§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress was made at the meeting of the Research Council of European Community Ministers on 10 December; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PattieThe Community's Council of Ministers (Research) met on 10 December 1985 in Brussels: I represented Her Majesty's Government.
The Council reached agreement in principle on the financial resources for and technical content of two research programmes proposed by the Commission in the fields of the environment and materials. The formal adoption of these programmes by Council is subject to the opinion of the European Parliament.
The environment programme will cover research into environmental protection, climatology, including a small element on earthquakes, and major techonological hazards and has been allocated a total of 75 million ecu (£45,525,000 sterling) over a five-year period 1986 to 1990.
The materials programme will cover research into primary and secondary raw materials, advanced materials, which will form nearly one half of the programme, and wood and has been allocated a total of 70 million ecu (£42,490,000 sterling) over a four-year period 1986 to 1989.
The Council also held a discussion on the 1984–87 budget of the Community's joint research centre and noted the Commission's intention to find savings of 20 million ecu (£12,140,000 sterling) during 1986 and 1987.
The Council also agreed the 1986 work programme for the European strategic programme of research on information technology (ESPRIT), subject to a United Kingdom parliamentary reserve (which has been subsequently lifted); invited the Commission to consider integrating into the existing science and technology for development programme a proposal for the development of endogenous scientific and technical research capacity in developing countries; and discussed an Italian proposal on an initiative for re search in informatics applied to society (IRIS).