§ 24. Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for developing his research establishments.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettIt is our policy to develop the research establishments continuously in accord with scientific opportunities, and with the need for new information as a basis for Government policies.
§ Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a list of all the research projects designed to develop alternative systems, instead of the use of animals in toxicity testing and hazard evaluation, funded by his Department or by an organisation funded by his Department; and what proportion of his research and development is devoted to such projects.
§ Mr. MarksA programme of research on the possible health effects of drinking water characteristics includes a project which will be carried out by the Medical Research Council's cell mutation unit. 605W involving the modification of a technique to assess toxicity using bacteria. This represents a very small proportion of my Department's research and development budget.