§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received from Sir Arnold Wolfendale about the provision of money for particle physicists and astronomers; and if he will make a statement. [27560]
§ Mr. Ian Taylor[holding answer 2 May 1996]:I have received a letter from Sir Arnold Wolfendale arguing for extra funds to support particle physics. In the current financial year the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council has been allocated an additional £10 million, over and above the £8 million allocated last year, to protect its budget from the increase in the sterling cost of its CERN and ESA subscriptions arising from exchange rate and national income movements. Funding priorities between particular areas of research within its remit are quite rightly for the PPARC.