HC Deb 27 June 1989 vol 155 cc394-5W
Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in theOfficial Report all those programmes or schemes for research, development, co-operation or exchange of information on associated activity for which financial provision is made within the current budget of the European Economic Community, listed under the relevant Department of the United Kingdom Government with official title, or where allocated, an acronym, and showing for each project the date of its inception, the authorisation and amounts of funding and the principal participants or beneficiaries within the United Kingdom.

Mr. Newton

[holding answer 6 June 1989]: I have been asked to reply.

The Community's 1987–91 framework programme for research and development covers several areas of R and D. The Cabinet Office is responsible for overall co-ordination of the United Kingdom's interests in the framework programme, while individual Departments are responsible for United Kingdom interest in specific sub-programmes. I represent Her Majesty's Government at meetings of the Community Council of Ministers (Research) at which the implementation of the framework programme is agreed. A wide range of research co-operation, exchanges of information and associated activity also takes place outside the framework programme. The information requested is therefore not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

A breakdown of R and D programmes within the framework programme is as follows. Of the programmes listed, seven (radiation protection, FLAIR, MAST, DOSES, MONITOR, VALUE and an extension to EUROTRA) were adopted at the most recent Research Council on 20 June. The Council also adopted common positions on a further four programmes (which will probably be formally adopted before the end of the yeas): —STEP (science and technology for environmental protection) and EPOCH (European programme on climatology and natural hazards) are two programmes intended to improve the scientific base of environmental policy. Over a period of four years STEP will receive funding of 75 million ecu (£50 million) and EPOCH 40 million ecu (£27 million). —BRIDGE (biotechnology research for innovation, development and growth in Europe) will receive Community funding of 100 million ecu (£67 million) over four years —The research and technological development programme in the field of raw materials and recycling will receive Community funding of 45 million ecu (£30 million) over three years.

The Research Council also adopted a resolution reaffirming its support for the COST framework for European collaboration in R and D involving both EC and non-EC countries, and held a preliminary policy debate on the mid-term review of the 1987–91 framework programme.

Name of Programme United Kingdom lead Department Duration of programme Authorisation Community Funding
Medical and Health Research Department of Health 1987–1991 Council Decision 17 November 1987 65 million ecu (£43 million)
Radiation Protection Department of Health 1990–1991 Council Decision 20 June 1989 21.2 million ecu (£14 million)
ESPRIT II (European Strategic Programme for Research and Development in Information Technologies) Department of Trade and Industry 1987–1992 Council Decision 11 April 1988 1,600 million ecu (£1,067 million)
RACE (Research and Development in Advanced Communications technologies in Europe) Department of Trade and Industry 1987–1992 Council Decision 14 December 1987 550 million ecu (£367 million)
DELTA (Development of European Learning through Technological Advance) Department of Employment 1988–1990 Council Decision 29 June 1988 20 million ecu (£13 million)
DRIVE (Dedicated Road Infrastructure for Vehicle safety in Europe) Department of Transport 1988–1991 Council Decision 29 June 1988 60 million ecu (£40 Million)
AIM (Advanced Informatics in Medicine in Europe) Department of Health 1988–1990 Council Decision 4 November 1988 20 million ecu (£13 million)
BRITE/EURAM (Basic Research in Industrial Technology/Advanced Materials) Department of Trade and Industry 1989–1992 Council Decision 15 December 1988 499 million ecu (£333 million)
BCR (Community Bureau of Reference) Department of Trade and Industry 1988–1992 Council Decision 29 June 1988 59.2 million ecu (£39.5 million)
ECLAIR (European Collaborative Linkage of Agriculture and Industry through Research) Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1988–1993 Council Decision 23 February 1989 80 million ecu (£53 million)
FLAIR (Food linked agro–industrial research) Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1989–1993 Council Decision 20 June 1989 25 million ecu (£17 Million)
Controlled Thermonuclear fusion —JET and general programme Department of Energy 1988–1992 Council Decision 25 July 1988 735 million ecu (£490 million)
Joint Research Centre's programme of activities for 1988–1991 (covering Quality of Life, modernisation of industrial sectors and energy) Cabinet Office 1988–1991 Council Decisions 29 October 1988 700 million ecu (£467 million)
JOULE (Joint Opportunities for Unconventional or Long–Term Energy supply) Department of Energy 1989–1992 Council Decision 15 December 1987 122 million ecu (£81 million)
Science and Technology for Development Overseas Development Administration 1987–1991 Council Decision 14 December 1987 80 million ecu (£53 million)
Fisheries programme Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1988–1992 Council Decision 19 December 1987 30 million ecu (£20 million)
SCIENCE (Co–operation and exchanges between scientists and laboratories) Department of Education and Science 1988–1992 Council Decision 29 June 1988 167 million ecu (£111 million)
SPES (Stimulation Plan for Economic Science) Department of Education and Science 1989–1992 Council Decision 17 November 1988 6 million ecu (£4 million)
Large Scale Scientific Facilities (Community support plan to facilitate access to large–scale scientific facilities of European interest) Department of Education and Science 1988–1992 Council Decision 14 March 1989 30 million ecu (£20 million)
MONITOR (strategic analysis, forcasting and evaluation in science and technology) Department of Trade and Industry 1988–1992 Council Decision 20 June 1989 22 million ecu (£15 million)
Extension to EUROTRA (machine translation system) Department of Trade and Industry 1989–1990 Council Decision 20 June 1989 7 million ecu (£4.6 million)
DOSES (Development of Statistical Expert systems) Department of Trade and Industry 1989–1992 Council Decision 20 June 1989 4 million ecu (£2.6 million)
VALUE (dissemination and utilisation of S & T results) Department of Trade and Industry 1989–1992 Council Decision 20 June 1989 38 million ecu (£25 million)