Written question asked by Robert Key (Conservative) on Wednesday, 8 March 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 21 March 2000. It was answered by Lord Moonie (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 March 2000 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the scientific areas covered by his Towers of Excellence initiative. - (Holding answer 14 March 2000).

Answer: Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the scientific areas covered by his Towers of Excellence initiative. [114327] Dr. Moonie: [holding answer 14 March 2000]: As part of our strategy for defence science and technology, the Ministry of Defence has been developing an approach known as the "Towers of Excellence" model. The intention, in partnership with industry, is to identify areas in which technological excellence might best be concentrated and defence-specific technologies enhanced to the level required to produce world class equipment for our Armed Forces. To do this on a systematic basis requires a comprehensive view of industrial capabilities and aspirations. There must be sufficiently coherent clusters of technology to enable UK industry to continue to be able to bid for a substantial proportion of UK defence equipment. These towers must therefore align with industry's own plans. We expect this alignment to be informed by the defence industries' own technology strategy which they have prepared to complement that of MOD. Industry and MOD have agreed on a process for bringing their respective strategies together and defining priorities for constructing technological "towers of excellence" within available resources. Work is likely to continue through to the end of 2000.

Secondary information