Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils

The CCLRC was created on 1 April 1995 as a non-departmental public body from the laboratories of the previous Science and Engineering Research Council including 1942 staff and an annual turnover of £106 million which had temporarily been controlled by the EPSRC.

It operated at three locations: The Diamond Light Source, was developed by the CCLRC at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and established as an independent company.

The CCLRC was established: a) to promote high quality scientific and engineering research by providing facilities and technical expertise in support of basic, strategic and applied research programmes; b) to support the advancement of knowledge and technology, thereby contributing to the economic competitiveness of Our United Kingdom and the quality of life; c) to provide advice, disseminate knowledge, and promote public understanding in the fields of science, engineering and technology.

By 2006 annual expenditure had nearly doubled since CCLRC's foundation to £199.8 million as the Council's international role expanded to include the payment of the UK's subscriptions to facilities at the ILL and ESRF.

[2] On 1 April 2007 CCLRC merged with PPARC to form the Science and Technology Facilities Council so that a single organisation was responsible for providing UK scientists with access to large scientific facilities in the UK and elsewhere in the world, including CERN, ESA and ESO.