25/06/09 Science and Technology
Committee Returns
MPs voted to reinstate the Science and Technology Committee
from October 2009. During the House of Commons debate on the motion
it became clear that the committee would be able to conduct wide-ranging
inquiries, covering the full scope of science policy and related
matters including the science budget, and not just the remit of
Go Science. CaSE has been campaigning for the Science and Technology
Committee, writing to the Leader of the House, commenting in the
media, and sending a briefing for MPs for today's debate. CaSE's
efforts were acknowledged in the House during the debate.
Read
the full press release
Read
the briefing
22/06/09 CaSE met with Lord Drayson
CaSE met with Lord Drayson, Minister for Science and Innovation.
They discussed the position of science in BIS, government departmental
R&D spending, the need to keep breadth in the science base,
and the importance of making sure that science policy is seen as
a critical issue in the next general election.
19/06/09 Shadow Minister for Science and Innovation
supports Science and Technology Committee
Adam Afriyie MP, Shadow Minister for Science and Innovation and
member of the former Science and Technology Committee, has written
exclusively to CaSE in support of a reinvigorated science committee.
He argued that “With a large science budget and the challenges
facing the research base in a downturn, we must scrutinize science
policy or risk our competitive advantage.”
Read
his full comments
18/06/09 Science and Technology Committee discussed in parliament
The need for a Science and Technology Committee was raised
during business questions in the House of Commons. Liberal Democrat
MP Phil Willis suggested that the need for a concerted focus on
science and technology had not been appreciated.
Commenting on the discussion, CaSE's Assistant Director,
Dr Hilary Leevers, said, “It was great to hear MPs express
their support for the re-establishment of a Science and Technology
Committee. This reflected the disappointment felt by its demise
two years ago. We sincerely hope that the opportunity to reintroduce
scrutiny of science policy across government departments is not
missed."
17/06/09 Chief Scientific Adviser for Wales
Wales will be getting its first Chief Scientific Adviser to examine
and champion science in the Welsh Assembly Government.
read more
15/06/09 Lord Drayson supports Science and Technology Committee
Lord Drayson spoke in support of a cross-departmental committee
to scrutinise government science policy stating “it is my
belief that the creation of a separate committee to look specifically
at science across Government is necessary”.
See
the full response
12/06/09 CaSE calls for a Science and Technology Committee
CaSE welcomed the IUSS Committee’s report on the "The
future of science scrutiny following the merger of DIUS and BERR",
which called for the re-establishment of a Science and Technology
Committee. Commenting on the need for a Science and Technology Committee
in the House of Commons, Nick Dusic, CaSE’s director, said,
“The abolition of the Science and Technology Committee was
a mistake that the government should rectify. Letting parliament
re-establish the Science and Technology Committee would show that
it is handing power back to the House of Commons."
CaSE has also written to the Leader of the House, Harriet Harman
MP, encouraging her to allow the House of Commons to revisit the
issue of scrutiny of science and engineering.
If you want to support this proposal you can write to the Leader
of the House and your
MP.
Read
the full press release
Read
the IUSS Committee's report
CaSE's
letter to Harriet Harman
CaSE was quoted in BBC
News and Guardian
articles on the issue
05/06/09 Creation of Department for Business Innovation
and Skills
The Prime Minister announced the creation of a new Department for
Business Innovation and Skills, merging the old Department for Innovation,
Universities and Skills and the Department for Business Enterprise
and Regulatory Reform.
CaSE
press release
04/06/09 Keep Libel Law out of Science
CaSE has signed up to the Sense about Science campaign to keep the
libel laws out of science.
read
more
01/06/09 European election commitments
CaSE published the responses from political parities to our request
for their EU science and engineering policies.
read
more
FT
Science Blog
27/05/09 CaSE leads science policy seminar
CaSE Director Nick Dusic today led a discussion at the first 'Policy
Lunchbox' seminar, organized by the Biochemical Society and British
Ecological Society, entitled 'How to engage with the opposition
and with manifesto development in the run up to the 2010 election?
View
a summary of the seminar
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