§ Mr. Iain Mills asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the distribution of the science budget for 1986–87.
§ Sir Keith JosephHaving considered the recommendations of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils (ABRC), I have decided that the science budget for 1986–87 should, subject to approval by Parliament of the Estimates in due course, be allocated as follows:
1986–87 £ million cash Agricultural and Food Research Council 52.7 Economic and Social Research Council 23.6 Medical Research Council 128.3 Natural Environment Research Council 70.3 Science and Engineering Research Council 315.5 British Museum (Natural History)* 17.2 Royal Society 6.4 Fellowship of Engineering 0.45 Science Policy Studies (ABRC) 0.11 614.56 * Including expenditure of £5.4 million by the Property Services Agency on behalf of the museum.
Copies of the ABRC's recommendations on allocations from the science budget for 1986–87 have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.