§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Minister of Technology what action he has taken to promote rationalisation between his Department's establishments and industry.
§ Mr. BennThe programmes are kept under review by Committees, on which industry is strongly represented. My Department is encouraging the establishments to take on more work for industry on a repayment basis.
On the defence and civil aviation sides, joint research programmes have been set up with the Society of British Aerospace Companies, which are aimed at rationalising the location and funding of the work.
At R.R.E. an Industrial Applications Unit has been set up to act as a focal point for the application in industry of the results of the establishment's defence research, and further arrangements for this purpose have been or will be made in the former Ministry of Aviation establishments wherever practicable.
In general, it is my policy that the programmes of the establishments should be closely related to the needs of industry, and drawn up in collaboration with them.