asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department gives financial assistance to the X-ray crystallographic database, Cambridge.

Yes, indirectly through research councils and through the University Grants Committee, Cambridge university, which receives a grant through the UGC, provides the basic facilities used by the X-ray crystallographic database. I understand that the Science and Engineering Research Council supports the database team's work financially by giving a rolling grant, currently £200,000 over four years, which equates to approximately 35 per cent. of the running expenses of the database, and by providing support services through two of its establishments. I also understand that the database team leader is a member of the Medical Research Council's external scientific staff. Payments by industrial and overseas users of the database for its services have to date covered over half its running expenses.