HC Deb 07 December 1989 vol 163 cc313-4W
Mr. Bermingham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of the research grants of each of the research councils was spent on equipment by recipients in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jackson

[holding answer 30 November 1989]: Details of capital expenditure as a percentage of total research grant expenditure for each of the research councils, for the last five years for which outturn figures are available, are as follows:

1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89
AFRC 10.3 14.8 11.1 8.9 17.7
MRC 13.8 10.8 9.3 10.4 10.2
NERC 7.7 12.5 11.0 9.1 8.7
SERC 26.3 32.8 31.2 28.9 27.2
ESRC 1.0 1.4 0.9 1.2 3.3

Separate figures for equipment are not available.