§ Dr. StrangTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total research and development expenditure by the Office of Science and Technology for each year from 1980 to the present in(a) cash and (b) constant prices. [18665]
§ Mr. Ian Taylor[holding answer 4 March 1997]: The Office of Science and Technology was established in 1992. The total annual expenditure by OST on research and development since that time is as follows:
£ million 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 Cash 1,008.8 1,134.9 1,173.5 1,249.9 1,261.8 1996–97 prices 1,109.2 1,212.8 1,232.1 1,281.1 1,261.8 1 Estimated outturn.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total research and development expenditure by the Office of Science and Technology on food and agricultural science for each year from 1980 to the present in(a) cash and (b) constant prices. [18667]
§ Mr. Taylor[holding answer 4 March 1997]: Science budget expenditure on research is managed by the research councils. Research in food and agricultural science is funded principally by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council—formerly the Agriculture and Food Research Council. The Medical Research Council also funds some relevant research, figures for which are readily available only for 1994–95 and 1995–96. The figures for spending are in the table.
621W
£000 Year Cash Constant prices (1995–96=100) 1980–81 34,477 81,265 1981–82 41,934 82,910 1982–83 43,624 80,517 1983–84 45,840 80,856 1984–85 46,680 78,398 1985–86 52,725 83,950 1986–87 57,149 88,329 1987–88 54,896 80,558 1988–89 61,112 84,055 1989–90 74,311 95,536 1990–91 85,905 102,275 1991–92 96,271 107,717 1992–93 107,294 115,196 1993–94 109,359 114,113 1994–95 126,477 129,446 1995–96 135,715 135,715 In addition, the Natural Environment Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council are involved in joint funding of some relevant research; NERC-funded research in the areas of terrestrial and freshwater sciences and the impact of agriculture on the environment includes research relevant to the agricultural sciences.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total Government research and development expenditure by each Department for each year from 1980 to the present in(a) cash and (b) constant prices. [18666]
§ Mr. Taylor[holding answer 4 March 1997]: Reliable information is not available before 1984–85. For the years from 1985–86, I refer the hon. Member to tables D.3 and D.4 in "Forward Look of Government Funded Science, Engineering and Technology 1996", for years 1985–86 to 1998–99, and for 1984–85 to tables 1.3.1 and 1.3.2 of the "Forward Look of Government Funded SET 1994". Copies of both documents are available in the Library of the House.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what research and development facilities have been privatised since 1980; and if he will list for each year since 1980 the changes in the number of(a) employees and (b) scientists employed in those establishments. [18668]
§ Mr. Taylor[holding answer 4 March 1997]: The following research and development facilities have been privatised since 1980 in order to increase their scope and ability to offer services to a wider user community:
The Hydraulic Research Station was converted to an independent company limited by guarantee in 1982.The National Maritime Institute, formerly part of the National Physical Laboratory, was privatised as a company limited by guarantee in October 1982.The plant breeding activities of the Agricultural and Food Research Council's plant breeding institute were privatised by trade sale in October 1987, but the establishment itself remained in the public sector as part of the AFRC's institute of plant science research.The National Measurement Accreditation Service, formerly part of the National Physical Laboratory, was merged with the National Accreditation Council for Certification Bodies, formerly part of the British Standards Institution, in August 1995 to form the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, which was established as a non-profit distribution company limited by guarantee.622WThe National Engineering Laboratory was privatised by trade sale in October 1995.The operation of the National Physical Laboratory was contracted out in October 1995.The Laboratory of the Government Chemist was sold to a management-led consortium in March 1996.The Transport Research Laboratory was sold to the Transport Research Foundation in April 1996.The Natural Resources Institute was privatised in May 1996.AEA Technology, the former commercial arm of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority which absorbed the rationalised activities of the Warren Spring Laboratory in spring 1994, was privatised in September 1996.Records of the number of (a) employees and (b) scientists employed in those establishments since 1980 are not kept centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.