§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if consideration will be given to the Natural Environment Research Council's new flagship, the Charles Darwin, having Liverpool or Birkenhead as its home port; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrookeI understand that the home port of the RRS Charles Darwin will be London, as is the case with her sister ship the RRS Discovery, and that the NERC has no plans to change the home port of the vessel.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the Natural Environment Research Council has any plans to establish further parts of its research facilities in the north-west.
§ Mr. BrookeThe NERC has four major sites in the North West at Merlewood, Windermere, Bidston and Bangor. It also employs field teams working in a wide number of areas in the north west. There are no current plans to establish further permanent stations in this—or any other—part of the country.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will make a statement on the future of the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences at Bidston;
(2) if there are any plans to close the Bidston observatory and redeploy the staff to the south of England.
§ Mr. BrookeThe Institute of Oceanographic Sciences is a component body of the Natural Environment Research Council which receives funds from the science vote. I am aware that the NERC is currently engaged in a review of the structure and activities of the IOS at its three sites at Wormley (Surrey), Bidston (Merseyside) and Taunton (Somerset). I understand that the initial report of the review team is due to be considered at an early meeting of NERC council.