§ Mr. GallieTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has for the future organisation of the Industrial Research and Technology Unit. [18810]
§ Sir Patrick MayhewI am pleased to announce that the Industrial Research and Technology Unit will be established as an executive agency of the Department of Economic Development with effect from 3 April 1995. It will be responsible for the promotion of industrially-relevant research, development and technology transfer in Northern Ireland. This new status will give IRTU the freedom to operate within a framework of appropriate efficiency targets and performance measures. The following targets have been set for 1995–96
to deliver a marketing programme for the promotion of innovation; this programme will have particular emphasis on the role of middle managers, women in science and the importance of industrial design;under the Compete programme to increase the average industrial contribution by 1 per cent. and participation by new users to 10 per cent.;to deliver an awareness campaign to promote the benefits of good environmental management and through a series of initiatives to encourage industry to take appropriate action;to promote an increase of 20 per cent. in the use of national and worldwide databases;to achieve a 20 per cent. increase in the uptake of IRTU's technical consultancy services;to deliver a work programme to enable Government Departments to meet obligations for environmental protection, energy efficiency and health and safety at work;to achieve efficiency savings of 2.5 per cent.to undertake an examination of the scope for market testing of the Unit's activities;to develop monitoring systems and, in association with the other DED businesses, deliver an appropriate action plan for targeting social need.The policy and resources framework for the new agency is set out in the framework document, copies of which are being place in the Library of the House.
Total benefit expenditure £ billion1 Money GDP £ billion2 Benefit expenditure as percentage of GDP Population of Great Britain (000s)3 Number over state pension age in Great Britain (000s) Number over state pension age as percentage of population 1974–75 6.6 89.4 7.38 54,709 9,276 16.95 1975–76 8.9 111.2 8.00 54,702 9,384 17.15 1976–77 10.6 130.0 8.15 54,693 9,450 17.28 1977–78 12.8 151.3 8.46 54,667 9,507 17.39 1978–79 15.9 173.7 9.15 54,655 9,535 17.45 1979–80 18.8 208.6 9.01 54,712 9,560 17.47 1980–81 22.7 237.7 9.55 54,797 9,713 17.73 1981–82 27.7 261.0 10.61 54,815 9,810 17.90 1982–83 31.6 285.8 11.06 54,780 9,867 18.01 1983–84 35.3 310.0 11.39 54,834 9,882 18.02 1984–85 38.3 332.1 11.53 54,956 9,910 18.03 1985–86 41.8 364.9 11.46 55,127 10,021 18.18 1986–87 44.9 392.7 11.43 55,285 10,102 18.27 1987–88 46.7 434.8 10.74 55,434 10,173 18.35 1988–89 47.3 484.1 9.77 55,580 10,221 18.39 1989–90 50.2 525.8 9.55 55,775 10,279 18.43 1990–91 56.5 556.8 10.15 55,972 10,310 18.42