§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what initiatives he intends to put to the European Council of Research Ministers in Brussels on 14 March.
§ Mr. NewtonI have been asked to reply.
I represented Her Majesty's Government at the meeting of the Community's Council of Ministers (Research) in Brussels on 14 March.
The Council adopted the following four programmes within the overall provisions of the Community's 1987 to 1991 framework programme for research and development:
JOULE, a programme of research in the field of non-nuclear energy and efficient use of energy supplies, with Community funding of 122 million ecu (£79 million) over 39 months.BRITE/EURAM, a programme of research in the field of manufacturing technologies, advanced materials, and aeronautics with Community funding of 499 million ecu (£324 million) over three years.The large facilities programme to provide wider access by European researchers to large-scale European scientific facilities and to contribute to the cost of 315W enhancements to those facilities. The programme will provide Community funding of 30 million ecu (£20 million) over four years.A third five-year programme (1989 to 1993) of research and technological development for the European Atomic Energy Community in the field of decommissioning of nuclear installations, including the treatment of specific wastes, and decontamination and dismantling techniques. The programme will provide Community funding of 31.5 million ecu (£20.5 million).The Council also adopted common positions on the following six Community programmes:
DOSES, a programme over four years with Community funding of 4 million ecu (£2.5 million) in the field of research into statistical expert systems:FLAIR, a programme with Community funding of 25 million ecu (£16 million) over five years in the field of food linked agro-industrial research;EUROTRA, an extension of the programme to develop a machine translation system of advanced design, with Community funding of 7 million ecu (£4.2 million);MAST, a programme of research in basic and applied marine science. The programme is to run over a three-year period with Community funding of 50 million ecu (£32.5 million);MONITOR, a programme on forecasting and assessment in science and technology, and evaluation of research and development programmes. The programme will receive Community funding of 22 million ecu (£14 million) over four years;VALUE, a programme to promote the dissemination and utilisation of results from Community scientific research. The programme will receive Community funding of 38 million ecu (£25 million) over a five-year period.The Council also held a preliminary exchange of views on the mid-term review of the 1987 to 1991 framework programme for research and development.