Mechanical Engineering and Machine Tool Requirements Board

HC Deb 29 January 1979 vol 961 cc307-8W

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what are the membership, powers, responsibilities and budget of the Mechanical Engineering and Machine Tool Requirements Board.

Mr. Les Huckfield

The current membership of the Mechanical Engineering and Machine Tools Requirements Board isMr. V. J. Osola, technical director, Triplex Safety Glass Co. Ltd., chairman. Mr. G. F. W. Adler, director of research, BHRA Fluid Engineering. Professor J. Black, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath. Mr. A. B. Cameron, director research and development, J. H. Fenner & Co. Ltd. Mr. J. G. Dawson, managing director, Zenith Carburettor Co. Ltd. Mr. K. Deutsch, technical manager, Imperial Metal Industries Ltd. Dr. T. L. Johnston, director of research, GKN Group technical centre. Mr. W. T. Lees, chief executive, Alfred Herbert Ltd. Dr. I. Nussey, IBM (UK) Ltd. Mr. S. Robson, managing director, IRD Ltd. Mr. O. Roith, general manager engineering department, BP Trading Ltd. Dr. R. B. Sims, group technical director, Delta Metal Co. Ltd. Mr. W. R. G. Bell, head of vehicles division, Department of Industry. Mr. D. M. Dell, head of machine tools and mechanical engineering division, Department of Industry. Mr. A. J. Egginton, Science Research Council. Mr. D. H. Mallinson, director, National Engineering Laboratory. Dr. L. Bovey, research and technology requirements and space division, Department of Industry. Mr. E. Barlow Wright, research establishments management division, Department of Industry. Mr. J. D. Summerfield, executive officer, RTS division, Department of Industry. Mr. W. T. K. Henderson, secretary, RTS Division, Department of Industry.

New appointments may be made shortly.

The terms of reference of the Board are to determine, subject to the agreement of the Secretary of State for Industry, the objectives, composition and balance of the Department's intra-mural and extra-mural R & D programmes and the broad allocation of funds available in this field to further the industrial use of technology. The board advises the Minister on other matters relating to science and technology within the board's field of interest. This includes R & D requirements as well as other science and technology matters in support of departmental policy in mechanical engineering, which covers machine tools, numerical control and the application of computers in engineering, manufacturing machinery, iron and steel castings, welding, forming and production engineering, and such other matters that shall be allocated to it by the Secretary of State.

The budget of the Mechanical Engineering and Machine Tools Requirements Board for the financial year 1978–79 is £11.0 million.