§ Baroness Gardner of Parkesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What recent discussions have taken place between the Natural Resources Institute and the University of Greenwich.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) has been reviewing the scope and orientation of its work in the light of a changing market for its services and of the White Paper on Science and Technology (Cm 2250). The institute has concluded that it has surplus accommodation on its Chatham Maritime site. At the same time, it wishes to strengthen links with centres of higher education and research.
NRI has therefore agreed with the University of Greenwich that its School of Earth Sciences will be based at Chatham from the autumn of 1994. The university is considering whether to relocate other operations—notably its School of Engineering—to Chatham as part of a wider plan to rationalise its estate and to expand the provision it offers in Kent. NRI and the university intend to develop substantive links in research, teaching and consultancy. This association between NRI and the university is a welcome and constructive initiative, which will also give added impetus to the development of Chatham Maritime and the Medway Towns and will make an important contribution to the regeneration of the East Thames Corridor.