HC Deb 13 July 1988 vol 137 cc274-5W
92. Mr. Hardy

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his estimate of the total expenditure on civil research and development during the last three years in the United Kingdom; and what equivalent figures he has for(a) the Federal Republic of Germany, and (b) France.

Mr. Butcher

The available information relates to 1985. For that year the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has estimated gross expenditure on research and development (R and D), performed in a number of member countries, excluding expenditure on R and D for defence purposes, financed by national Defence Ministries. For the United Kingdom this was £6.4 billion, for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) £10.8 billion and for France £6.8 billion. Expenditure for the FRG and France has been converted from national currencies to pound sterling using purchasing power parities calculated by OECD.