Government Departments.
§ Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Minister of Technology what is the budgeted cost of the research activities of the Atomic Energy Authority in the current year compared to the previous year; and how much of this will be spent on research in atomic energy and how much in other fields.
§ Mr. BennThe Authority estimates that its expenditure on civil R. & D. in 1967–68 will amount to £50 million (including £48 million on research into atomic energy), as compared with some £51 million in 1966–67.