§ Mr. HanleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received the annual report of the Science and Engineering Research Council for 1988–89; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe annual report of the Science and Engineering Research Council for 1988–89 has been submitted to me under the requirements of the Science and Technology Act 1965, and a copy is being laid before the House today.
I was most interested to read the report on what has clearly been another exciting and interesting year for the Council. I was particularly impressed to learn of: 6W
- a. the completion during the year of two satellite instruments to observe the composition of the atmosphere and its global variation—both key elements in the United Kingdom's study of the global environment;
- b. the revelation, by means of radio-astronomical techniques, of 80 species of chemical molecules in inter-stellar space, thereby stimulating ideas about mat ter in the universe and contributing to the enhancement of man's understanding of chemical reactions at very high temperatures;
- c. the success of the Council's synchrotron radiation source at its Daresbury laboratory in determining the molecular structure of the foot-and-mouth disease virus;
- d. the observation, by British, Dutch and Spanish astronomers at the William Herschel telescope in the Canary islands, of a high-energy radio pulsar that is slowly extinguishing its celestial companion, the White Dwarf star;
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- e. the use of highly sophisticated techniques, developed in nuclear physics, for studying lake sediments and thus the historical evolution of sulphur dioxide emissions.
I was also pleased to note that the SERC is currently reviewing its policy for wider public education about the science it conducts, focusing particularly on the interests of young people. I congratulate the Council and the academic community on these and other achievements, and look forward to reading about further progress in next year's report.