§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on progress to date on transferring the facilities of the Princes Risborough laboratory to the main Building Research Establishment site at Garston; what financial and staffing resources have been allocated for timber research during the 1983–84 financial year; and how they compare with the 1982–83 outturn.
§ Mr. StanleyRegarding the move of the Princes Risborough laboratory, a detailed scheme for accommodating the required facilities on the main Building Research Establishment site at Garston will be finalised shortly. Work on planning and programming the move, which will take place on a phased basis, is in hand.
In addition to timber research, the programme of the Princes Risborough laboratory includes work on the performance of building components and jointing systems, maintenance, and on safety and environmental aspects of the use of pesticides in industry and the home. Some 33 staff will be working on timber research during the 1983–84 financial year compared with 29 staff last year. BRE's outturn expenditure on timber research in 1982–83 was £900,000 including the costs of work carried out in-house and that carried out externally. The comparable figure for 1983–84 will be approximately £1,060,000.