§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Minister for the Arts if he will provide additional resources to the national museums to fund research on antiquities using the work of Professor Alec Jeffreys, FRS, of Leicester university in relation to stable DNA.
§ Mr. RentonI understand that Professor Alec Jeffrey's work on developing DNA probes involving genetic fingerprinting has been undertaken not only in university departments but in museums, often utilising material from national museums.
The natural history museum has been developing DNA studies over the past five years and has recently constructed a special laboratory for this type of work. This work is supported through the museum's grant-in-aid arid also by funding from research councils and private funding agencies. The museum's bid for funding from my Department in 1991–92 has been met in full.