§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the President of the Board of Trade which Government Department is responsible for(a) the science budget, (b) science education, (c) policy to promote the public understanding of science and (d) funding the research councils.[34576]
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§ Mr. Ian Taylor[holding answer 14 July 1995]: The Office of Science and Technology's responsibilities for (a), (c) and (d) and its joint responsibilities with the Education Departments for post-graduate science education are unchanged with the office's transfer to the Department of Trade and Industry. The Government's commitment to science, engineering and technology, and to the support of the science and engineering base, remain as set out in the 1993 White Paper "Realising our Potential", and policies are targeted to ensure the maximum contribution to our national economic performance and quality of life.
Systematic interchange between industry, scientists, engineers and science policy makers both in the public and private sectors will improve mutual understanding and allow each group to make its decisions against a better informed background.