The Committee approved the Minutes of the Meeting held on 8th October 1964. It was agreed that matters arising from the Minutes would be dealt with during the discussion on the various papers before the Committee.
The Committee noted the terms of reference and membership of the Committee approved by the University Science and Technology Board.
3.1 Dr Howlett presented his report on the Laboratory. The crude fraction of good time since provisional acceptance of the computer had been 86%; a quarter of the core store boards had been replaced and none had so far shown faults.
3.2 The Committee warmly congratulated the Director and the staff of the Laboratory on the creation of an organisation that could take full advantage of the capabilities of the machine.
The Committee noted the conditions agreed with ICT governing the one year trial period between provisional and final acceptance, and agreed that while it would not be proper for any general statement to be made by the Laboratory until the contract was complete, factual information on performance should be given to anyone interested.
5.1 The Committee took note of the Minutes of the tenth and Eleventh Meetings of the Atlas Users' Committee and were given a verbal report on the Twelfth Meeting held the previous day.
5.2 It was agreed that the Atlas Users' Committee's observations on the possible use of the National Physical Laboratory's KFDF 9 should be drawn to the attention of the Science research Council.
6.1 Mr C Jolliffe said that the University Science and Technology Board had, at its meeting on 30th September (when both Professor Flowers and Dr Howlett had been present for the discussion on the Atlas Laboratory's estimates), considered the proposal that the Laboratory should meet a part of the difference (£76,800) between the Forward Look total for existing commitments (£823,000) and the Laboratory's minimum figure (£899,800) resulting from the delay in provisional take over. The Board had decided that it would meet the whole of this difference from economies in other parts of the Division. Further if, as seemed possible, the Council was able to increase the Board's allocation for 1966/67, the Board might, after restoring the cuts on existing commitments in other parts of the Division, be able to provide money for the Disc Store or the Building Extension and possible even for both (subject also to the probable financial situation in 1967/68).
6.2 The Committee welcomed the Board's decision and added that while appreciating the Treasury's attitude was likely to be uncompromising under the present economy drive, it was nevertheless important that the Treasury be pressed to recognise the particular difficulties arose simply from ICT's contractual failure.
The Committee considered the proposed Building Extensions and Disc Store.
7.1 Dr Howlett presented the case for a building extension. The Committee accepted the urgent need for increasing office accommodation by about 25 offices and for providing a library (in the sense of a reading room for journals and for book storage) and for reasonable space for colloquia. It did not, however, consider either the present time or the present stage of the Laboratory's development appropriate for building a full lecture theatre or for providing the full number of offices shown in the draft plan. Dr Howlett explained the latter had followed from the geometry of the extension and that while the complete plan had been tabled to show a logical long-term development based on the principles in paragraph I of the paper, it would be quite possible to build the southern wing only costing £50,000-£56,000 (excluding fees). The Committee recommended the building of an extension to provide some 25 offices, a library and accommodation for colloquia at an estimated cost of approximately £56,000 (excluding fees).
The Committee then turned to the proposal for a Disc Store. Dr Howlett explained that this would both increase the general efficiency of the system and allow for very desirable developments, for example of the MAC type. Professor Kilburn thought that increase in throughput would in general not be less than 10% nor more than 20% but on specific types of work, for example Bubble Chamber analysis which was at present strongly tape-dependent, the increase could be as much as 50%. Dr Howlett said that exact figures were not yet available but it was expected that the total cost would be of the order of £150,000. The Committee recommended that a Disc Store with a capacity of about 32 million words be bought for the Laboratory. The Committee also noted that proposals might be tabled for a magnetic card file.
7.3 While attaching great importance to proceeding urgently with both proposals, the Committee recognised that the funds available for 1966/67 might make it impossible to begin both schemes in that year. If a choice was necessary, but was not determined by financial limitations, the Committee considered priority should be given to the Disc Store.
Mr Jolliffe explained that the Board had asked the Committee to consider, as soon as was right, how the Laboratory should develop so that its views could be put before the Council. In doing this the Committee might consider both the immediate function of the Laboratory and its role five years hence. It would of course be difficult to undertake such a review before the Government reaction to the Flowers Report was known.
After discussion it was agreed to ask Mr Jolliffe and Dr Howlett to prepare a paper for the next meeting on the assumption that, by then, the situation would be more defined.
It was agreed that the next meeting would be held at the Atlas Laboratory on Tuesday, 3rd May, unless the implications of the Government reaction to the Flowers Report made an earlier meeting desirable.
(Secretary's Note: Since the meeting it has been pointed out that 3rd May is the first day of the British Joint Computer Conference at Eastbourne, and members are being asked if 26th or 28th April would be more convenient.)
