§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Linlithgow on 8 July. what response the Natural Environment Research Council has had from companies in the oil and mining sectors to its request for contributions to enable the United Kingdom to afford the cost of full membership of the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling from 1 October 1985.
§ Mr. BrookeI understand from the Natural Environment Research Council that the companies concerned have promised contributions totalling approximately £275,000 per annum for up to four years. Negotiations are continuing to see if this total can be increased.