§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 18 February,Official Report, columns 300–4, about the framework research development programmes, what were the values in pounds sterling of the payments shown in tables B and C at the time the payments were made.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe information given in table B in my answer of 18 February,Official Report, columns 300–4, is the breakdown of expenditure for the third framework programme covering the period 1990–94. The amounts deemed necessary for the specific areas were agreed in April 1990. The supplementary funding was agreed in December 1992. Table 1 sets out the sums for the programme as it was initially adopted in April 1990 in pounds sterling at the rate of exchange prevailing at that time—£1 = 1.351 ecu—and for the supplementary funding at the exchange rate prevailing in December 1992—£1 = 1.253 ecu. The drawing down of these sums will take place over a period extending beyond 1994.
The information on payments made to date under the third framework programme was shown in table D of my previous answer. These payments took place between October and December 1991 and table 2 shows their value in pounds sterling based on the average rate of exchange over that period—£1 = 1.413 ecu.
Table C of my answer of 18 February contains information on thousands of contracts let at different times during the period 1987–1991. Information on 620W payments in pounds sterling, at the time each specific payment was made, would be obtainable only at disproportionate cost.
Table 1 Third framework programme of Community activities on research and development (1990–94) Breakdown of the amount deemed necessary between the various activities Framework programme agreed April 1990 1£million Breakdown of supplement agreed December 1992 2£ million Information technology 1,000.7 143.7 Communication technology 362.0 51 9 Telematics 281.3 39.9 Industrial and materials 553.7 79.8 Measurement and testing 103.6 15.2 Environment 306.4 43.9 Marine sciences and technology 77.0 11.2 Biotechnology 121.4 17.6 Agri and agro-industrial 246.5 35.1 Biomedicine and health 98.4 14.4 Life sciences for development 82.2 12.0 Non-nuclear energies 116.2 347.9 Nuclear fission 147.3 23.1 Fusion 339.0 87.8 Human capital and mobility 383.4 55.1 Total 4,219.0 3718.5 1 £1 = 1 351 ecu. 2 £1 = 1 253 ecu. 3 £39.9 million in reserve with priority for non-nuclear energy.
Table 2 Payments under the third framework programme for European Community research and development (1990–94) Programme Germany £ million United Kingdom £ million Total EC funding £ million Communication technologies 5.862 5.206 30.323 Telematics 2.281 3.292 18.250 Environment .854 .204 1.449 Total (nearest 50,000) 9.00 8.70 50.02 Note: exchange rate: £1=1.413 ecu.