§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much financial support has been granted by HM Government to horticultural research and development projects in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [46399]
§ Mr. MorleyA summary of the total spend by DEFRA (and prior to 2001–02 MAFF) for horticultural research and development projects, including potatoes, is given in the table. Annual spends are given in £ millions.
£ million Annual spends 1992–93 3.7 1993–94 4.2 1994–95 13.4 1995–96 13.3 1996–97 13.4 1997–98 12.3 1998–99 12.1 1999–2000 11.7 2000–01 11.5 2001–021 11.4 1provisional Details of current projects can be found on the DEFRA website at www.defra.gov.uk/research.
In addition, the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Northern Ireland support research 278W projects on horticulture. The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council provides funding for underpinning research relevant to horticulture.