§ Mr. Lofthouseasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the annual cost of Government-sponsored research into building structures, services, materials, performance and design and site procedures, defects and repairs; which agencies are responsible for carrying out this research; and if he will give the cost for each, and the total manpower commitment.
§ Sir George YoungThe major part of the Government-sponsored research in the areas specified is carried out under the Department of the Environment's research 163W programme at the Building Research Establishment and the industry's research associations. The following table gives estimates of the costs of work carried out in 1983–84 by agencies responsible.
At the BRE, some 264 man-years were deployed on these topics; manpower details are not available for other agencies.
In addition, DOE sponsors research on other construction topics, including aspects of fire.
The Science and Engineering Research Council funds relevant research in universities at an annual cost of about £3 million and some support is also provided by other Government Departments, notably the Department of Energy in the context of energy conservation.