§ Mr. Geoffrey Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if support for biotechnology is included in the moratorium on research and development assistance, announced on 12 November.
§ Mr. ButcherOf the range of assistance offered by the Department in support of biotechnology in industry, only research and development projects from individual firms on standard support for innovation terms are affected by the restrictions on new applications that my hon. Friend the Minister for Information Technology announced on 12 November.
Collaborative applied research projects and demonstration projects can still be considered. Grants also remain available for consultancy for strategic studies, feasibility studies and problem solving.
Firms with projects in mind should seek advice from the biotechnology unit at the Laboratory of the Government Chemist about the assistance available.