Britain: An official handbook > 1956

RELIGION, SCIENCE, AND THE ARTS 3^5
by the United States and the Commonwealth countries, and in Washington by the
United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth countries; the latter subsequently
joined together as the British Commonwealth Scientific Office in Washington.
Immediately after the war a British Commonwealth official Scientific Conference
was held in London, and in view of the success of the office in Washington during
the war period, it was recommended that this office be continued in peace time, and
in addition that a British Scientific Office be set up in London. These recommenda¬
tions were approved by all Commonwealth Governments. Since 1948 the Scientific
Offices in London of the Commonwealth countries have been located in the same
building, and are closely associated with the Overseas Liaison Division of the DSIR.
2. The Standing Committee on Overseas Scientific Relations. This committee of
the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy was set up after the war to provide, among
other things, for discussion of general policy on oversea scientific representation,
scientific relations with Commonwealth and foreign countries, and scientific aspects
of the work of the United Nations.
3. The Overseas Liaison Division of the DSIR. This division is responsible for the
executive work arising from the Standing Committee’s activities. It is regardea as
the general inter-departmental body responsible for oversea scientific liaison, and
is placed within the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research for con¬
venience of organization.
4. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux. Machinery exists in the Commonwealth
Agricultural Bureaux for liaison in the field of agricultural science between coun¬
tries of the Commonwealth. In the United Kingdom there are 10 Bureaux,
specializing in various branches of agricultural science, and two Institutes the
Commonwealth Mycological Institute and the Commonwealth Institute of Ento¬
mology. A third Institute, the Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control, has
its headquarters in Ottawa, Canada. The Bureaux collect, collate and disseminate
information resulting from agricultural research.
5. The British Council. The aims of the British Council in the pure and applied
sciences are to foster closer co-operation between British scientists and scientists of
other countries, and to promote a better understanding of Britain among oversea
specialists by disseminating a knowledge of British activities and achievements
Under the first objective the exchange of visits between scientists m the United
Kingdom and other countries is of prime importance. Besides arranging lecture or
advisory tours overseas by eminent British scientists, the British Council, among
many activities of a similar nature, brings to the United Kingdom every year a
number of senior oversea specialists, postgraduate students and technicians on
visits of varying duration, for the purpose of study in British universities and other
institutions, or for discussion with British experts. In addition to publishing the
British Medical Bulletin, intended primarily to keep oversea specialists informed ot
progress in medical research in Britain, the Council maintains an extensive and
much used specialist information service. In the 60 countries in which the Bntis 1
Council is represented, libraries are maintained and in many instances these have
strong sections of scientific and technological literature. .... c
The British Council maintains at its headquarters specialist departments tor
medicine and science (including agriculture and engineering), while in some coun¬
tries scientists are attached to its oversea representatives. The Council is advise y
eminent scientists who serve on its Science Advisory Committee and on specialist
panels for the different subjects.