To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his reply of 4 April, Official Report, column 681, what is the (a) annual expenditure on the safeguards research and development programme for each year since records began, (b) average number of staff employed on the safeguards research and development programme in each year since records began, (c) grades of the staff employed on the safeguards research and development programme, (d) annual number of technical reports provided by his Department to the International Atomic Energy Agency and (e) titles and subject matter of the technical reports provided by his Department to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Since 1981, the United Kingdom has conducted, in consultation with the IAEA, a programme of R and D in support of the IAEA's safeguards work. The programme includes the provision of training courses for IAEA safeguards inspectors. The funding for the programme, which is managed by the UKAEA, is provided by my Department.The expenditure in each year since 1980, in money values of the year in question, is as follows:

Year	amount (£k)
1980–81	301
1981–82	535
1982–83	573
1983–84	661
1984–85	744
1985–86	825
1986–87	854
1987–88	828
1988–89	950
1989–90	1,064
1990–91	11,088
1 Budget

Provision of technical reports on safeguards to the IAEA is a matter for AEA Technology, which carries out the research and development work for it. AEA Technology produces a UK programme progress report which includes, among other things, a list of reports published during the year. A copy of the most recent progress report has been placed in the Library of the House.The additional information requested by the hon. Member under items