§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) why the rent for the Medical Research Council's headquarters in London is to be increased from its present nominal figure;
(2) if he will make extra funds available to the Medical Research Council to ensure that its increased rent charges are not taken from its present research allocations.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneMy right hon. and learned Friend understands that the rent of the Medical Research Council's headquarters building is to be increased from December 1980 in accordance with the 69W terms of the lease. This lease was negotiated and agreed between the council and its landlords, a private firm, in 1960. The rent has remained unchanged since then. The lease provides for rent reviews after 20 years and again after a further 15 years.
The council's allocation from the science budget for the current year was announced last December. Decisions concerning allocations from the science budget for 1981–82 have yet to be taken. In deciding allocations it is, however, not the practice to have regard to specific individual items such as rent or rates for particular properties.