§ Mrs. Bainasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the projected expenditure for the coming financial year on grants in support of university research on social work projects.
§ Dr. OwenI have been asked to reply. From the Department's funds for research work in this field so far £310,000 is committed on grants to universities for the financial year 1976–77. This figure includes a large programme commissioned by the Department with the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) for research on 43W deprivation, most of which will be undertaken by university-based research workers. There is a further sum of approximately £25,000 reserved but as yet uncommitted for new research work in the field in 1976–77; it is probable that a large proportion of this will be spent with universities.
For research in the same field the Scottish Education Department has already committed about £53,000 for nine research projects in universities for 1976–77.
Apart from the deprivation programme already referred to, for 1976–77 the SSRC, which is financed by a grant in aid from the Department of Education and Science, has so far committed approximately £7,500 for such grants to universities, and will be considering further proposals in this field alongside other demands on its resources. Grants for research work of this kind are, of course, also provided by non-governmental bodies.