§ Mr. Shersbyasked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the total expenditure in 1980 by his Department on industrial research and development; what is the projected expenditure in the current financial year; how this compares with the amount spent by the Government on industrial research and development in France, West Germany and Japan; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WakehamThe total net expenditure by my Department on industrial research and development in 1980–81 was £186 million. The projected figure for 1981–82 is £230 million. There are no directly comparable figures for foreign countries, but an analysis by European Community objectives of net central Government expenditure on research and development for industry, productivity and technology gives the following estimated figures for 1980–81:
465W
£ million United Kingdom 155 France 291 West Germany 411 There is no available breakdown of the Japanese Government's expenditure on research and development by Departments, so a comparison is not possible.