§ Mrs. Renee Shortasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has to provide resources to the Natural Environment Research Council to continue the British Geological Survey and to publish information obtained.
§ Mr. BrookeIt is my right hon. Friend's practice to give the Natural Environment Research Council its grant-in-aid from the science budget without direction as to how it should be apportioned between its various activities, of which work on the geological survey of the United Kingdom—managed by the British Geological Survey—is one. I understand that the NERC intends to make resources available for this work to continue, but that the level of activity will depend on the size of the NERC's grant-in-aid and on the income it receives from Government Departments and other bodies for commissioned research. My right hon. Friend expects to receive soon the advice of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils on the allocation of the science budget in 1985–86.
I understand that the policy on publishing the results of this work will follow the normal practice of the British Geological Survey.