§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will include in his microelectronics awareness programme peak viewing time television 487W advertisements about the employment and economic prospects which microelectronics will produce.
Mr. Alan WilliamsNo. The impact of applying microelectronics to products and production processes is a complex problem and depends on decisions made by individual enterprises. It would, therefore, be impractical to predict the effect which microelectronics will have in every firm or sector of industry. However, the Government have made clear the vital importance that microelectronics has for the future of British industry and the TUC, in itsEconomic Review for 1979, has said that the debate about new technology should not be about whether it should happen but how it should happen.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Industry how much he has given to date to aid research into the computer-aided manufacturing microelectronics project; and if he intends to continue supporting this research so as to ensure it is not taken over and exploited by American computer interests.
Mr. Alan WilliamsMy Department has no computer-aided manufacturing microelectronics project but has provided about £400,000 towards research and development in this area of technology in recent years. It is planned to increase this support in future, mainly through the microelectronics industry support programme.