CERN (Hansard, 21 February 1986)

§ Mr. Walden

[pursuant to his reply, 4 February 1986, c. 114]: On 20 February at the invitation of the Council of CERN I attended an extraordinary session at which it was unanimously agreed, following the proposal made by the United Kingdom, and on the basis of a resolution put forward by the President of the Council, Professor Kummer, to conduct a comprehensive independent review of the organisation. The resolution and accompanying explanatory note are as follows:

"CERN REVIEW

THE CERN COUNCIL Recognising the growing importance, for all European states regardless of their size, of political, economic, scientific and technological collaboration; the necessity of fundamental scientific reserch of high quality both for the advancement of knowledge, and for future economic and social prosperity; the success of the scientific collaboration in CERN which has given Europe a leading position in the world in the field of particle physics; the growth of scientific opportunity in this and other fields, and the consequence for priorities both nationally and internationally; the need for governments to review from time to time the distribution of financial and human resources over the existing scientific activities so as to ensure responsiveness to new scientific and technological developments; the duty, with limited publicly-provided resources, of seeking improved cost-effectiveness and better value for money. Having regard to the desirability of maintaining also in the longer term the high quality and international character of CERN science and technology, and a programme in which LEP experiments as well as other ones, including smaller experiments, can find a place; 354W possibilities within the existing CERN Convention for engaging and enlarging other sources of funds and resources; the possibilities for improved worldwide co-ordination of investment plans for accelerators and of their use; the possibilities for improving efficiency within CERN and the need to match staffing cost-effectively to programme requirements; the importance of realising LEP phase 1 and taking into consideration the completion of LEP to its full design energy. Decides to appoint an ad hoc consultative group of external personalities to conduct an in depth comprehensive review of CERN with the following task: to advise the Council how human and material resources, employment conditions, structure, operations and future use and development of facilities might be developed to operate with maximum cost effectiveness and value for money at alternative levels of funding by present Member States, and to assess their consequences for the CERN programmes and for the services to Member States^*; to assess the possibilities for engaging and enlarging other sources of funds and resources; to report within one year findings and recommendations to the CERN Council and hence to the governments of the Member States. Asks the Director-General of CERN and his staff, and other organs and committees of CERN, to provide such information and other collaboration as the Review Group may request. ^*The Delegation of the United Kingdom requests the consideration of alternative levels of funding by present Member States ranging from constant contributions at 1986 levels to contributions reduced by 25 per cent expressed throughout in 1986 real terms, over the next 5.7 years. [The President undertook to ensure that the review group examined this option.]

Cern Review: Explanatory note

1. The Group should be composed of five to seven persons and might include scientists engineers and industrialists. Members should be chosen for their breadth of experience. One member would be named as Chairman. Chairman and other members should be ready to devote the appropriate time for this task. Chairman and members would be appointed by the President of Council on behalf of the CERN Council, taking into account proposals made by the Governments of Member States, and after consultation with Committee of Council.
2. The group would have its own full-time secretariat attached to the Chairman of the Group.
3. It would be for the group to decide on its procedures. The group would be free to examine any possibilities it chose. The Group should take account of the Scientific Policy Committee and of the progress of other relevant reviews such as CERN's own internal review programme including that of Professor Rubbia's group.
4. It would be open to the Group to commission further professional help (e.g. management consultant services) with the approval of the President of CERN Council.
5. The cost of the review will be evaluated and the manner in which it will be financed will be decided on the basis of a proposal made by the Chairman of the group in collaboration with the President of Council and of the Director-General of CERN."