HC Deb 01 July 1991 vol 194 cc39-40W
Mr. Butler

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the investment in total in current values to set up and establish the nuclear structure facility at Daresbury as an operating centre.

Mr. Alan Howarth

The final capital cost of the nuclear structure facility was £13.6 million at 1980 price levels. This corresponds to £26.3 million at current prices.

Mr. Butler

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to(a) the capital costs, (b) the setting-up costs, (c) the commissioning costs and (d) the back-up costs of the LINAC facility at Daresbury laboratory.

Mr. Alan Howarth

The equipment forming the LINAC facility was transferred from the university of Oxford and installed at Daresbury laboratory at a cost of £1,235,000. Associated work to set up beam lines and new laboratories cost a further £880,000. The contribution by Daresbury laboratory's own staff in installing and setting up the facility cannot be separately disaggregated.

Mr. Butler

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will construct a table showing the capital investments in the nuclear structure facility at Daresbury, the year of those investments and the originally expected usable lifetimes of the major items involved.

Mr. Alan Howarth

The capital cost of the original nuclear structure facility was £13.6 million at 1980 prices. A programme of enhancements has been carried out since then and contained within the annual NSF operating budget which has varied within the range of £5.5 million to £6.6 million. The superconducting linear accelerator (LINAC) was transferred and installed at the NSF in 1990 at a capital cost of £1.2 million.

Although the NSF could be sustained in operation with the necessary maintenance for a further 10 years or so, SERC's 1989 corporate plan envisaged a change of scientific direction in this field from the mid-1990s. The NSF was expected to sustain a high quality programme of nuclear structure research at least until then.

Mr. Butler

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the expected usable lifetime of the LINAC at Daresbury laboratory; and when it was first used.

Mr. Alan Howarth

Following transfer of the equipment from Oxford university to the nuclear structure facility, the LINAC was inaugurated in November 1990.

Although the LINAC facility could be sustained in operation with increasing maintenance costs for 10 years or so, SERC's 1989 corporate plan envisaged a change of scientific direction in the field of nuclear structure physics from the mid to late 1990s. The LINAC facility was expected to sustain a high quality performance at least until then.

Mr. Butler

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to how the SERC intends to put into action its plans to maintain the nuclear structure facility at the forefront of low-energy, nuclear physics worldwide as outlined in "The Laboratories in the 1990s".

Mr. Alan Howarth

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave to him on 25 June 1991,Official Report, column 444.

Mr. Butler

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the LINAC at Daresbury laboratory was inaugurated; and by whom.

Mr. Alan Howarth

The superconducting linear accelerator (LINAC) was inaugurated on 26 November 1990 by SERC's chairman, Sir Mark Richmond.

Mr. Butler

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what evaluation of the quality of the work emerging from the use of the LINAC at Daresbury laboratory SERC intends to undertake; and whether such evaluation will be published.

Mr. Alan Howarth

I understand that the SERC has no plans to conduct such a study.

Mr. Butler

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the capital asset value of the nuclear structure facility at Daresbury.

Mr. Alan Howarth

As a unique scientific facility with a single use, the nuclear structure facility has no meaningful commercial or market value.