§ Miss Pikeasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the current expenditure on research and development within Government Departments in the United Kingdom for 1964–65, 1967–68 and 1968–69 and his estimate for 1969–70 and 1970–71, showing separately the total current expenditure and the part of it which is represented by wages and salaries.
§ Mr. Edward Short:The following table gives the available figures of total current expenditure on scientific research and development carried out within Government Departments.
CURRENT EXPENDITURE ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WITHIN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM Total current expenditure £ thousand Of which: Wages and Salaries £ thousand 1964–65 168,656 92,041 1967–68 203,881 114,521 1968–69 (provisional out-turn) 224,324 124,800 1969–70 (estimate) 229,581 Not available.
§ Miss Pikeasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will show the percentage of the gross national product spent on research and development for each year since 1960.
§ Mr. Edward Short:For the years for which expenditure was collected the following table gives the percentage of gross national product spent on scientific research and development, according to the most recent figures:
PERCENTAGE OF GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT (AT FACTOR COST) SPENT ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 1961–62 … … 2.67 per cent. 1964–65 … … 2.59 per cent. 1966–67 … … 2.77 per cent. 1967–68 … … 2.73 per cent.