§ Mr. FabricantTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will include engineering within the title of the Science and Technology Unit to be established in his Department. [156017]
§ Mr. BattleThe remit of the Science and Technology Unit will include responsibility for supporting the international science, engineering and technology (SET) activities of the UK research community and industry. It will work closely with other Government Departments and external organisations, including the engineering institutes and university engineering departments. Its designation as Science and Technology Unit covers all aspects of SET, by analogy with the designation of the Office of Science and Technology.
§ Mr. FabricantTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the terms of reference for the Science and Technology Unit to be established within his Department. [156016]
§ Mr. BattleThe new Unit will be responsible for supporting wealth-creation in the United Kingdom by the provision of information about science, engineering and technology developments in key overseas countries to a customer base in UK industry and the research community; for the FCO input into policy and intergovernmental work in a number of areas related to science, engineering and technology; and for ensuring that the work of the FCO Science and Technology network is carefully co-ordinated within partner organisations and promotes the UK as a 55W modern, technologically advanced country in order to encourage R&D collaboration, inward investment and trade in high-tech sectors.