§ Mr. Stonehouseasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the extent of the current pure research projects in Government establishments; and what criteria are used in assessing priorities.
§ Mr. MulleyI assume that my right hon. Friend is referring to projects carried out under the auspices of the five research councils for which I am responsible. Because of difficulties of definition it is not possible to give a precise answer to the Question, but the funds which I am making available to the councils in 1975–76 amount to over £170 million, including expenditure on administration and postgraduate training. The criteria which the councils use in selecting projects include the timeliness, promise and scientific excellence of the research and the standing of the research workers.