§ Lord VAIZEYasked Her Majesty's Government:
What proportion of the Social Science Research Council's expenditure was devoted to administrative costs in the last available year.
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§ The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION and SCIENCE (Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge)In 1975/76 the proportion was 14.4 per cent. In 1976/77 the proportion is expected to be 11.3 per cent.
§ Lord VAIZEYasked Her Majesty's Government:
What proportion of the Social Science Research Council's expenditure, after deducting administrative costs, was devoted to research and other activities conducted by or actively associated with members of the Council and its sub-committees.
§ Lord DONALDSON of KINGSBRIDGEThe SSRC estimate that in 1975/76 research grants in which members of the Council and its sub-committees had an interest accounted for 2.3 per cent. of its expenditure on items other than administrative costs.
§ Lord VAIZEYasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why it is proposed to increase the expenditure of the Social Science Research Council when the country's need is to support manufacturing industry.
§ Lord DONALDSON of KINGSBRIDGEMy right honourable friend accepted the recommendation of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils that allocations from the Science Budget for 1977/78 should continue to reflect its policy of reducing expenditure on big science and supporting growth in some other activities, especially the Science Research Council's new engineering programmes. Part of the expenditure of the SSRC is directed towards the problems which stand in the way of economic growth. The 1977/78 grants-in-aid to the Research Councils will be shown in the Supply Estimates which will shortly be published.