§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on(a) the value of the work done for his Department on geomagnetism and (b) his assessment of the future research priority given to geomagnetism.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthThe Department supports work on geomagnetism through the Natural Environment Research Council at the Council's institutes—the British Geological Survey and British Antarctic Survey—and in higher education institutions, on the theory and past behaviour of the earth's geomagnetic field; on observing, monitoring and modelling activity of the contemporary geomagnetic field; and on the interactions of the earth's magnetic field with solar phenomena. The current value of NERC support for observation and monitoring of present-day geomagnetic activity is £201,000 per annum. The future priority to be given to NERC science budget support for geomagnetism research is a matter for NERC to consider against its other priorities.