HC Deb 21 April 1969 vol 782 cc46-8W
Mr. Macdonald

asked the Minister of Technology, since the formation in July 1967 of the Computer-Aided Design Committee, how many of its recommendations for new contracts with universities and/or industry have been implemented by his Department.

Dr. Bray

There have to date been ten recommendations involving possible contract action by the Ministry of Technology. Of these:

Two have been placed.

Two have been approved and are being processed.

One involved some investigation by Mintech on the most suitable method of implementing the recommendation; this is being pursued and contract action may follow.

Five did not attract the support of the industries concerned and alternative proposals have been invited.

Mr. Macdonald

asked the Minister of Technology since the formation of the Computer-Aided Design Committee in July, 1967, how many sub-committees and working parties it has formed to consider particular subjects within this field.

Dr. Bray

Since its formation in July, 1967, the Computer-Aided Design Committee has formed four Sub-Committees and nine Working Parties.

The titles of the Sub-Committees are: Facilities; Information and Retrieval; Resources; Electronics Design.

The titles of the Working Parties are: Pipework Design; Graphics; Machine Design; Turbo-Machinery and Ducting; General Purpose Systems; Communications; Information Retrieval; Computer Aids to the Design of Electronic Systems and Hardware; Programmes for Circuit Analysis.

Mr. Macdonald

asked the Minister of Technology how many sub-committees and working parties formed by the Computer-Aided Design Committee have reported their findings to the main Committee; and how many of their recommendations have been approved by the main Committee.

Dr. Bray

The Sub-Committee and Working Parties report periodically to the Main Committee. Only two of the Working Parties have submitted their final reports.

In all there have been 36 specific recommendations to the Main Committee to-date and of these all except one, which was deferred pending the completion of a report from another Working Party, have been accepted albeit with minor modification in some instances.