§ Mr. David Steelasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list all those organisations, other than the Animal Breeding Research Organisation, currently undertaking research in the breeding of animals; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. William SheltonI assume that the right hon. Member is referring to research relevant to the breeding of farm animals. Apart from the Animal Breeding Research Organisation, two other Agricultural Research Council institutes, the Poultry Research Centre and the Institute of Animal Physiology, undertake research in farm animal breeding, and several other institutes funded by the ARC also carry out research that contributes to animal breeding work.
I understand from my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, that the Agricultural Development Advisory Service, together with the Meat and Livestock Commission and the Milk Marketing Board undertake research in breeding farm animals.
I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland that some limited research in the 414W breeding of animals is currently undertaken at the following establishments, which are grant-aided by his Department:—
- Animal Diseases Research Association
- East of Scotland College of Agriculture
- North of Scotland College of Agriculture
- West of Scotland Agricultural College
Many of the organisations I have listed also fund research at universities. Additional research relevant to farm animal breeding is carried out by various universities using funds from their block grants supplied through the University Grants Committee for teaching and research.
I have no details of organisations carrying out work on animal breeding, funded by the private sector.
§ Mr. David Steelasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to withdraw or reduce Government funds currently available to the Animal Breeding Research Organisation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. William SheltonThe funding of the Animal Breeding Research Organisation is a matter for the Agricultural Research Council, which has discretion to apportion its grant-in-aid from the science budget as it sees fit.
§ Mr. David Steelasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will specify the amount of capital grant received by the Agricultural Research Council in each of the last three years; and if he will list the percentage of those amounts allocated to the Animal Breeding Research Organisation in each of those years.
§ Mr. William SheltonThe Agricultural Research Council's grant-in-aid for each of the last three years, and the percentage of that devoted to the Animal Breeding Research Organisation, is as follows:
1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 £ £ £ Grant-in-aid (capital and current) 22.28 29.60 37.51 per cent. per cent. per cent. Percentage of these amounts allocated to the Animal Breeding Research Organisation (capital and current) 7.1 6.3 6.6 It is for the Agricultural Research Council to decide the distribution of its grant-in-aid from the science budget as between capital and other expenditure. The amounts that the council has spent on capital items, and the percentages of those sums allocated to the Animal Breeding Research Organisation, in each of the last three years are as follows:
1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 £ million £ million £ million Capital Expenditure by ARC 8.07 7.23 8.96 Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Percentage of above amounts allocated to the Animal Breeding Research Organisation 2.5 1.9 *4.3 * Includes the net cost of the purchase of Hamilton House farm.