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Research Councils
Mr. Ingram: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the success rates of (a) applications for funding and (b) alpha-graded applications for funding to each research council in each year since 1979. [12053]
Mr. Ian Taylor [holding answer 21 January 1997]: There has been some increase in the number of grant applications, fuelled by the increase in numbers of researchers in the system, both as a result of the change of status of the "new" universities and increasing numbers of contract researchers drawn into the "old" universities by the growth in research funding in the university system.
| 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and Food Research Council 1 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Success rate (percentage) of all applications | 26 | 36 | 40 | 33 | 27 | 33 | 30 | 32 | ||||||
| Success rate (percentage) of total alphas | 47 | 73 | 84 | 78 | 55 | 60 | 49 | 53 | ||||||
| Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (22) (23) | ||||||||||||||
| Success rate (percentage) of all applications | 30 | 24 | ||||||||||||
| Success rate (percentage) of total alphas (24) | 47 | 49 | ||||||||||||
| Science and Engineering Research Council (25) | ||||||||||||||
| Success rate (percentage) of all applications | 58 | 51 | 54 | 53 | 44 | 50 | 47 | 35 | 36 | 40 | 38 | 37 | ||
| Success rate (percentage) of total alphas | 58 | 51 | 54 | 55 | 61 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 65 | 66 | 64 | 66 | ||
| Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council | ||||||||||||||
| Success rate (percentage) of all applications | 44 | 42 | ||||||||||||
| Success rate (percentage) of total alphas (24) | n/a | n/a | ||||||||||||
| Economic and Social Research Council | ||||||||||||||
| Success rate (percentage) of all applications | 34 | 30 | 29 | 34 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 20 | 27.5 | |||||
| Success rate (percentage) of total alphas (26) | n/a | 78 | 54 | 60 | 44 | 46 | 40 | 32 | 43 | |||||
| Medical Research Council (22) | ||||||||||||||
| Success rate (percentage) of all applications | 32 | 29 | 32 | |||||||||||
| Success rate (percentage) of total alphas | 78 | 41 | 69 | |||||||||||
| Natural Environment Research Council (22) (27) | ||||||||||||||
| Success rate (percentage) of all applications | 37 | 40 | 39 | 40 | 35 | 27 | 23 | 23 | ||||||
| Success rate (percentage) of total alphas | 87 | 71 | 63 | 57 | 57 | 42 | 31 | 28 | ||||||
| Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (22) (29) | ||||||||||||||
| Success rate percentage of all applications | 50 | 60 | ||||||||||||
| Success rate percentage of total alphas | 65 | 72 |
(22) Figures for AFRC, BBSRC, NERC and PPARC are for financial years, rather than calendar years.
(23) In 1994 the BBSRC took over the former responsibilities of the Agriculture and Food Research Council. AFRC figures from 1986-87 to 1993-94 cannot be directly compared with BBSRC figures from 1994-95 as BBSRC responsibilities, principally for biological sciences, run wider than did AFRC's.
(24) From 1 January 1995 BBSRC replaced the former alpha/beta system with a numerical grading system. The last two percentages given are BBSRC's best estimate of figures on a basis comparable with the previous system.
(25) The responsibilities of the Science and Engineering Research Council transferred to other research councils--principally EPSRC and PPARC--in 1994.
(26) EPSRC does not grade proposals on the basis of alpha, beta etc.
(27) ESRC's research grants scheme only started in 1987. Alpha grades were not used until 1988.
(28) NERC figures are for non-thematic grants, equivalent to responsive grants for other councils.
(29) The figures for 1995-96 are not comparable with previous years as the staff element for experimental grant applications made under the particle physics programme was not considered in that year. PPARC supports the particle physics community through four-year rolling grants which are reviewed every two years. In 1995-96 PPARC decided to defer the review by one year because of the uncertainty over the likely future level of the UK subscription to CERN. This meant that particle physics awards were limited to two years support for non-staff costs only. These figures reflect this position.
31 Jan 1997 : Column: 417
31 Jan 1997 : Column: 417
SPUR and SMART
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the estimated expenditure on (a) the support for products under research scheme and (b) the small firms merit award for research and technology scheme for (i) 1997-98 and (ii) 1998-99. [12783]
Mr. Ian Taylor [holding answer 27 January 1997]: On 15 October 1996, my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced a significant rationalisation of the current range of programmes for promoting research and development, including plans for a new scheme in England combining the current SMART, SPUR, SPUR-plus and innovation element of regional enterprise grants. A copy of the announcement, DTI press notice p/96/756, is available in the Library of the House. A further announcement with details of the new scheme, including funding levels for 1997-98 and 1998-99, will be made in due course. Different arrangements will apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Work is also being done to enable these schemes to reflect foresight objectives.
Exotic Animal Imports
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many non-CITES listed venomous snakes have been imported into the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and if he will list them by species;[12625]
- (2) what is the total number of non-CITES-listed venomous snakes which have been imported by (a) zoos, (b) individuals and (c) dealers in each of the last five years. [12626]
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 29 January 1997]: The information requested is not available from the United Kingdom overseas trade statistics because the system under which trade is recorded does not separately identify imports of non-CITES venomous snakes from imports of other live animals, and also does not identify the destination of imports.
31 Jan 1997 : Column: 418
Exports (Iraq)
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the impact of the easing of restrictions on firms negotiating directly with the Iraqi Government to supply essential civilian goods. [13311]
Mr. Lang [holding answer 30 January 1997]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade to the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd) on 13 January 1997, Official Report, column 139.
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what guidelines his Department issues to engineering companies in respect of export orders for Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [13310]
Mr. Lang [holding answer 30 January 1997]: My Department issues a detailed guidance note on the sanctions imposed on Iraq in accordance with various resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. The guidance is aimed at all sectors of industry and sets out the scope of the controls on the freedom of companies to communicate with Iraq about the supply of goods and, in addition, makes clear that a licence is required before any such supplies may take place.
Ammonium Nitrate
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what (a) labelling arrangements and (b) other measures exist as part of the anti-dumping action in relation to the importation of ammonium nitrate; and if he will make a statement. [13534]
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 30 January 1997]: Imports of ammonium nitrate fertiliser from Russia and Lithuania are currently subject to EU anti-dumping measures. An anti-dumping duty of ECU 102.9 per tonne applies in the case of imports from Russia, while Lithuania has undertaken to restrict her exports to the UK to 100,000 tonnes per annum. Labelling provisions for ammonium nitrate and other fertilisers are contained in the Fertilisers Regulations 1991, as amended. There are no special labelling requirements associated with the anti-dumping measures.
31 Jan 1997 : Column: 419
Armoured Vehicles (Indonesia)
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answers of 9 December, Official Report, columns 29-30, relating to armoured vehicles exports, what assessment his Department made of the conformity of the sales with international conventions relating (a) the sale of arms to the prevailing human rights in destination countries and (b) the transfer of equipment to its possible end use to suppress human rights. [10737]
Mr. Hanley: I have been asked to reply.
Our policy is not to license for export any UK defence equipment which we judge likely to be used for internal repression. Such human rights considerations were taken fully into account before the decision was taken to allow the export of this equipment in accordance with international criteria.
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answers of 9 December, Official Report, columns 29-30, relating to the issue of export licences to Indonesia what account his Department took of international criteria for military exports relating to the behaviour of the buyer country with regard to international law; and what view his Department took of Indonesia's observance of international laws in respect of East Timor. [10736]
Mr. Hanley:
I have been asked to reply.
We do not recognise Indonesian sovereignty over East Timor. We fully support the efforts of the UN Secretary General to find a just and comprehensive settlement to the question of East Timor, and we continue to raise with the Indonesian Government our concerns about the situation in East Timor.
Along with several of our EU partners, we do not consider that Indonesia's annexation of East Timor precludes the sale of defence equipment to Indonesia. Indonesia plays a leading role in regional and international forums and is a major contributor to peacekeeping forces.
Under article 51 of the United Nations charter, every sovereign state has a legitimate right to self-defence. We continue to consider licence applications for the export of defence equipment on a case by case basis. We do not licence for export any equipment which we judge likely to be used for internal repression in Indonesia or East Timor. We remain committed to the criteria agreed by the UN, the EU and the then Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, which are intended to guide national decision-making.
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answers of 9 December, Official Report, columns 29-30, relating to exports of armoured vehicles to Indonesia, what account his Department took of the use by the Indonesian army in April 1996 of previously exported armoured vehicles to counter student demonstrations; and what assurances his Department has received from the Indonesian authorities regarding the future use of the vehicles. [10757]
Mr. Hanley:
I have been asked to reply.
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