§ Mr. HarveyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the functions and objectives of(a) the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Committee, (b) the Advisory Committee for Arbitration Law, (c) the Aviation Committee, (d) the fuel cell advisory panel and (e) the Standing Advisory Committee on Industrial Properly.
§ Mr. HeseltineThe Advanced Manufacturing Technology Committee is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
The current functions and objectives of the departmental Advisory Committee on Arbitration Law are to examine the operation of the Arbitration Acts 1950 to 1979 in the light of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law model law on international commercial arbitration and to recommend to the Secretary of State any legislative or other steps which the committee considers should be taken to improve the system of arbitration in England and Wales.
The objective of the Aviation Committee is to advise the Department of Trade and Industry on the needs of the United Kingdom aeronautics industry so that these may be taken into account by Government when developing and implementing policies affecting the industry.
In particular, the Aviation Committee will advise the Department on:
- (a) the factors influencing competitiveness at home and abroad;
- (b) innovation programmes affecting the industry, including Civil Aircraft Research and Demonstration Programme (CARAD); and
- (c) on the identification and pursuit of strategic market opportunities.
The terms of reference for the fuel cell advisory panel are:
- (i) to advise the Department of Trade and Industry and its agent, the Energy Technology Support Unit (ETSU), in developing and formulating, against programme aims and objectives set by the Department of Trade and Industry, programme plans for the Department's Advanced Fuel Cell R and D programme;
- (ii) in the light of the agreed programme, to advise the Department of Trade and Industry and its agent, ETSU, on the merits of Advanced Fuel R and D proposals and to make recommendations on the funding of individual projects which are submitted to the Panel;
- (iii) to monitor progress on the Advanced Fuel Cell R and D programme against agreed plans and to evaluate its effectiveness in achieving the agreed objectives;
- (iv) to provide a forum for reviewing progress with the research and development of advanced fuel cells, for identifying future requirements and co-ordinating United Kingdom activity in this field.
The Standing Advisory Committee on Industrial Property advises Government on the whole range of industrial property matters. Membership of the committee is drawn from organisations representing a broad range of industrial. commercial, professional and academic interests.
§ Mr. HarveyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing the number of meetings held, the secretarial and advisory arrangements, the budgeted and actual expenditure and the subjects of any reports and submissions produced by the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Committee in each of the last three years.
782W
Mr. Robert G. HughesI have been asked to reply, as responsibility for servicing the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Committee rested with the Science and Engineering Research Council before the committee was disbanded on 31 March 1994.
1992 1993 1994 Number of meetings held 8 6 1 Budgeted expenditure — — — Actual expenditure — — — The AMTC was a joint committee of the Department of Trade and Industry and the SERC. It was jointly serviced by the DTI and SERC, with the DTI in the lead until 31 September 1993, and the SERC thereafter. No report was published by the committee. Its advice was channelled through the internal organisation of the DTI and the SERC.