§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what are the activities of the corrosion committee; how many people it employs; and what is its cost to public funds in the latest year for which figures are available;
(2) what are the activities of the committee for materials handling; how many people it employs; and what is its cost 12W to public funds in the latest year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. David MitchellThe committee for materials handling and the committee on corrosion were operating committees of the Committee for Industrial Technology—CFIT—with volunteer members drawn from the industrial and academic worlds. CFIT and its operating committees were disbanded at the end of its promotional campaign in November 1978. There were no people employed by the committees other than the secretariat provided by the Department. It is not practicable to give the expenditure of individual CFIT committees except at disproportionate cost, but the budgeted figure for CFIT for the financial year 1978–79 was £265,000.