§ Mr. BerminghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the extra money allocated over the next three years to research councils to fund individual projects is designed to increase the proportion of high quality alpha projects which may be funded, and if he will make a statement.
Mr. JacksonThe extra money allocated by my right hon. Friend is intended to increase the number and value of high quality alpha projects funded by the research councils. Whether it will increase the proportion of alpha-rated projects which can be funded will depend on the total number of applications graded alpha and research council decisions concerning the sums to be allocated to research grants.