HC Deb 17 June 1991 vol 193 cc8-9W
Dr. David Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the total numbers for staff employed at each of the AFRC institutes since 1980 and his estimates up until 1993; and, in each case, which are(a) scientists and (b) non-scientist; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Alan Howarth

Agricultural and Food Research Council-funded institutes were restructured during the period 1985 to 1987. For ease of reference, the figures for staff in post are shown on the basis of the present institutes of research.

The figures for actual numbers employed at 1 April in the relevant years to 1990 and an estimate for 1991 are shown in tables 1 and 2.

and 1986 respectively. They also include the former Soil Survey and Land Resource Centre, which was transferred to the Cranfield Institute of Technology in 1986–87.

4. The figures for IPSR for 1980–86 include that part of the former Plant Breeding Institute which was purchased by Unilever plc in 1986–87.

The number of staff employed on 1 April 1992 and 1 April 1993 will depend on a number of factors, including the funding available to the AFRC through the science budget and the extent of commissions from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and external funded research. The present estimate is that the number of scientific staff employed at the AFRC at its institutes and Horticulture Research International will be about 1,935 and the number of non-scientific staff will be about 1,300 on each date. No breakdown of anticipated staffing levels at each AFRC institute is available. These figures are expected to remain constant into 1993–94.