§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what steps have been taken to ensure a greater share of spin-off arising from military research and development in the civil sector;
(2) if he will make a statement on what steps he is taking to ensure the transfer of technology from the defence industry to civil production.
§ Mr. ButlerWhile the primary purpose of defence research must be to meet defence requirements, the importance of identifying and exploiting ideas with commercial application is fully recognised. Work carried out in the defence research establishments is published where possible. Reports on defence work carried out in the establishments and elsewhere are collected and disseminated by the Defence research information centre. It is also part of the role of Ministry of Defence patents officers to identify advances which need to be patented in the interests of protection or exploitation. Advances which are considered to have civil potential are offered to the British Technology Group. There is also a regular exchange of ideas with industry through normal contacts between the research establishments and companies. With a view to enhancing exploitation further, agreement has been reached for the establishment of a private sector company called Defence Technology Enterprises Limited for the specific purpose of identifying and exploiting spin-off opportunities in the defence research establishments. The company is now in the process of working up its organisation and procedures.
Following the Secretary of State's instructions that encouragement should be given to obtaining the maximum exploitation of spin-off from new technology generated within industry under MOD-funded extramural contracts, the Ministry's contracts staff have entered into discussions with the Confederation of British Industries to examine ways of implementing those instructions to the full.