HC Deb 01 April 1998 vol 309 cc565-6W
Mr. Charles Clarke

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the food science research contracts allocated by the BBSRC in(a) 1994–95, (b) 1995–96 and (c) 1996–97, broken down by (i) length of contract, (ii) value of contract and (iii) institution securing the contract. [35407]

Mr. Battle

[holding answer 20 March 1998]: The BBSRC awards an annual "competitive strategic grant" (CSG) to its Institute of Food Research (IFR). The figures for each of the three years in question were:

  • 1994–95: £749k
  • 1995–96: £769k
  • 1996–97: £818k.

The IFR uses the CSG to fund research projects within the BBSRCs remit. A list of Projects started in each of the three years have been placed in the Library of the House. Typically, one third of the projects funded from the CSG change each year. Therefore, at the beginning of the period in question, the CSG was already being used to fund a large body of research initiated in previous years, details of which are not included.

In the period concerned, the IFR also won a number of BBSRC Realising Our Potential Awards ("ROPAs"). A list of the total amount awarded to the IFR each year, the projects and their duration, have been placed in the Library of the House.

In addition, BBSRC awards grants for food research to higher education institutions, and occasionally some other bodies including its Institutes, through the usual, competitive, "responsive-mode" procedures. A list of these new awards in each of the three years have also been placed in the Library of the House.