HC Deb 13 February 1968 vol 758 cc332-4W
Mrs. Anne Kerr

asked the Minister of Technology (1) how many research contracts related to the defence projects are let to universities through his Department;

(2) what are the universities and departments concerned in research contracts related to defence projects sponsored by his Department; and what has been the annual value of such contracts since the establishment of his Department.

Mr. Benn:

The Ministry of Technology has some 525 aerospace research agreements current with the following: Aberystwyth, Aberdeen, Bangor, Bath, Belfast, Aston in Birmingham, Birmingham, Bradford, Brighton College of Technology, Bristol, Brunel College, Cambridge, Cardiff, Chelsea College of Advanced Technology, City, Dundee, Durham, East Anglia, Edinburgh, Essex, Exeter, Glasgow, Hull, Keele, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Loughborough, Manchester, Manchester College of Science and Technology, Newcastle, Nottingham, North Staffs. College of Advanced Technology, Oxford, Portsmouth College of Advanced Technology, Reading, St. Andrews, Salford, Sheffield, Southampton, Strathclyde, Surrey, Sussex, Swansea, Warwick, Welsh College of Advanced Technology, York.

The Departments of the Universities are those dealing with the following fields of research: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Metallurgy, Electronics, Aeronautics, and Astronautics, Psychology, Ergonomics, Cybernetics, Ceramics, Aircraft Design, Molecular Science, Fluid Mechanics, Turbo Machinery, Sound and Vibration, Flight, Aerodynamics, Glass and Fuel Technology.

The work carried out under these agreements is of a basic research nature and cannot be directly related to particular defence projects; some of it could have both defence and civil applications.

The annual value of these agreements is of the order of £900,000.

Mrs. Anne Kerr

asked the Minister of of Technology how many research contracts related to defence and sponsored by his Department are classified.

Mr. Bean:

The information is available only in respect of those contracts for pure research for defence purposes placed in the period April-December, 1967. 37 such contracts had a security classification.

Mrs. Anne Kerr

asked the Minister of Technology in how many cases are any of the university staff or attached researchers working on research contracts related to defence and sponsored by his Department required to have security clearance.

Mr. Benn:

Those persons who have access to classified information are subject to appropriate security procedures but it is not in the public interest to give details.

Mrs. Anne Kerr

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many research contracts the United States Department of Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force currently has with British universities; and what has been the annual value of such contracts over the last five years.

Mr. Benn:

I have been asked to reply.

The United States Department of Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force currently sponsors 130– 140 research contracts at British universities. Their estimated nominal value over the past five years has been £395,000 per annum. My Department does not exercise financial control over these contracts, which are channelled through my Department only so that duplication with United Kingdom Government-sponsored research may be avoided.

Mrs. Anne Kerr

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which universities and which university departments currently hold contracts with the United States Department of Defence; and which, and how many, are classified.

Mr. Benn:

I have been asked to reply.

The United States Department of Defence is currently financing research work at 27 British Universities—Aberdeen, Bangor, Queens (Belfast), Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Durham, East Anglia, Essex, Glasgow, Hull, Keele, Kent, Leicester, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Salford, Sheffield, Southampton, Strathclyde, Sussex, Swansea, York.

The fields of research covered are Biosciences, Chemistry, Earth-Environmental Sciences, Electronics, Materials Mathematics, Mechanics, Metallurgy, Molecular Physics, Physics, Physical Sciences and Propulsion.

All of the research contracts are unclassified.