asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken to implement the commitment to environmental research, with particular reference to freshwater biology, expressed in their response to the world conservation strategy report, contained in the document, "Conservation and DevelopmentāThe British Approach"; and if he will make a statement.
[pursuant to his reply, 30 April 1987, c. 199]: The Natural Environment Research Council has responsibility for planning, encouraging and carrying out research on the natural environment. It is funded by my Department through grant-in-aid from the science budget, and by other Departments and other customers for specific pieces of research. Within the resources available to it, the council has to determine the allocation to freshwater biology and other priority areas. The council's plans for research in the area of conservation are given in section 4D of its 1987 corporate plan, copies of which are in the Library. Paragraph 4.31 concerns freshwater studies, but such studies are also included in other aspects of the council's work.