§ 43. Mr. John H. Osbornasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration he has given to encouraging international co-operation in research and development, particularly in the pure and basic scientific fields, in view of the costliness of research and equipment in these fields; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneMy right hon. and learned Friend and I encourage such co-operation. I have been heartened to discover, during my visits to 30 research councils'340W institutes and units in this country and a further three organisations overseas, that much international co-operation is taking place at scientist level. All the research councils have good arrangements for international co-operation in areas requiring expensive facilities such as nuclear physics, neutron beams, space, astronomy, geophysics and ocean drilling—this week the Science and Engineering Research Council is expecting to sign an agreement on astronomy with the equivalent body in the Netherlands. In some of these areas the United Kingdom is a member of the appropriate international organisation. The United Kingdom's subscription to such organisations is paid, via the science budget of my Department, by the Science and Engineering Research Council or the Medical Research Council as appropriate; details of these subscriptions for 1981–82 are published in Supply Estimates 1981–82, Class X, Votes 7 and 9.
There are also co-operative arrangements in other disciplines, and the research councils are encouraged to ensure that reseachers in universities and other institutions who apply for support are aware of those schemes, run by the council concerned, which have an international aspect. All the research councils are members of the European Science Foundation, which was founded to advance co-operation in basic research. My officials have regular discussions with officials from France and Germany on scientific matters.