§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in the light of the need for self-sufficiency and the economic potential of biotechnology in the fields of high-yielding crops, increased soils efficiency, feedstocks, and agricultural chemicals, what plans his Department has for funding research to ensure Great Britain is at the forefront of this technology.
§ Mr. Strang:Although my Department supports a significant amount of research 649W in the sectors referred to, no direct support is given to basic research directly connected with biotechnology ; nor is any planned.