§ Mr. Charles ClarkeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates his Department has made of the impact upon Central Science Laboratory research contract pricing of relocating Norwich scientific staff to York. [32867]
§ Mr. RookerFirst estimates are that the impact of relocating scientific staff based at the Central Science Laboratory Norwich site to the York site would be to reduce expected future pricing by approximately 5 per cent. overall.
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§ Mr. Charles ClarkeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cost to his Department of constructing the new food research laboratory at Sand Hutton, York. [32868]
§ Mr. RookerThe cost of the Department of constructing the new Central Science Laboratory at Sand Hutton, York (whose functions go wider than food) is £126,874,000. This includes: payments to contractors; fees for architects, engineers, project managers and other specialists; legal fees; and VAT. In addition, the Department paid £6,958,000 for the site, road improvements beyond the site boundary and bringing utilities to the site.
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates his Department has made of the impact on the continuity of food research contracts of a relocation of Norwich-based scientific staff to York. [32869]
§ Mr. RookerPrevious experience from initial occupation of the Central Science Laboratory at York was that relocation had a minimal impact on the science programme. The average down time for scientific staff during that exercise, including decommissioning, moving and recommissioning equipment, was an average of three weeks.
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates his Department has made of the proportion of Central Science Laboratory scientific staff who would transfer to York if requested to do so. [32870]
§ Mr. RookerThe majority of scientific staff are in mobile grades and transfer to new locations, when necessary, forms part of their conditions of employment. Experience of the previous relocation exercise to occupy the Central Science Laboratory at York was that at a large proportion of staff in mobile grades, between 80 and 90 per cent., transferred to York.