PMQT Written Answers – 16 June 1993

Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 16th June 1993.

PRIME MINISTER:

THORP

Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations he has had on the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield.

The Prime Minister : I have received a number of representations.

LINK Scheme

Dr. Moonie : To ask the Prime Minister what proportion of the LINK scheme budget is being transferred from the Department of Trade and Industry to the Office of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

The Prime Minister : LINK is an interdepartmental mechanism for promoting collaborative, precompetitive research involving industry and the science base. As such there is no distinct LINK scheme budget. The Department of Trade and Industry, like other participating Departments, uses money from its overall research and development budget to support LINK programmes and projects where these provide a way of meeting its departmental objectives. The Department’s financial commitment to LINK will continue to be substantial and is unaffected by the transfer of responsibility for the LINK steering group and its secretariat to the Office of Science and Technology.

Teaching Company Scheme

Dr. Moonie : To ask the Prime Minister if lead responsibility for the teaching company scheme is being transferred from the Department of Trade and Industry to the Office of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

The Prime Minister : At present, no single Department of state or research council has lead responsibility for the teaching company scheme and no decision has been taken to change this arrangement.