§ Mr. Shersbyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give details of the new priorities drawn up by the Agricultural and Food Research Council for its future research work following the reduction of its income by £7 million over the next three years; and whether these priorities have his approval.
§ Mr. BrookeThe Agricultural and Food Research Council published its corporate plan 1984–88 on 15594W December. A copy is in the Library. This is the council's first corporate plan and it has been drawn up after wide consultations involving the universities, industry and the agriculture Departments. The council intends to update it regularly. The decisions on the priorities, which are implicit in the plan, are for the council itself; my right hon. Friend has no locus in approving them. I welcome the council's decision to publish the plan.