§ Sir Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's participation in the sixth parliamentary and scientific conference of the Council of Europe, held recently in Tokyo.
§ Sir Keith JosephAt my request my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State represented the United Kingdom Government at the sixth Parliamentary and Scientific Conference of the Council of Europe which was held in Tokyo on 3–6 June on the theme of "Science and democracy: common values in a dialogue of civilisation". I am glad to report that the United Kingdom was, additionally, strongly and audibly represented by hon. Members of both Houses, by the General Rapporteur and by a keynote speaker. I am informed that the conference was hosted with generous hospitality and great efficiency by the Japanese Government; that it was an invaluable occasion for exchanging views on scientific and technological matters of current concern in the democracies of Western Europe and Japan; and that it helped to strengthen the foundations for continuing and growing co-operation at all levels between the Member Countries. In addition my hon. Friend, who was accompanied by the Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils Sir David Phillips, took the opportunity of visiting several universities, and Government and industrial research laboratories, to promote the existing good working relations between United Kingdom and Japanese scientists and to explore possibilities for their extension. The text of the176W conclusions distributed at the close of the conference is as follows; they have yet to be considered by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Tokyo, 6 June 1985