§ Mr. HuttonTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his estimate of the savings which will result from the closure of the Newcastle office of the British Geological Survey; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. David Davis[holding answer 17 January 1994]: The Natural Environment Research Council, NERC, of which the British Geological Survey, BGS, is a constituent part, estimates that closure of the Newcastle office will result in savings of approximately £86,000 per annum.
As an independent body established by royal charter, the NERC is responsible for the management of its own resources. The decision on the future of the Newcastle office is properly one for the BGS and the NERC, and not one for the Government.