§ Mr. Dellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimated expenditure for 1971–72 on non-departmental research projects ; what requirements he imposes regarding publication and consultation before publication; whether deletions or alterations have been required or permission to publish refused in respect of all or part of any project whose results were submitted to his Department during the last 10 years ; and to what extent he controls entry for research purposes to departmentally-controlled institutions.
§ Sir K. JosephEstimated expenditure on financing research and development by persons and organisations outside the Department in 1971–72 is £6.2 million, of which £0.5 million will be carried out by other Government Departments, £2.8 million by persons employed in hospitals or other National Health Service establishments, and the remainder by bodies outside Government and the National Health Service. A book "Portfolio of Health" describing the nature and organisation of the activities on the health side is being published by the Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Trust on 22nd July.
Reports to my Department are required in respect of all research commissioned. In general, researchers are also free and expected, but not obliged, 42W to publish the results themselves. The draft of the publication is submitted to the Department for preview, but, subject to the exclusion of references which might lead to the identification of individuals who had co-operated in the investigation, the author is free to reject or accept any comments made. Exceptions to this rule are made in respect of work on hospital building and engineering where reports, plans, etc., are Her Majesty's copyright ; and on equipment, where the Department's consent is required before publication ; e.g., in order to safeguard commercial rights and interests.
I am not aware of any refusal of a request by a research worker for permission to publish his results. Amendments or deferments in the equipment field have been requested in a few instances for the purposes of the safeguards which I have stated.
Entry to hospitals and other National Health Service institutions is a matter for arrangement between the research worker and the appropriate National Health Service authority. The Department does not issue instructions on this point. As regards social security offices, reception and rehabilitation centres, control is exercised by the Department to safeguard the confidentiality of the personal records of claimants and to ensure that the demands of the researchers do not unduly interfere with service to the public.