asked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science if he will make a statement on the future of the National Research Development Corporation and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

asked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science if he will make a statement on the future of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

I would ask the hon. Members to await the outcome of the Government's consideration of the Trend Report.

In view of the splendid work done by the N.R.D.C. since its inception under the Labour Administration of 1945–51, will the right hon. Gentleman consider expanding its work so as to enable it to undertake, especially in Scotland, some of the developments, and the extension of some of the work, done within its own research institution?

Whatever may be thought of particular suggestions, the Trend Report favoured an extension of development work undertaken out of public funds.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that it is now over four months since the Trend Committee recommended the dissolution of D.S.I.R., and that this is causing a great deal of worry and anxiety among the employees there? This is a very important sector of Government research activity. If the right hon. Gentleman has not been able to make up his mind in four months, when is he likely to do so?

If there is disquiet, it is nothing to that which was caused by the Leader of the Opposition, on 19th November, when he recommended not merely the dissolution but the dispersal of D.S.I.R.

Is it possible to get a sensible answer from the right hon. Gentleman? We had more than half an hour's buffoonery last night. Can we have a sensible answer this afternoon?

Order. I have to repeat the words of my immediate predecessor. The hon. Member should not use the privilege of a supplementary question to make remarks of that kind.

On a point of order. I do not wish to involve the Chair in this. I asked a serious supplementary question, and I hope that you will agree, Mr. Speaker, that I did not receive a serious answer to it. If the Minister does not want to bother to answer a question he should have the courtesy to get up and say so. We should at least have an intelligent reply.

We cannot spend any more time in this fashion.

The House wants to know the answer to the question about the timing of the Government's decision on the Trend Report. Since the Minister agrees that there is deep dismay and alarm in D.S.I.R., can he give us some idea when the Government will make a statement on the Report?

I cannot give a date for that. I did not make the agreement that the hon. Member thought. There is no reason for dismay, because, on the assumption that the Trend Committee's recommendations were followed out to the full, the work of D.S.I.R., with its personnel, would be expanded by the very process of its being divided into two.