[holding answer 28 June 2007]: The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) does not fund the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) directly. However, DEFRA does let contracts to NERC-sponsored research institutes. DEFRA research and development (R and D) contracts all research organisations for agricultural biotechnology work are summarised in the table attached.
For this purpose, DEFRA has defined biotechnology as being the application of biological organisms, systems and processes to manufacturing and service industries. This definition covers genetic modification research but goes much wider to include fused cell techniques, protein engineering, fermentation and cell culture techniques, the production of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies and many other techniques. It excludes pathogen characterisation and epidemiology.
£000 Contractor 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-071 2007-081 ADAS UK Ltd 0 424,025 424,521 262,610 42,089 0 51,802 77,356 Atkins Environment 0 0 14,981 59,856 24,892 0 0 0 BBSRC (via Central Office) 0 0 0 0 0 0 20,289 20,289 Botanical Developments Ltd 0 0 0 0 0 0 141,599 121,749 Bristol University 198,989 297,092 324,538 234,074 86,584 52,642 0 0 British Ornithologist's Union 0 0 0 10,000 0 0 0 0 Cambridge University 0 0 142,517 120,150 114,527 93,234 34,915 0 Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association 0 31,615 30,757 110,762 172,404 164,807 61,238 0 CEFAS 176,656 147,225 213,438 267,026 211,000 0 0 0 Cellmark Diagnostics 0 7,500 6,000 0 0 0 0 0 Central Science Laboratory 1,474,662 1,700,137 1,602,035 720,027 336,803 324,127 496,143 565,321 Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research 18,831 84,422 97,192 49,617 0 0 0 0 Centre for Ecology and Hydrology 0 0 0 0 0 15,4498 0 0 De Montfort University 79,647 17,334 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dr David Garwes 0 0 0 0 10,000 60,000 55,000 15,000 East Anglia University 56,950 17,175 0 0 0 0 0 0 East Mailing Research 0 0 0 0 424,281 510,045 522,547 379,769 Forestry Research 88,712 137,100 63,226 72,433 70,423 67,254 92,895 94,525 Genesis Faraday Partnership 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 49,935 Hannah Research Institute 11,913 48,280 49,631 36,019 0 0 0 0 Horticultural Development Council 0 5,833 4,167 0 0 0 0 0 Horticulture Research International 2,741,306 4,044,549 341,1758 2,741,843 721,350 589,819 479,473 389,774 Institute of Food Research 0 37,334 18,666 0 0 0 0 0 Institute for Animal Health 232,000 23,2000 20,2000 202,000 202,000 202,000 245,342 214,944 Institute of Grassland and Environment Research 1,291,058 1,495,788 1,698,867 1,894,959 1,821,540 1,857,802 1,927,701 547,870 Institute for Animal Health 232,000 232,000 202,000 202,000 202,000 202,000 245,342 214,944 Institute of Grassland and Environment Research 1,291,058 1,495,788 1,698,867 1,894,959 1,821,540 1,857,802 1,927,701 547,870 Institute of Zoology 37,121 79,989 48,169 0 0 0 0 0 International Food Information Service 36,000 33,825 6,150 0 0 0 0 0 John Innes Centre 1,232,186 1,290,963 881,815 310,017 370,379 423,700 192,464 70,998 Leatherhead Food International Ltd 0 0 83,372 130,192 50,457 0 0 0 Lewislive Ltd 0 0 0 60,105 0 0 0 0 LGC 0 5,000 5,000 0 0 0 0 0 Liverpool University 52,761 99,683 94,772 47,851 0 0 0 0 LMC International 0 0 0 72,944 0 0 0 0 Marine Laboratory - Aberdeen 20,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Marks and Spencer plc 0 0 0 60,500 86,043 91,455 74,844 17,226 Ms Ella Livingstone 0 15,000 15,000 0 0 0 0 0 National Institute of Agricultural Botany 167,190 242,546 219,493 168,485 212,597 66,760 21,930 0 Natural Environment Research Council (via Central Office) 1,010,068 1,215,512 1,702,084 553,648 220,533 208,706 78,458 13,683 New Game-Plan Ltd 0 0 0 0 10,431 0 0 0 Newcastle University 0 0 0 24,616 48,488 75,003 78,664 49,441 Plant Research International 0 0 0 0 224,085 222,516 257,470 247,682 Processors and Growers Research Organisation 0 0 0 0 40,071 258,503 329,012 351,348 Reading University 0 0 0 0 0 52,506 0 0 RHM Group Ltd 0 155,870 120,434 120,142 0 0 0 0 Roslin Institute 821,929 1,277,766 1,228,414 1,162,750 1,023,682 925,586 547,650 287,008 Rothamsted Research 787,870 100,4760 964,690 974,379 953,786 656,541 492,602 503,743 Royal Botanic Gardens 28,317 62,364 36,172 0 0 0 0 0 Royal Society of Chemistry 0 27,789 50,879 53,816 22,608 0 0 0 Scottish Agricultural College 49,202 101,736 89,758 19,839 50,935 116,058 332,068 365,486 Scottish Crop Research Institute 410,328 522,924 540,834 248,181 454,404 928,836 229,528 0 Silsoe Research Institute 0 81,413 271,738 183,544 108,194 0 0 0 Southampton University 106,747 47,752 88,106 392,638 468,371 510,119 534,918 529,703 Sutton Bonnington Campus - Nottingham University 0 29,343 72,803 43,461 0 0 0 0 The University of Manchester 50,971 26,083 0 90,000 4,550 0 0 0 UCNW (Bangor University) 0 56,395 65,104 5,577 0 0 0 0 United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) 0 0 0 34,000 0 0 0 0 University of East Anglia 0 0 157,407 35,068 0 0 0 0 University of Edinburgh 0 0 0 0 0 58,440 110,723 105,942 University of Exeter 0 0 0 0 86,273 196,255 67,420 71,831 University of Leeds 32,401 67,310 71,792 0 36,882 0 0 0 University of Nottingham 243,787 557,657 59,7814 539,861 513,907 385,17 398,673 51,083 University of the West of England 0 0 50,762 97,221 135,104 124,143 0 0 University of Wales, Cardiff 31282 181242 209,130 159,324 42,701 0 0 0 University Wales, Aberystwth, Inst of Rural Studies 176,060 168,866 166,414 192,469 191,085 146,322 96,144 0 Veterinary Laboratories Agency 887,139 1,142,406 1,115,572 1,031,266 485,147 308,121 264,441 245,122 Warwick - HRI 0 267,728 1,251,429 2,398,167 3,148,562 2,781,402 1,829,811 1,133,281 York University 76,206 167,557 168,162 124,098 47,287 0 0 0 Total 12,628,289 17,656,888 18677563 16,115,535 13,274,455 12,612,917 10,065,764 6,520,109 1Figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 figures are provisional.
[holding answer 28 June 2007]: A list of DEFRA research and development (R and D) contracts related to agricultural biotechnology has been placed in the Library of the House. Project titles and costs are included for all relevant R and D projects from the formation of DEFRA to the current financial year.
For this purpose, DEFRA has defined biotechnology as being the application of biological organisms, systems and processes to manufacturing and service industries. This definition covers genetic modification research but goes much wider to include fused cell techniques, protein engineering, fermentation and cell culture techniques, the production of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies and many other techniques. It excludes pathogen characterisation and epidemiology.