§ Dr. HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 6 December 1999,Official Report, columns 337–38W, on departmental research contracts, if she will (a) state total expenditure on research let by her Department since May 1997 and (b) list the titles of all research contracts let by her Department during 1999 and costing £20,000 or more, stating what is the value of each contract, and in each case whether the contract included (i) departmental veto over publication of the research results, (ii) departmental control over the date of publication of the research and (iii) a requirement that the final research results incorporate departmental amendments; and if she will place a copy of the standard research contract in use by her Department in the Library. [107105]
§ Clare ShortThe best estimate of total expenditure on research remains as stated in my answer of 6 December 1999,Official Report, columns 337–38W. No figures are yet available for this financial year.
I have arranged for a list of research projects over £20,000 let in 1999 to be placed in the Library of the House. This covers 254 projects with a total value of nearly £54 million. The list is not necessarily exhaustive (because research contracts are let by several units in DFID) but shows the overwhelming majority of contracts let during that period.
It also remains the case that the Department's contracts do not provide for departmental veto over publication of research results (except, rarely, where intellectual property rights might otherwise be infringed) or for control over the date of publication of the research. There is no requirement that the final research results incorporate departmental amendments.
I have also arranged for a version of the research contract used by DFID to be placed in the Library of the House. There are slight variations in this contract where it has been tailored to meet the particular needs of different research funding units in the Department.