HC Deb 29 October 1981 vol 10 cc442-3W

Mrs. Renée Short asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what changes have been made in the last year in the membership of the Social Science Research Council; and if he will list the total current membership together with their qualifications.

Mr. William Shelton: During the last year the terms of office of Professor A. H. Halsey, Professor A. Summerfield and Professor J. Wrigley ended. Professor J. G. Edwards, Mr. N. Johnson and Mr. M. Shock were appointed to fill the ensuing vacancies. (Two further members, who also reached the end of their terms of office in the last year, were re—appointed.)

The present membership of the Council is as follows: CHAIRMAN

Mr. M. V. Posner

Member of the British Railways Board; Educated Balliol College, Oxford; Member of the Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment; Adviser to the Council for Energy Conservations former Economic Adviser Department of Energy (1974–75) and Deputy Chief Economic Adviser to Her Majesty's Treasury (1975–76).

MEMBERS

Mr. D. Brooks

Personnel Consultant; Educated University College Cardiff; Member of the BBC Consultative Group on Social Effects of Television; Former Personnel Officer, Hoover Ltd. (1956–60).

Professor S. J. Checkland

Professor of Economic History, University of Glasgow; Educated Birmingham University; Associate Canadian Banker Association; Honorary Vice President of the Economic History Society (1980); Former Lecturer at Liverpool and Cambridge Universities.

Mr. H. J. D. Cole

Chief Economic Adviser, Departments of the Environment and Transport; Educated Trinity College Cambridge; Former Director General of Economics and Resources at the Department of the Environment (1972–76).

Sir James Dunnett

President, Institute of Manpower Studies; Educated University College Oxford; Former Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transport (1959–62) and at the Ministry of Labour (1962–66), and Permanent Under Secretary of State Ministry of Defence (1966–74).

Sir Goronwy Daniel

H.M. Lieutenant for Dyfed; Director Commercial Bank of Wales; Educated University College of Wales, Jesus College Oxford; Former Vice Chancellor of University of Wales; Adviser Council on Energy Conservation (1974–79); Permannt Under Secretary of State at the Welsh Office (1964–69).

Professor E. Gellner

Professor of Philosophy, London School of Economics; Educated Balliol College.

Mr. J. Gestetner

Joint Chairman, Gestetner Holdings Ltd.; Educated Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Member of Maplin Development Authority (1973–74).

Professor J. G. Edwards

Professor of Addiction Behaviour, Institute of Psychiatry; Honorary Consultant at the Bethlem and Maudsley Hospitals; Medical Director Alcohol Education center; Educated Balliol College Oxford; Member of the Department of Environment Committee on Drinking and Driving (1974–75); Adviser to the Home Office Council on the Misuse of Drugs (1972).

Mr. W. Hayes

Executive Councillor, Electrical Electronic Telecommunication and Plumbing Union.

Mr. N. Johnson

Reader in the Comparative Study of Institutions, Nuffield College Oxford; Educated University College Oxford; Former Lecturer at Nottingham and Warwick Universities.

Professor J. R. Sargent

Group Economic Adviser Midland Bank; Honorary Professor of Economics, University of Warwick; Educated Christ Church Oxford; Economic Consultant Her Majesty's Treasury and Department of Economic Affairs (1963–65).

Lord Sefton of Garston

Vice Chairman of Warrington and Runcorn Development Corporation; Member of the New Town Commission; Former Chairman and Leader of Merseyside County Council (1974–77).

Mr. M. Shock

Vice Chancellor of Leicester University, Chairman of the University Authorities Panel; Educated Balliol College Oxford, St. Antony's College; Former Lecturer in Politics at Christ Church and Trinity Colleges Oxford.

Professor P. J. Sloane

Head of Department of Economics and Management, Paisley College; Educated Universities of Sheffield and Strathclyde; Former Economic Adviser, Unit of Manpower Studies, Department of Employment (1973–74); Lecturer at Strathclyde, Aberdeen and Nottingham Universities.

Dame Ann Springman

Chairman, National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations (1980–81); Former Councillor, Bracknell District Council and Chairman of their Planning Committee (1968–76).

Mr. W. B. Utting

Chief Social Work Officer, DHSS; Educated New College Oxford; Former Director of Social Services, Kensington and Chelsea (1970–76).

Professor D. E. C. Wedderburn

Principal Bedford College, London; Educated Girton College Cambridge; Former Head of Department of Social and Economic Studies at Imperial College of Science and Technology (1965–81); Member of Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (1976—to date).

Mrs. Mary Warnock

Senior Research Fellow, St. Hugh's College Oxford; Member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution; Educated Lady Margaret Hall Oxford; Chairman on the Committee of Inquiry into Special Education (1974–78).

Professor M. J. Wise

Professor of Geography, London School of Economics; President, Royal Geographical Society; Governor of Birkbeck College; Educated University of Birmingham.

* Departmental members

Mrs. Renée Short asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether any reorganisation is planned to the internal structure of the Social Science Research Council.

Mr. William Shelton: A decision to reorganise the Social Science Research Council's committee structure was take n at the July meeting of the council. In early October the council published a document which is partly informative and partly consultative. It sets out the new committee structure and invites discussion on its detailed working methods and procedures. A copy of the document, which is entitled "A Change in Structure for Changing Circumstances", has been sent direct to the hon. Member by the council.