To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many research projects are being funded under the protein engineering link programme in universities and polytechnics; what is their total value; how many universities and polytechnics have research projects funded under the protein engineering link programme; and if he will list them.

There are eight projects with university involvement within the link protein engineering programme; no polytechnics are as yet involved. The total value of these projects amounts to over £3 million—50 per cent. from the Government grant and the rest from industry. The seven universities involved are Bath, Cambridge—two projects—Leeds, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield and Sussex.