The programming of the R-matrix method recently used to calculate total and partial atomic photoionisation cross sections has been extended to enable photoelectron angular-distribution beta parameters to be studied for a general atomic system. The program has been used to calculate the beta -parameters for photoelectrons ejected from the outer p subshell of both neon and argon atoms. Good agreement with absolute experiments has been obtained in non-resonant regions. In resonant regions the results are the first to be obtained and have been parametrised according to the prescription of Kabachnik and Sazhina (1976).