Written Answers
Computer Purchases
asked Her Majesty's Government:(1) How many computers have been purchased for use in Government Departments, and in organisations for which the Government is financially responsible; (2) how many are from British companies; (3) how many cost £40,000 or less.
My Lords, the available information is as follows:
| Government Departments* | Computers in use | Number costing £40,000 or less |
| Administrative and general purposes | 120 (87) | 10 |
| Scientific and technical purposes | 93 (60) | 45 (22) |
| Other Organisations† for which the Government is Financially Responsible‡ | ||
| National Health Service | 89 (38) | 66 (22) |
| Research Councils | 55 (21) | 41 (12) |
| Notes: | ||
| *As at December 31, 1971. These figures exclude: | ||
| Computers in the Post Office and bodies which are not Central Government Departments, e.g. U.K. Atomic Energy Authority, | ||
| Analog and hybrid computers, | ||
| Computers costing less than £10,000, | ||
| Computers used for control system purposes (process control, flight simulators, weapons systems and like purposes), | ||
| Processor controlled keying systems used for the purpose of preparing data for input to computer systems. | ||
| † Not including universities which are the responsibility of the Computers Board. | ||
| ‡ As at mid-1971. These figures exclude: | ||
| Analog and hybrid computers, | ||
| Processor controlled keying systems used for the purpose of preparing data for input to computer systems, | ||
| but include: | ||
| Computers costing less than £10,000, | ||
| Some computers used for control system purposes (e.g. on-line experiments). | ||
General:
The number of computers purchased from British Companies is shown in brackets. British companies in this context means U.K.-owned Companies as listed in the Memorandum by the Department of Trade and Industry to the Select Committee on Science and Technology (Sub-Committee A) in the Minutes of Evidence for February 10, 1971. This includes I.C.L., Ferranti, G.E.C., Computer Technology and Digico.
Rented computers have been included at a notional value representative of their purchase price.
Ecologists And "Blueprint For Survival" Report
asked Her Majesty's Government:In view of the warnings, subscribed to by such a large body of eminent scientists in the recently published edition of
Ecology, entitled Blueprint for Survival, what steps are being taken to investigate the grave dangers against which the document warns and what measures are being taken by Her Majesty's Government to deal with any of them.
My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, has had a discussion with the authors of the ECOLOGIST report. The important issues raised by their article are under study. Much relevant work is already in hand, and this will continue.
Unemployment Benefit And Part-Time Earnings
asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the maximum part-time earnings which an unemployed person may receive without loss of benefit; what decrease in benefit is imposed if earnings exceed this level by 10p; and under what regulation these limits are determined.
National insurance unemployment benefit is not payable to a claimant for any day on which he is following an occupation from which his earnings exceed 33½p. This rule is contained in Regulation 7(1)(i) of the National Insurance (Unemployment and Sickness Benefit) Regulations 1967 (Statutory Instrument 1967 No. 330 as amended). The weekly supplementary benefit payable to an unemployed person is reduced by 5p for each complete 5p of earnings in excess of £1 a week. This rule is contained in paragraph 23 of Schedule 2 to the Ministry of Social Security Act, 1966.House adjourned at twenty-three minutes before seven o'clock.