HC Deb 07 May 1980 vol 984 c124W
Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the precise function of the Social Science Research Council.

Mr. Macfarlane

The objects of the Social Science Research Council, as laid down in its charter, are as follows:—

  1. (a) to encourage and support by any means, research in the social sciences by any other person or body;
  2. (b) to provide and operate services for common use in carrying on such research;
  3. (c) to carry out research in the social sciences;
  4. (d) to make grants to students for postgraduate instruction in the social sciences;
  5. (e) to provide advice and to disseminate knowledge concerning the social sciences.

The expression " social sciences " is strictly understood to comprise the disciplines of economics, political science social anthropology, social psychology and sociology. But in fulfilling its charter obligations the council concerns itself with research into many other disciplines which enter into the study of social problems; the chief ones are law, medicine, mathematics, architecture, history and geography.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many people were employed by the Social Science Research Council on 3 May 1979; how many were employed on 21 April; and what is the cost to public funds of employing the people at present.

Mr. Macfarlane

The staff complement of SSRC on both the dates mentioned in my hon. Friend's second question was 248. This figure is unlikely to increase. Because on both the dates in question there were unfilled vacancies, the respective numbers of staff in post (on the nearest dates to those mentioned for which figures are available) were 205 on 1 April 1979 and 235 on 1 April 1980. The cost to public funds of the salaries of the council's staff in the financial year 1979–80 was £1.49 million.