§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the remarks in his statement to the Royal Society on 14 November concerning those aspects of marine science which are best addressed on an international co-operative basis.
Mr. JacksonAs my right hon. Friend told the Royal Society seminar, one objective in developing international scientific collaboration is to undertake research and development projects whose size or complexity make them impossible for one nation alone. Aspects of marine science that fit this criterion include the study of ocean circulation to improve understanding of how the oceans affect the Earth's climate; the study of global marine processes such as biogeochemical ocean fluxes and air-sea interactions, also critical to understanding the role of the oceans in determining climate; and studies of the North sea, including the development of water quality models.