§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will give details of proposed cuts in the funding of agricultural and horticultural research and development recently circulated to sectors of the industry, and if he will make a statement;
(2) whether the proposals to cut Government funding of agricultural and horticultural research and development, recently circulated to sectors of the industry, include the cuts for 1989–90 and 1990–91 already announced in the expenditure plans of January 1988; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if he will outline the estimated employment effects of implementing the proposals to cut Government funding of agricultural and horticultural research and development as circulated to sectors of the industry recently, in total, by sector and by institute, including Government departments, respectively;
(4) what proportion of those cuts in the Government funding of agricultural and horticultural research and development already published have yet to be implemented; and if he will provide figures to show the projected effects in cash and employment terms in total and by sector of the industry, respectively.
§ Mr. RyderThe £20 million reduction in planned expenditure on R and D by Agriculture Departments, which was announced in January 1985, was implemented during 1986–87 and 1987–88. The further £10 million reduction announced in November 1987 will be implemented in 1989–90 and 1990–91. Decisions on further amounts by which Government funding of near market research and development from the Agriculture1032W Departments' programme will be reduced, will take into account the reductions already implemented and planned. The information which has been circulated to sectors of the industry is illustrative of the work which is considered suitable for industry funding and I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. It is not possible at present to estimate effects on employment.
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many people were employed in Government-assisted agricultural and horticultural research and development at the latest available date in the United Kingdom in total, by sector and institute, including Government Departments, respectively.