New Organisation For Research

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30212, 17 August 1963, Page 16

New Organisation For Research

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter]

WELLINGTON, Aug. 15. A national research advisory council will replace the present Council of Scientific and Industrial Research under a National Research Advisory Council Bill, introduced to Parliament yesterday. The new ■ council, which will come into existence on January 1, 1964, .will consist of nine members. Six of them, including the chairman, will be appointed by the Governor-General. The other three will be the Secretary to the Treasury, the Director - General of the D.5.1.R., and the DirectorGeneral of Agriculture. The main functions of the council will be to advise the Minister in charge of the administration of the act on the promotion and development of scientific research and on its planning and co-ordina-tion. It may provide scholarships and fellowships.

In making recommendations for the appointment of members of the council, the Minister is to have regard to the need for adequate representation on the council of persons qualified in research and to representations made to him by the Royal Society of New Zealand or any other organisation for the advancement of research. A member who completes six successive years in office will have to stand down for a year before becoming eligible' for reappointment. The Minister in charge of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (Mr Tennent) said amendments to the bill, originally introduced

last session, resulted from discussions with numerous scientific organisations. These bodies were happy with the new bill. The council would be able to plan and co-ordinate research. This power was not available to the existing Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The new council could import scientists, associate Government research with industry, and spread its information to all interested in science, he said.