§ Mr. Knoxasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the Government have completed the review of his Department's funding arrangements with the Agricultural Research Council recommended by the Public Accounts Committee in 1979; and what action is being taken.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe review recommended by the Public Accounts Committee has been completed. I consider it much more important that working relations between the Agricultural Research Council and my Ministry should he as constructive and co-operative as possible so that we can work together to get the best possible value for the public money put into agricultural research than that the share of the council's work which is commissioned by my Ministry should be enlarged. I have therefore agreed with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and with the Agricultural Research Council that there should be no further transfer of funds from the science budget to my Ministry.