HL Deb 25 February 1992 vol 536 cc3-4WA
Lord Flowers

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the £520.8 million grant-in-aid to the Science and Engineering Research Council for 1992–93 referred to by Baroness Denton of Wakefield in answer to Lord Peyton of Yeovil on 12th February (column 715) included (a) money transferred following the shift in the "dual support" boundary and (b) money earmarked for supercomputing; and if so, what is the amount of grant-in-aid net of these sums and what real terms increase since 1979–80 does this represent.

Baroness Denton of Wakefield

The grant-in-aid to the Science and Engineering Research Council for 1992–93 will be £520.8 million. This included a transfer of £25.9 million to the Council for research costs previously borne by the University Funding Council under the "dual support" system.

The real terms increase of 16 per cent. since 1979–80 that I quoted in my answer of 12th February was net of this transfer.

The grant-in-aid also includes £7.2 million earmarked for the running costs and development of supercomputing facilities which the SERC manages on behalf of all five research councils. The real terms increase since 1979–80 net of this amount is 14.3 per cent.