§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether in the light of recent accidents at sea leading to substantial loss of life and substantial production losses, all in the private sector, they are satisfied that it is in the national interest that facilities at the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences should be closed down.
§ The Earl of ArranThe Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Deacon Laboratory will bear some of the staff reductions recently announced by the Natural Environment Research Council, including some compulsory redundancies. The council took this step as part of measures to keep within its budget, given reduced income from commissioned work. The laboratory will continue to do research relevant to safety at sea.