Lord Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
When the Natural Resources Institute will transfer to new ownership.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Conunonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)We have now completed negotiations for the transfer of the Natural Resources Institute to the University of Greenwich and for associated arrangements with the other members of the Consortium (the University of Edinburgh, Imperial College and Wye College). Contracts were signed on 30th April and became effective on 1st May.
This is a very satisfactory outcome. It achieves the objectives I set—namely, maintenance of a multi-disciplinary centre of Natural Resources expertise, on which ODA and others can draw in order to help meet our aims for the overseas aid programme; value for money for the taxpayer; and a positive future for the staff. It also marks the first privatisation of a public sector research establishment by transfer to the university sector.