HC Deb 16 July 1996 vol 281 cc463-4W
Mr. Ingram

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 19 June;Official Report, column 513, when he expects to place in the Library, the memoranda and supporting documentation relating to the prior options review. [37457]

Mr. Ian Taylor

[holding answer 15 July 1996]: I have today placed in the Library of the House memoranda setting out the rationale underlying the decisions announced on the following establishments:

Establishment for which DTI Ministers are responsible:

  • Central Laboratory of the Research Councils
  • Institute of Arable Crops Research (BBSRC-funded institute)
  • Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (BBSRC-funded institute)
  • John Innes Centre (BBSRC-funded institute)
  • Silsoe Research Institute (BBSRC-funded institute)
  • National Weights and Measures Laboratory

Establishments for which Scottish Office Ministers are responsible:

  • Fisheries Research Services
  • Forestry Commission Research Division
  • Macaulay Land Use Research Institute
  • Scottish Crop Research Institute
  • Scottish Agricultural Science Agency

Establishment for which MAFF Ministers are responsible:

  • Directorate of Fisheries Research.

Mr. Ingram

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment was made of the pension and redundancy costs of the privatisation option under the prior options review of the individual research institutes of the Biotechnical and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Medical Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council and the Partical Physics and Astronomy Research Council. [37398]

Mr. Ian Taylor

[holding answer 15 July 1996]: Prior options reviews of MRC, NERC and BBSRC institutes remain to be completed. The review of the BBSRC's Institute of Arable Crops Research, Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Jon Innes Centre and Silsoe Research Institute estimated pension transfer costs at up to £72.5 million and contingent staff liabilities at up to £64 million. The review of the Royal Observatories did not make any assessment for redundancy costs of privatisation. Pension transfers costs are still being assessed.