HC Deb 03 December 1979 vol 975 cc53-4W
Mr. D. E. Thomas

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing all moneys expended by his Department in each year since 1974 on research, showing in each year the organisations to which funding was made available and the titles of the projects funded.

Mr. Peter Walker

The money expended by my Department in each year since 1974 on research was as follows:

£ million
1973–74 1974–75 1975–76
15.1 22.9 35.8
1976–77 1977–78 1978–79
41.8 44.3 47.3

In each year funding was made available to the following organisations:

  • Agricultural Research Council
  • National Environmental Research Council
  • Flour Milling and Baking Research Association
  • Campden Food Production Research Association
  • British Food Manufacturing Industries Research Association
  • British Industrial Biological Research Association
  • Home Grown Cereals Authority
  • Eggs Authority
  • National Institute of Agricultural Botany
  • Universities, Colleges and other agencies
  • White Fish Authority
  • International Commission for the Exploration of the Sea

The titles of the projects funded could only be supplied at disproportionate cost. The following subjects were funded in each year:

  • Soil Science and Soils
  • Plant Science
  • Cereals
  • Grassland and Forage
  • Other Arable Crops
  • Field Vegetables
  • Top Fruit
  • Soft Fruit
  • Hops
  • Protected Crops
  • Hardy Ornamentals
  • Animals (general)
  • Beef and Dairy Cattle
  • Sheep
  • Pigs
  • Poultry
  • Animal Products (incorporated under other subjects in 1978–79)
  • Engineering and Buildings
  • Food Science
  • Flood Protection and Drainage
  • Marine Flood Protection
  • Marine Environment and Fisheries Research
  • Whale Research
  • Market Intelligence for Eggs
  • Agricultural Economics

In addition work on nitrates in water has been funded each year since 1976–77.