asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) given on 30 April, Official Report. column 199, if he will make a statement about the reasons for reducing the grant in aid to the Freshwater Biological Association for 1987–88.

The reduction of the recurrent element of the NERC's grant-in-aid to the Freshwater Biological Association for 1987–88 is a consequence of the council's policy as set out in its corporate plan to increase the proportion of support to the universities and polytechnics. In addition, the 1986–87 total grant-in-aid to the association contained provision for capital items and other non-recurrent expenditure not applicable to 1987–88.