§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Prime Minister, pursuant to her reply, 19 July, Official Report, column 285, when she expects to receive a copy of the report to be submitted to the chairman of the Natural Environment Research Council and Advisory Board for the Research Councils about geological surveying in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterI understand that the chairmen of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils (ABRC) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) expect the study group to submit its report to them about nine months after it starts work. Thereafter it will be for the ABRC and the NERC to decide what action to take on the report's recommendations; if they see fit to make a submission to the Government it would be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and310W Science. I have placed in the Library a copy of the NECR's press notice of 17 October which gives the study group's membership and terms of reference.