HC Deb 15 December 1988 vol 143 cc658-9W
Mr. Gordon Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the annual expenditure on research into(a)public transport and planning and(b)prevention and control of marine pollution in 1978–79, 1987–88, with forecasts and plans for1988—89, 1989–90 and 1990–91.

Mr. Portillo

Expenditure by the Department on research into public transport and transport planning (excluding technology and investment analysis) has been as follows:

Year £million
1978–79 1.4
1987–88 1.8

Forecast expenditure for 1988–89 is £18 million. Planned expenditure for 1989–90 is £1.1 million. Specific plans for this sector have not yet been made for subsequent years but continuation of expenditure at about the 1989–90 level is likely.

For research into the prevention and control of marine pollution, no figures are readily available for 1978–79. For the other years my Department's forecast or planned expenditure is:

Year £ million
1987–88 0.892
1988–89 1.052
1989–90 0.989
1990–91 0.970

Other Departments also finance research in this area, including the Departments of the Environment, of Education and Science (NERC), and of Energy; the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland.