asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has received from the Priorities Board on future resource allocations for agricultural and food research and development.

The Priorities Board is still considering its detailed advice on future resource allocations but, as an interim measure, it has agreed that the savings required in the publicly funded research and development programme in 1986–87 should be found through rationalisation of the existing programme and the removal of less effective areas of work. The board will be putting forward further detailed advice on future priorities and resource allocations in due course.