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D.S.I.R. (New Buildings)

Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Works – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 17 July 1956.

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Photo of Mr Ian Mikardo Mr Ian Mikardo , Reading 12:00, 17 July 1956

asked the Minister of Works what new buildings have been constructed since 1945, and for what purposes, by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and its research institutions.

Photo of Mr Patrick Buchan-Hepburn Mr Patrick Buchan-Hepburn , Beckenham

As the list is long, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Photo of Mr Ian Mikardo Mr Ian Mikardo , Reading

Can the right hon. Gentleman tell me, in advance of my consulting that list, which of these buildings have been used for civilian research and which for military research; and whether, in the case of those which are used for research for military purposes, the expenditure is recoverable and has been recovered from the Departments concerned?

Photo of Mr Patrick Buchan-Hepburn Mr Patrick Buchan-Hepburn , Beckenham

Most of the buildings are for civil work. I think perhaps the hon. Gentleman should look at the list, when I shall be very glad to answer any further questions.

Following is the list:

NEW BUILDINGS FOR D.S.I.R.

The following table lists major new construction completed by the Ministry of Works for the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research since 1945. The purpose of each building, where not implicit in the title, is shown in brackets. This does not include minor new works costing less than £10,000

1. Building Research Station, Watford

  1. (1) Constant Temperature Laboratory.
  2. (2) Brick Machinery Bay.
  3. (3) Pilot Bays (for Pilot stage work on the production of building materials).
  4. (4) Heavy Test Laboratory (for testing structural members).
  5. (5) Boiler House.*
  6. (6) Field Workshop.*
  7. (7) User Research Workshop.*
  8. (8) Field Test Unit Workshop.*
  9. (9) Offices.*

* For move of the Building Operations Research Unit from the Thatched Barn, Barnet By-pass.

2. Chemical Research Laboratory, Teddington

New Microbiological Laboratory.

3. Joint Fire Research Organisation, Elstree.

Laboratories, workshops and stores (for experiments on fire-fighting equipment).

4. Food Investigation, Fish and Fish Products Division.

  1. (1) Torry Research Station, Aberdeen. New cold store (for chilling, freezing and cold storing of fish under accurately controlled conditions).
  2. (2) Erection of new branch laboratory at Hull (for investigation of problems in the handling, preserving, storage and distribution of fish).

5. Forest Products Research Laboratory. Princes Risborough.

  1. (1) Woodworking shop.
  2. (2) Plywood Research Factory.
  3. (3) Wood Bending Laboratory.

6. Fuel Research Station, Greenwich

  1. (1) Additional Laboratories and Offices.
  2. (2) Laboratories and Offices for Chemical. Photographic and Engineering work.
  3. (3) Calorimeter Rooms.

7. Geological Museum, Edinburgh

Extension (to provide additional accommodation for storage of geological specimens and staff quarters).

8. Hydraulics Research Station, Howberry Park

  1. (1) Construction of Flumes, Water Tank, Wave Basins, Well and Storage Tank, Workshops and Boiler House. (To allow for expansion of work on coastal erosion, wave behaviour, harbour construction, etc.).
  2. (2) Erection of Main Hall (first part) (for estuarial models).

Note. These buildings, together with the mansion and existing hutments at Howberry Park, constitute the first stages in the setting up of a new establishment for research formerly carried out under restricted conditions at the National Physical Laboratory.

9. Mechanical Engineering Research Establishment, East Kilbride

  1. (1) Workshops building.
  2. (2) General purposes building.
  3. (3) Canteen.
  4. (4) Boiler House.
  5. (5) Electrical Sub-stations.
  6. (6) Hydraulics Laboratory (to study fluid flow and allied problems in turbines, pumps, valves, etc.).

Note. These constitute the first stages in the erection of a completely new station.

10. National Physical Laboratory, Teddington

  1. (1) Mathematics Division: Additional hutted office accommodation and housing for automatic computing engine and Differential Analysis.
  2. (2) Boiler House for new centralised heating system.
  3. (3) Metrology Division—annexe for air-conditioning plant.
  4. (4) Building to house German Differential Analyser.
  5. (5) Extension to Metallurgy Building (to facilitate research into high temperature stresses in metals).
  6. (6) Extension to Radiology Laboratory.

11. Pest Infestation Laboratory, Slough

(1) Isotope Tracer Laboratory and Fumigant Store.

12. Radio Research Laboratory, Datchet

(1) Erection of new Establishment consisting of laboratory block, offices, workshops, canteen, library, stores, boiler house, garage, etc. (to replace hutments and to allow for expansion of research).

13. Road Research Laboratory, Harmondsworth

  1. (1) Soil Mechanics Laboratory
  2. (2) Additional workshops, stores and Explosives Laboratory.
  3. (3) Covered bulk storage for cement, aggregates and plant.

14. Water Pollution Research Laboratory, Stevenage

Erection of complete new Establishment (to permit removal from requisitioned premises at Watford and to allow for an extended programme of research into treatment of sewage, effluent, industrial waste, etc.).

15. General

Acquisition and adaptation of Bishop's House, Thorntonhall, Lanarkshire (to provide interim general-purpose research station for fuel, road, lubrication and metrology pending erection of permanent station at East Kilbride).

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