§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what lessons were learnt for the research work of British universities from the recent official visit to Japan of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Wantage (Mr. Jackson).
Mr. JacksonMy recent visit to Japan, accompanied by the biological secretary to the Royal Society, was extremely valuable. Comparisons between the United Kingdom and Japanese systems for support of university research and for science were fascinating. My view was reinforced that British public funding of university research has sustained high quality and creative work. Our system, with autonomous universities and a Universities Funding Council separate from the Government, delivers a high quality and quantity of research. Equally interesting is the way in which Japanese business is succeeding in the development of "strategic" science and in harnessing scientific insights to the production of commercial products.