§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the projects undertaken for his Department by(a) outside consultants, (b) academic researchers and (c) university departments since 1 May 1997, giving the total expenditure incurred in each category. [144078]
§ Dr. HowellsThe information requested is not held centrally by the Departments' Directorates and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, the majority of the Office of Science and Technology's (OST SEB) programme expenditure is channelled through the Research Councils as annual grant-in-aid. The Councils then pay a large number of grants to universities. Providing full details would involve disproportionate cost. In summary, main grants-in-aid are as follows.
Grant-in-aid paid to Research Councils in 1997–98 to 2000–01 £000 (net) Research Council 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–011 BBSRC 183,042 182,762 194,182 202,420 ESRC 65,227 67,506 70,872 71,300 EPSRC 386,276 379,444 404,796 412,026 MRC 289,078 284,098 304,538 319,151 NERC 166,150 173,967 176,715 181,450 PPARC 197,869 207,418 186,680 205,774 CCLRC 1,206 1,462 2,000 2,000 1 Estimate for year OST SEB does commission a small number of consultancies directly. Details are as shown.
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Consultancy paid by OST SEB £ 1 May 1997 to 31 March 1998 consultants Preparation of SET statistics and Web production 4,829 Academic researchers — University departments — Total 4,829 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 Consultants Poster project—Women's Unit 11,000 Public Consultation on Development in the Biosciences 130,000 Preparation of SET statistics and Web production 15,176 Consultancy assistance with personnel framework 12,843 Consultancy assistance with senior Council appointments 35,218 Academic researchers — University departments — Total 204,237 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 Consultants Poster project—Women's Unit 7,000 Public Consultation on Developments in the Biosciences 208,000 Review of Science Communication and Public Attitudes to Science in Britain 75,000 Preparation of SET statistics and Web production 35,000 Consultancy assistance with senior Council appointments 20,423 Academic researchers — University departments — Total 345,423 31 March 2000 to 31 December 2000 Consultants Research into Women returners to science 30,000 Consultancy assistance with senior Council appointments 101,906 Academic researchers — University departments — Total 131,906 Note
Year defined by when payment made