§ Mr. Warrenasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration has been given by his Department to the potential impact on the Alvey 47W programme and other commercial programmes in information technology of the diversion of resources to strategic defence initiative contracts; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ButcherWhen research is at the fundamental and basic stage, there may well be some overlap between civil and defence technologies. This is in the nature of generic advanced technology; but it does mean that there are civil benefits from defence research and development. The Government recognise the need to maintain a balance between resources deployed to civil research and those deployed to defence work—of which strategic defence research is one component. However, it is still very early in the strategic defence programme and the Government is keeping the situation identified by my hon. Friend under close review.