§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Industry what support his Department is giving to research into biotechnology; and what steps are being taken to ensure that British companies utilise this research for its major industrial potential in the future.
§ Mr. Les Huckfield:The Department of Industry, through its Chemicals and Minerals Requirements Board (CMRB), is supporting research in the biotechnology area at Warren Spring Laboratory (WSL), AERE Harwell and in industry. Its expenditure on this research in 1977–78 was £250,000, a figure which is likely to be exceeded in 1978–79 and subsequent years. Substantial additional expenditure is incurred by industry at AERE Harwell and WSL as a result of 244W the Department's programmes and is evidence of their industrial value and relevance. The work covers such subjects as microbial leaching, waste fermentation, fractionation of biological materials and various aspects of enzyme technology.
The CMRB is fully aware of the potential importance of biotechnology in general and is anxious to support more work in this area, particularly in industry but also in the form of joint projects between industrial companies and research establishments or universities.