fst journal The Journal of the Foundation for Science and Technology

Volume 20, Number 7, December 2011

Editorial Sir John Parker: An engineering renaissance for economic revival Skills Philip Greenish: Delivering the skilled people the economy needs John Hayes: The future of non-graduate training Amarjit Basi: Embedding FE in the local community Norman Pickavance: A retailer's point of view Mental health Lord Layard: The cost of managing mental health in the UK Professor Simon Wessely: Health in mind and body David Behan: No health without mental health Public data Professor Paul Boyle: The value of routinely-collected administrative data Baroness O’Neill: Is current data protection legislation coherent? Stephen Penneck: Public trust in public data Stimulating innovation Lord Krebs: Focusing Government procurement on innovation Darren James: Intelligent customers and appropriate suppliers Sally Collier: Adding flexibility – and value Professor Brian Collins: Public procurement in practice Ecosystems Professor Bob Watson: The UK National Ecosystem Assessment Science advice in a crisis Sir John Beddington and Professor Patrick Cunningham

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COUNCIL CHAIRMAN Editor The Earl of Selborne GBE FRS Sir John Enderby CBE FRS Production Editor President, The Royal Society Sir Paul Nurse PRS FMedSci President, The Royal Academy of Engineering Sir John Parker FREng Simon Napper President, British Academy Sir Adam Roberts KCMG PBA Sub-editors President, The Royal Society of Edinburgh Sir John Arbuthnott PRSE FMedSci Wendy Barnaby, Judy McBride President, The Academy of Medical Sciences Sir John Tooke PMedSci FRCP Design and layout President, The Science Council Sir Tom Blundell FRS James McQuat Chairman, EngineeringUK Dr Paul Golby CBE FREng Chairman, The Arts and Humanities Research Council Sir Alan Wilson FBA FRS Chairman, The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Sir Tom Blundell FRS www.foundation.org.uk Chairman, The Economic and Social Research Council Dr Alan Gillespie CBE Chairman, The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Mr John Armitt FREng CBE Chairman, The Medical Research Council Sir John Chisholm FREng CEng FIEE Chairman, The Natural Environment Research Council Mr Edmund Wallis FREng Chairman, The Science and Technology Facilities Council Professor Michael Sterling FREng Chairman, The Technology Strategy Board Mr Philip Smith Professor Polina Bayvel FREng Sir Leszek Borysiewicz FRS FRCP FMedSci The Lord Broers FRS FREng Sir Geoffrey Chipperfield KCB Sir Graeme Davies FRSE FREng The Lord Haskel Dr Geraldine Kenney-Wallace FRSC Sir David King KB FRS ScD The Lord Krebs Kt FRS FMedSci The Rt Hon the Lord Lloyd of Berwick DL Dr Mike Lynch OBE FREng Sir Rob Margetts CBE FREng The Lord May of Oxford OM AC Kt FRS FMedSci The Rt Hon Sir Brian Neill The Baroness O’Neill of Bengarve CBE FBA HonFRS FMedSci The Lord Oxburgh KBE FRS The Lord Rees of Ludlow OM Kt FRS HonFREng Dr Peter Ringrose The Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior FMedSci Dr Graham Spittle CBE The Lord Sutherland of Houndwood KT FBA FRSE Sir Mark Walport FRS FMedSci Sir Peter Williams CBE FREng FRS The Lord Willis of Knaresborough Dr Robert Hawley CBE DSc FRSE FREng (Deputy Chairman) Mr Patrick McHugh (Honorary Secretary) Mr Tony Quigley (Honorary Treasurer)

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Professor Dougal Goodman FREng

Neither the Foundation nor the Editor is responsible for the opinions of contributors to FST journal. © 2011 The Foundation for Science and Technology. ISSN 1475-1704 fst journal Volume 20, Number 7, December 2011 contents

THE COUNCIL OF THE FOUNDATION fst inside front cover journal UPDATE The Journal of the Foundation for Science and Technology Volume 20, Number 7 December 2011 £1 million prize for engineering; Protecting IP rights; Migration as a response to climate Editorial change; World leader in research; FE strategy launched...... 2 Sir John Parker: An engineering renaissance for economic revival Skills Philip Greenish: Delivering the skilled people the economy needs John Hayes: The future of non-graduate training Editorial Amarjit Basi: Embedding FE in the local community Norman Pickavance: A retailer's point of view Mental health An engineering renaissance for economic revival Lord Layard: The cost of managing mental health in the UK Professor Simon Wessely: Health in mind and body David Behan: No health without mental health Sir John Parker ...... 3 Public data Professor Paul Boyle: The value of routinely-collected administrative data Baroness O’Neill: Is current data protection legislation coherent? Stephen Penneck: Public trust in public data skills Stimulating innovation Lord Krebs: Focusing Government procurement on innovation Darren James: Intelligent customers and appropriate suppliers Delivering the skilled people the economy needs Sally Collier: Adding flexibility – and value Professor Brian Collins: Public procurement in practice Ecosystems Philip Greenish...... 4 Professor Bob Watson: The UK National Ecosystem Assessment Science advice in a crisis Sir John Beddington and Professor Patrick Cunningham The future of non-graduate training T H E F O U N D A T I O N F O R S C I E N C E A N D John Hayes...... 5 fs t TE C H N O L O G Y Embedding FE in the local community Amarjit Basi ...... 6 www.foundation.org.uk carries reports on all A retailer’s point of view Norman Pickavance...... 7 Foundation meetings. mental health The cost of managing mental health in the UK Lord Layard...... 8 Health in mind and body Professor Simon Wessely...... 9 No health without mental health David Behan...... 11 public data The value of routinely-collected administrative data Professor Paul Boyle...... 12 Is current data protection legislation coherent? Baroness O’Neill ...... 14 Public trust in public data Stephen Penneck...... 15 stimulating innovation Focusing Government procurement on innovation Lord Krebs...... 17 Intelligent customers and appropriate suppliers Darren James...... 18 Adding flexibility - and value Sally Collier...... 19 Public procurement in practice Professor Brian Collins ...... 20 Ecosystems The UK National Ecosystem Assessment Professor Bob Watson...... 21

Science advice in a crisis Sir John Beddington and Professor Patrick Cunningham...... 23

events...... 24 fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol.20 (7) update

World leader in £1 million prize for engineering announced research A new £1 million prize for excellence charitable trust, the Queen Elizabeth Prize The UK is a world leader in science and in engineering has been launched. The for Engineering Foundation, chaired by research, according to the International biennial award, named the Queen Lord Browne of Madingley FREng FRS. Comparative Performance of the UK Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, will be The day-to-day running of the Prize will Research Base 2011 report, compiled given to an individual or team of up to be handled by the Royal Academy of by Elsevier and published by the three people, of any nationality, directly Engineering. Ms Anji Hunter has been Department for Business, Innovation responsible for advancing the application appointed Director of the Prize. and Skills. Among the report’s findings of engineering knowledge. As well as the search for the winner, are: As well as recognising and celebrating the Prize will provide a high-profile, • The UK is more efficient in terms the best, the Prize will provide an global communications platform to of output per researcher per unit of unparalleled opportunity to demonstrate explore the breadth, creativity and impact research spend; how engineers and engineering are of engineering of all kinds around the • The UK research base is attracting making a real difference across the world. world. productive and internationally mobile The Prize is the result of a growing Speaking at the launch event, Prime researchers to work in the UK; realisation in the worlds of business, Minister David Cameron said: “I am • The ability of UK researchers to move engineering and policy of the need for a delighted that the Queen has put her internationally and collaborate with pioneering initiative to focus attention name to this prestigious prize, which I non-UK researchers is a key driver of on engineering worldwide. A number hope will carry the same stature as the research efficiency; of major engineering companies have Nobel Prizes and I want to thank the • The UK’s citation impact shows the donated to an endowment fund, which Royal Academy of Engineering and the UK performs better than the world is being managed by an independent prize sponsors for making this happen. average in all subject fields. Professor Rick Rylance, Chair of Protecting IP rights Research Councils UK said: “The report confirms the UK as a world-leading The Government has confirmed that Growth. Justice Minister Jonathan research nation that produces excellent a new small claims service will be Djanogly said: “It is clearly much research of outstanding quality in most introduced at the Patents County Court better for the economy if businesses domains.” (PCC), helping small and medium are spending their time and money www.bis.gov.uk/policies/science/ sized businesses protect their copyright, on trading and growth, rather than on science-innovation-analysis/uk- trademarks and designs. unnecessarily complicated legal processes. research-base Small firms are often put off enforcing That is why we are modernising the their Intellectual Property (IP) rights by justice system in order to provide simpler, high costs. The new process will limit quicker and more cost efficient ways to FE strategy launched fixed costs and allow damages of up to resolve disputes.” Further reforms to Further Education £5,000 per case. Figures produced by Evidence presented to the recent will see businesses helping to develop the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Hargreaves Review, Digital Opportunity: the courses that best meet their needs estimate that around 150 firms will benefit A Review of Intellectual Property and for growth, increased education exports from the service every year, providing an Growth, indicated that around one in six and promotion of excellence in teaching annual boost to UK business of £350,000. (17 per cent) of small and medium sized according to Skills Minister John Hayes. The recommendation for a small businesses had given up attempting to He was speaking at the publication of the claims service was made in the Hargreaves enforce their rights due to high court costs. Government’s new strategy for the sector Review of Intellectual Property and www.ipo.gov.uk on 1 December. Measures outlined in New Challenges, New Chances will give employers the Migration as a response to climate change power to support the design and delivery of new courses, helping create greater A new international report, published rising sea levels will influence and interact confidence in qualifications and equip by Foresight, has revealed that the major with patterns of global human migration learners with the skills they need. challenges associated with migration over the next 50 years. These patterns of It will also actively support the sector, and environmental change have been human movement, 75 per cent of which promoting excellence in teaching and underestimated. It concludes that by is internal, will present major challenges developing a package of education focusing solely on those that might as well as potential opportunities for products aimed at global opportunities in leave vulnerable areas, those that will be communities and policy makers at both a emerging economies. ‘trapped’ – and those that will actually national and international level. John Hayes confirmed £3.8 billion move towards danger – have been Professor Sir John Beddington, the investment in the sector in 2012-13 and overlooked. Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser indicative funding for the following The report also shows that migration and Head of the Foresight programme, year. Ministers plan to give colleges can have a transformative role in said: “Environmental change threatens to more freedom from central Government helping communities adapt to hazardous have a profound impact on communities control, and more responsibility for conditions. This is a critical finding for around the world – particularly in low providing high quality, flexible courses policy makers working to avert costly income countries. The evidence is clear for their local areas. humanitarian disasters in the future. that under some circumstances migration, www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further- The ‘Migration and Global particularly in low income countries, can education-skills/docs/f/11-1380-fur- Environmental Change’ project examined transform a community’s ability to cope ther-education-skills-system-reform- how profound changes in environmental with environmental change.” plan.pdf conditions such as flooding, drought and www.bis.gov.uk/foresight/migration

2 fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) guest editorial An engineering renaissance for economic revival John Parker

he engineering profession is and enterprise across a great range of living through something of a the sectors capable of driving economic renaissance in the UK. After years growth. We must build the capacity of of commentators harking back UK entrepreneurs and UK enterprises to Tto the Golden Age of the great Victorian create innovative products and services, to engineers, suddenly contemporary increase national wealth and employment engineering is raising its profile. Engineers and to rebalance and strengthen the are starting to be properly recognised for economy. The creative focus of many their essential contribution to society. companies, from pharmaceuticals to The Government is focusing with aerospace, is invariably centred on the art renewed vigour on engineering and science and science of engineering. because they are critical both to rebalancing Our aim, as a community, is to promote the economy and creating an infrastructure engineering and the role of the Professional fit for the future. This is to be welcomed, Engineer vigorously in public life. We must along with the initiative which matches also foster better education and skills so Sir John Parker FREng is Ministers to companies that contribute that the needs of the country are met and President of the Royal significantly to our export effort. the aspirations of our young people are Academy of Engineering. Between them the engineering and satisfied. If we are to have an economy manufacturing sectors generate 25 per cent with more ‘technocratic horsepower’, then He is also Chairman of UK turnover. Britain is still amongst the we need more young people to set their of National Grid plc world’s largest manufacturers, renowned sights on becoming engineers. and Chairman of Anglo for high-value-added industries such as American plc. Sir John aerospace, life sciences and creative A collaborative profession is a Visiting Fellow of the design. The future lies in an innovation Engineering is – by its very nature – a economy, based on new industries such as collaborative profession. The Royal University of Oxford, a green energy, nanotechnology and plastic Academy of Engineering is working to member of the General electronics, in which many of the key bring our profession closer together so Committee of Lloyds advances have been made in Britain. that our formidable collective strengths Register of Shipping and are harnessed to create maximum impact Skills at the centre and influence on matters of importance. Vice President of The Royal The Government’s growth strategy places We are building a reputation as a cohesive Navy and Marines Charity skills at the centre of economic recovery. It profession that works well together for as well as a governor also emphasises the need for a rebalanced the national good. This is, of course, of the Royal National economy, but this needs people with the instinctive in most engineers; at every level right technology and engineering skills in in our careers we do just that. Lifeboat Institution. He is sufficient numbers. However, there is a real Two of the alliances on which we work the recipient of honorary danger that ongoing underfunding could together – Education for Engineering doctorates from a number lead to universities scaling down or even (E4E) and Engineering the Future – are of universities in the UK closing their engineering courses, leaving now becoming genuinely successful in a serious economic gap. The Academy influencing policy. When the professional and Ireland. believes a lack of suitable proposals in engineering community speaks with a the recent Higher Education White Paper, single voice, it is drawing on one of its most compounded by a 72 per cent cut in enduring qualities. Dealing with big issues teaching capital funding and 58 per cent requires a lot of collective weight - and cut in research capital funding, could be policy makers welcome a more streamlined very damaging at this crucial time. process for gathering the advice they need. The Royal Academy of Engineering’s The Academy building is currently vision is to bring engineering into the undergoing a £6.5 million renovation heartland of society, and we are working which will transform its public spaces. in partnership with the engineering When we re-open in 2012, we will unveil Institutions, the Engineering Council a high quality Forum in which we will and EngineeringUK to achieve this. We debate the issues that matter and celebrate also want to work closely with The Royal the achievements of engineers, showing Society to promote the essential linkages what engineering is and what it is to be between science and engineering. an engineer today. ☐ Engineering is central to innovation www.raeng.org.uk fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) 3 skills

Can the Further Education system provide the skilled technicians needed to keep this country competitive? A meeting of the Foundation for Science and Technology on 2 March 2011 examined this question. Delivering the skilled people the economy needs Philip Greenish

he 2010 Data Skills Audit struggle to find out what a course can of the UK Commission Philip Greenish CBE do for them while employers struggle to for Employment and Skills is Chief Executive of determine whether a qualification has (UKCES) identifies a The Royal Academy any value for them or their industry. substantial decline in lower-skilled jobs of Engineering. The FE sector caters for a huge range T Prior to this, as a and a consequent need to ‘up-skill’ people of needs. Learners range from age 14 to Rear Admiral in the who are currently in such roles. The 80 with a significant number learning Royal Navy’s Fleet audit also reported an aging workforce. in the workplace. Qualifications range Command, he was responsible Yet UKCES reported a very low for engineering, personnel and from basic literacy and numeracy right incidence of skills shortages. In contrast, logistic support for the front line through to first degrees and postgraduate the Confederation of British Industry and he led a major reorganisation diplomas. Courses can last just a few hours found that 45 per cent of employers of the Command. He is a former or can involve a full-time commitment have difficulty recruiting staff skilled Council Member of the Science and over several years. in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Technology Facilities Council and a Looking at the STEM qualifications Engineering and Mathematics) and they Board Member of EngineeringUK. on offer in England, there is a reasonable expect that problem to increase over the spread – 44 per cent in engineering, 15 per next few years. Department of Business, Innovation cent in mathematics and numeracy, 20 per As an illustration of the situation, and Skills (BIS) and a large number of cent in science, 35 per cent in technology consider engineering: it can act as a proxy organisations participated, including The (the numbers add up to more than 100 per for the wider STEM landscape. In terms Royal Society, the Gatsby Foundation, the cent because some qualifications fit into of the number of engineering workers Engineering Council and many others. more than one category). Of more interest employed in the UK, the country compares is the number of enrolments by subject well against other EU member states: it The FE sector area. Of the 3.2 million learners taking comes third overall. Yet as a proportion of Further Education is extremely important STEM qualifications, 34 per cent chose the total workforce, the UK is only a little but has been the Cinderella of education engineering, 27 per cent technology, 12 per above the EU average and is right at the for too long. Historically it has been cent science and 42 per cent mathematics. bottom of the list as regards the proportion unloved and under-funded; in addition it Broadly similar trends can be seen in of female engineering workers! has suffered from a variety of piecemeal Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Drawing upon the UKCES Working policy interventions. In terms of the levels, remember that Futures 3 report, over 580,000 new In terms of the total of learners, Level 2 is GCSE or equivalent, Level 3 engineering workers will be needed in Further Education dwarfs the Higher is A level or equivalent and Level 4 is the UK by 2017, replacing an ageing Education sector. Some 4.7 million HNC or equivalent. Now, in the last two workforce and meeting new demand. people participated in FE in 2008-9. academic years, 8 per cent of enrolments The Department for Energy and Climate They studied for over 10,000 different were at Level 0, very basic indeed. Then Change (DECC) estimates that half a qualifications. There are currently 21 per cent were Level 1, 41 per cent million new jobs will be required by 5,000 registered providers, with 1,500 Level 2 and 23 per cent Level 3 as well 2020 to renew our energy infrastructure organisations offering some form of as a very, very small number, just 1 per alone. By contrast, the number of 15-19 further education and skills learning. In cent, at Level 4. Adding up the figures year olds entering the employment the UK there are 425 FE colleges, of shows that over three-quarters (76 per market is set to diminish considerably. which 352 are in England. cent) were at Level 2 or below. This is UKCES estimates that 60 per cent of the The sector is incredibly complex: an issue when industry is looking for an UK’s future skills gaps will be in STEM there are over 9,000 STEM qualifications up-skilled workforce. subjects. Employers are very clear that available to learners. Once the significant As one might expect, the majority they need more technicians at Level 2 amount of duplication is taken into of apprenticeships are in engineering, and particularly at Level 3. More STEM account, the number drops to around but once again half of these are at Level skills are needed in the workforce as a 2,500 (the equivalent figure for HE is 2. Are apprenticeships delivering the whole. 1,500). However, while HE students and skills that business and industry need? The Royal Academy of Engineering employers find it quite easy to navigate A further area of concern is the STEM has been leading a research initiative their way around the system, those in workforce. In engineering, technology in this area. It was funded by the FE find it extremely difficult. Learners and manufacturing there has been a

4 fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) skills

Improvement needed Of the qualifications achieved in 2008/9: There is a compelling economic case for 900,000 improving the provision of skills – just look at the requirements for creating the 800,000 green economy. There is not enough 600,000 focus on high level qualifications within

s 600,000 the FE sector. The UK is already behind its competitors in intermediate and 500,000 Level 4+ lower skills levels. FE is experiencing Level 3 400,000 diminishing enrolments in engineering Level 2 300,000 and manufacturing subjects as well as a Achievement Level 1 decline in the teaching workforce. 200,000 Level 0 What needs to change? First, funding 100,000 mechanisms need to incentivise Level 0 3 and 4 qualifications. Second, there is Science & Technology & Engineering & Mathematics, currently a very confusing and confused related related related numeracy & post-16 offering – we must do better. related Learners need to be able identify which qualifications employers really value: it Figure 1. FE achievements in STEM 2008-9 is not fair for them to embark on a course without knowing what benefit it steady decline in the engineering Austria and Denmark, Level 3 is the can bring them. Third, there needs to be workforce. norm. In Germany, full time vocational a particular effort to encourage a high- In much of Europe, by contrast, there programmes precede and prepare for quality teaching workforce. is a single range of programmes leading apprenticeships and students are expected The FE sector is enormously valuable: to a Level 3 qualification, with an option to go through to Level 4 – in the UK, just it deserves more attention and it needs to progress to Level 4. In France, Sweden, one per cent reach Level 4. our support. ☐ The future of non-graduate training John Hayes

any people saw, and still see, The first area of change will be in the John Hayes MP is Further Education as a safety economic role of colleges. FE colleges Minister for Skills in net for people not clever and other training providers are ready to the Department for enough to get a university deliver the skills needed for growth, but we Business, Innovation Mplace. It is curious that the nation of John and Skills and the cannot expect them to do it on their own. Ruskin and William Morris should believe Department for When Government says it wants employers that a practical talent is a badge of failure. Education. He is MP for South to lead the skills system rather than merely Among other things, the state of today’s Holland and The Deepings. advise on its direction, no one should job market exposes the falsity of that notion. Entering Parliament at the 1997 interpret this as a vote of no confidence in A plumber with a Level 3 apprenticeship election, he held a number of training providers. is likely to find a job more quickly than shadow ministerial posts: for Employers are the main customers for an archaeology graduate and may well Schools, Agriculture, Fisheries skills training in this country and also have greater long-term earning potential. and Food, Local and Devolved its major funders. The closer the links Virtually all analysts and employer groups Government (Housing and between end-users and those who provide agree that the skills needed to kick-start our Planning), Transport, Vocational skills, the more satisfactory the system is economy and create renewed growth are Education and Lifelong Learning, likely to prove for everyone. Employers predominantly at technician rather than Further and Higher Education. have to get involved, to shape the training first-degree level. It is time to bury once offers and the qualifications, so that they and for all the notion that FE is inferior to get the most from it. HE just because it is different. the status of the practical. It is concerned Colleges – and others, including with creating a nation where everyone Government – must actively seek out Valuing skills has the chance to enjoy the benefits that employers’ views on what they need, and The need to reduce the financial deficit is flow from learning, such as better health, respond. Anything that hinders a college affecting Further Education just like other more rewarding jobs and a greater sense of from responding to its customers detracts areas of the public sector. Yet that does not self-esteem, one where those benefits are from the effectiveness of the whole system. mean that it cannot look to the future with passed on from one generation to the next. optimism. The essence of the skills reform It is about creating more open and inclusive Perceptions package that BIS has announced is the communities and a society that is not just Another area of change concerns building of a nation which values learning bigger, but better as well. FE and the skills perceptions. The status of manual skills and and aspires to skills. It is about elevating system can help achieve that. those who gain them has to be raised. My fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) 5 skills

di scuss i on a literacy course and experiences not just A funding dilemma? the joy of reading but the joy of learning, there should be nothing to which they There are major changes taking place in the funding of HE. This could have cannot aspire. There should be a clear and consequences for FE as well. Yet it could be an opportunity for FE to project easily-understandable route to take them itself as an alternative pathway for young people on the road to degree and post- eventually wherever they want to go – to degree level qualifications. The renaissance of apprenticeship schemes could high academic honours, to professional assist in this by providing a good entry point to the ladder of progression. or technical qualifications, or to a pottery evening-class in their local college. Education is a powerful force for social own wish to see apprenticeships become resonance for those who depend on and cultural, as well as economic, progress. a career path of choice for young people STEM skills. For years there have been It concerns who we are not just what and adults alike is echoed by some of the complaints about STEM skills shortages, as we do. But an education system that country’s largest employers. They recognise, well as criticism from some sectors, notably caps someone’s aspirations – by saying, for as learners too increasingly recognise, that pharmaceuticals, that STEM graduates example, that there is no clear route to take this form of training is perhaps the best do not always acquire skills relevant to a person from a Level 3 apprenticeship way of passing on vocational skills. So business while at university. The advent of to university-level study – is the opposite when the Government says it will create higher-level apprenticeships gives STEM of progressive. A person who realises at an extra 75,000 adult apprenticeship places employers and others the chance to do the end of a course that it cannot take during this Parliament – and also make something about that for themselves, by them where it promised has had their life more places available for 16-18 year olds helping to train people on the job. I hope blighted by education, not enriched by it. – it is heartening when big companies step that many will seize that opportunity. That is why there is so much effort forward to ensure that jobs will be there for going into improving the progression those extra trainees. The goal of learning routes between the different levels and Other steps to raising the profile of It is very easy to say that our economy phases of learning. It is why we set so skills training include renaming the various needs a specified number of people much store by the new all-age careers levels of achievement to make them more qualified to this or that level. If education service’s ability to guide people accurately meaningful, introducing graduation were really a sausage machine, we would through and between them until they reach ceremonies and creating alumni networks. push the right buttons and then stand back their goals. I also want to make many more and congratulate ourselves. But learning The further education and skills system apprenticeships available at higher levels, is not mechanistic: it is as unpredictable is what creates the possibility of meaningful because industry needs higher skills as the hopes and dreams of millions of progression and truly lifelong learning. It more than ever before. UKCES and the learners. Learning can take a huge leap can take people from basic skills to higher Technicians Council calculate this to be in forward when a person realises that a learning. It is one of the keys to this the region of 50,000 more people. Now, certain course or qualification is right for country’s social as well as economic future. the previous Government might have them, or when a learner, after much effort, It is one of the forces that can make the responded by creating an extra 50,000 finally ‘gets it’. Yet it can grind to a halt depressed or disillusioned raise their heads training places at technician level. This when someone’s hopes are disappointed or once more and aspire to a better tomorrow. administration, however, is committed to when they realise that they have reached a ☐ helping industry and training providers dead-end. New Challenges, New Chances: work together to meet needs locally and so, So the final and perhaps most www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further-educa- in aggregate, across the nation. important point to make is that learning tion-skills/docs/f/11-1380-further-education- That approach should have particular is a continuum. When an adult completes skills-system-reform-plan.pdf Embedding FE in the local community Amarjit Basi

hen our new campus at the transport revolution and Birmingham uplift in skills and employability, focussing Walsall was created three emerged as the new centre for the region. on the Further Education field, developing years ago, the result of First of all, we redefined our mission. the skills of tomorrow. After conducting a land-swap between us There are 19 secondary schools in Walsall a market intelligence exercise within the Wand Tesco, we decided to engage with and all of them deliver A-levels. We region, the college was restructured into stakeholders and the wider community withdrew from A-levels in order to six ‘Prosperity Clusters’. Developed in about the kind of college they wanted. concentrate on vocational education. partnership with employers, our courses Working with the local council, the regional Walsall and the Black Country historically fit within these areas: business and development agency and business, we have produced the lowest proportion of professional; creative industries; digital and were determined not to repeat the mistake graduates in the country. The region has technologies; health and public services; that Walsall had made 250-300 years the highest proportion of adults without services to people; and a ‘Foundation’ ago. Then the town was the major trade any qualifications. A few years ago, half cluster which includes supported learning, centre of the Midlands but politicians and of the secondary schools were in special literacy and numeracy. This last area citizens did not want to embrace the new measures. ensures there are no ‘dead ends’ for train technology. Walsall missed out on The college took responsibility for an students – they can take up opportunities

6 fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) skills again and again. In fact, the college allows and we are the Patron of British Business Amarjit Basi is a people to progress through to Level 3 and Parks. The local SME community is former Principal even higher skills levels. investing heavily in training in the clusters and Chief Executive of Walsall College. we have identified. Delivering more He previously held We have created a sixth form, even Our promise – what we call our ‘dowry’ to senior management though we do not do A-levels! This has employers – is that every part of the college posts at Ealing, Hammersmith & allowed us to increase the number of 16-18 and the curriculum promises to deliver West London College, The Oldham year olds in the last two years by just under students who are not just technically College and North Warwickshire & 1,000 and we now have one of the biggest trained, but also have important soft skills. Hinckley College – each of which sixth form centres in the West Midlands, The notion of being ‘skilled, professional attained beacon status or equivalent. with just over 4,200 students. All are and enterprising’ is embedded in Ealing, Hammersmith & West working on Level 3 and Level 4 courses. everything we do. London College attained a Queen’s Walsall College is now central to the We are a significant provider in the Award for Enterprise: International economic life of the West Midlands. We engineering field, particularly in utilities. Trade for its programmes for overseas are leading future skills. We are working We work with E.ON, National Grid, learners. Amarjit Basi is currently with children – sponsoring schools, Balfour Beatty and Caterpillar, as well Principal and Chief Executive of New including a primary school, and providing as others, to deliver a whole range of College Nottingham. access to technical learning early on. Our apprenticeship programmes starting at age overseas work has a turnover of more than 14. We will open the first University £300 million brand new hospital, a new £1 million a year – we are in fact one of Technical College carrying that title, ring road, new housing groups and a Walsall’s fastest growing exporters. working in partnership with Siemens new waterfront sector – the college has With the growth of the sixth form and and the University of Wolverhampton [it provided apprenticeship training in every the growth of adult provision, student opened in September – Ed]. one of these regeneration projects. success rates last year were in the top 10 In product design and development the We work with a whole range of retail per cent nationally. college works with Roland Group in sign companies including Morrisons, Asda, making – where we are a national centre of and TK Maxx, through Job Centre Plus. Conclusions excellence – and in music technology. We There are several conclusions that I would work with the regional equivalent of Toni & The public sector like to draw from the Walsall College Guy through the Francesco Group, as well The college is engaged with the health story. One is to recognise the role that as health spas. We have links to a number sector on a range of programmes, from FE can play within a locality, particularly of football clubs and not just in sport. obesity and mental health to social care in the vocational and technical training Aston Villa has recruited 12 apprentices and fostering. We are a preferred training area. Second, it is important to recognise from a very disadvantaged community provider to a number of hospital groups. In that FE is the glue between schools and providing, in partnership with the college, a period of18 months, we secured over 200 the HE sector; we would, in fact, relish training in a commercial restaurant they apprenticeships across the public sector, the opportunity to expand our provision are developing at their ground. from the Walsall Council, the hospitals, further into both these areas. Third, With local housing associations and NHS, Fire & Ambulance Service and also colleges that inculcate flexibility can other training providers, we are helping the education service. respond innovatively to requests from to deliver regeneration projects. In the The college is the meeting place for the employers and other partners. last three years these have included a Black Country Chamber of Commerce www.walsallcollege.ac.uk A retailer’s point of view Norman Pickavance

t is clear that delivering skills is the debate more actively. As a customer, developed over time. We must start, not a tactical issue but a long term I think we have to make plain what our therefore, at the earliest possible stage strategic agenda. The relevance of commitment is to the FE sector. of a person’s career – at 16 or 18 – and a retail view is that retailers learn First, there should be a commitment work with those people in their pursuit of Ivery quickly the customer is always right. to the craft route. Through the craft educational and practical excellence. Customers decide which deals they prefer route one can develop domain expertise Partnership does not stop at the and they make those decisions very plain and that domain expertise is pivotal to classroom door or the entrance to the on a weekly basis. Now, while we should leading in any industry. A major research supermarket or factory: it is a pathway not be running our education system on programme instigated by Jeff Immelt, the which continues through an individual’s the basis of week-by-week decisions, we Chief Executive of GE, discovered that career. That pathway needs to be do need to understand the power that we those companies setting out to be domain managed through coaching at each level. have as customers and the role we should experts were the ones which lead in many This will help individuals progress from be playing. In any good marriage each sectors. the shop floor to the top floor of any partner has a very strong part to play. Second, industry needs to prioritise organisation. ☐ For too long, the industrial sector has sat excellence. As Aristotle noted, ‘we are Norman Pickavance is Group HR Director back and said ‘Well you’re not delivering what we repeatedly do’. Excellence, then, at William Morrisons. He was responding what we want’, rather than contributing to is a habit and not an act. That habit is to the earlier speakers. fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) 7 mental health

How should expenditure be allocated between mental and physical health services, especially in the light of new and increasing demands? The question was debated at a meeting of the Foundation for Science and Technology on 4 May 2011. The cost of managing mental health in the UK Richard Layard

hile everyone recognises There are cost-effective treatments dementia to be a major Professor Lord recommended by NICE. Take two problem, it is not the only Layard FBA is examples of therapies which, on the mental health problem Emeritus Professor evidence from trials and usage in the Wfacing our society. Depression and of Economics at the field, are paying for themselves. With crippling anxiety affect six million adults, London School of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), in addition to the smaller number of Economics, where the recovery rate in the field for adult those with psychotic problems and the he was until 2003 the depression and anxiety disorders is at founder-director of the Centre for children with mental health problems least 40 per cent above natural recovery. Economic Performance. He now (many of which persist into adulthood). The savings on benefits and the additional heads the Centre’s programme on Everybody agrees that mental illness wellbeing. Since 2000 he has been a tax paid by people returning to work is a major challenge: the issue is what member of the House of Lords and actually balance NHS costs (although can be done, and that of course depends advises the Government on mental unfortunately the savings accrue to the on the effectiveness of treatment. The health policy. His book Happiness Department for Work and Pensions and National Institute for Health and Clinical – Lessons from a New Science was the Revenue), and there are also savings Excellence (NICE) has guidelines on published in 2005. on other healthcare costs. A good deal the treatment of these conditions: in a of evidence in favour of CBT is available number of cases, the treatments lead to from the USA where there have been greater savings to the economy than the for Mental Health estimates the loss of 28 trials. In 26 of these, the average money spent on them. It is, however, output resulting from people not being savings made from ‘other’ healthcare depressing that many of these guidelines able to work, taking sickness absence costs exceeded the expenditure on CBT. are not implemented in some parts of the or living on reduced earnings due to The second example is that of parental country. The result is that treatments mental health problems at around £30 training in cases where children have which could be changing people’s lives billion a year – roughly 2 per cent of our conduct problems. Again, there is good are not available to those who need them. national income. The NHS spends £11 evidence that the savings to criminal Surveys indicate that only a quarter of billion on mental health annually (about justice systems, properly discounted, pay those found to have a diagnosable mental 11 per cent of its total expenditure). for the training. There is also evidence to illness are in treatment – very different to On the other hand, other NHS services suggest that the savings to the NHS would the approach we take to physical illness. are probably being provided to people exceed expenditure – in other words these The Government has now instituted with mental problems who have not been treatments would cost nothing overall! a programme of improved access to correctly identified or properly treated psychological therapy, but even when – there are no accurate figures for that. Not available completely rolled-out it will not cover the Then, of course, there is the social cost Unfortunately such treatments are whole range of problems. of child mental illness going through into simply not available on the required scale educational failure, crime, poor parenting because NICE guidelines are not being The scale of the problem and so on. implemented. This is a very peculiar Using a broad definition of mental illness

– depression, other psychiatric conditions disc u ssio n such as anxiety and psychosis, as well as Tackling the stigma of mental illness Alzheimer’s and addictions – nearly half of all health-related disabilities are due to Mental suffering can be more damaging to the individual than physical trauma. mental health problems. Something like So, in a reasonable world, resources should flow to mental health, at the cost of 25 per cent of those attending GP surgeries some physical treatments e.g. arthritis, which, in many cases, people could live are diagnosed with mental illness. Nearly with. However, there is danger in trying to implement such a shift before stigma a half of those on incapacity benefit are has been successfully addressed. However irrationally, there is a public prejudice recorded as having mental illness and that physical suffering is worse than mental suffering and that many mental a significant proportion of back pain is problems are the sufferer’s own fault. Failure to win the public argument before associated with mental causes. implementing change risks a GM products type disaster where science and logic is One very good reason for tackling this rejected by populist outcry - to the disadvantage of individuals and the economy. issue is an economic one. The Centre

8 fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) mental health

situation: the way NICE guidelines disc u ssio n on mental health are regarded by Delivering change commissioners is completely different Early intervention and prevention are better than cure. An emphasis on social from the case of physical health. That is why there are very low treatment rates care and material conditions is surely right. Yet there are problems in delivery. both for adults with depression and Under the Localism agenda, local authorities will be given greater discretion on anxiety, as well as for children – the their budgetary spending, while at the same time they are suffering large cuts. hurdle to get a child treated is set very, They should be able to use the opportunity to bring services together. But will very high. it be possible to preserve, indeed enhance, expenditure on social care in these In general, people with chronic circumstances? While everyone may agree that social care needs to be more physical illness are in treatment while comprehensive and, for example, address housing and poverty issues, is there any people with chronic mental health illness power to require authorities to do so? are not; it is as simple as that. The reasons are a lack of facilities, a lack of included but there is no money for them. needs but also new ones. Since the total commissioning, a lack of training, a lack For example, some 50 per cent of cases expenditure in the NHS in real terms is of people who can work the facilities, as referred to secondary acute care are for flat, some other areas will then face cuts. well as a lack of GP training in identifying ‘medically unexplained’ symptoms and The unmet need includes patients the problem – and of course there is a this category will not feature widely with medically unexplained symptoms, lack of people coming forward because of under the current programme. the chronically ill and children – as well stigma. I believe that if the facilities were Of the current expenditure on mental as research. Mental health research only available and people knew that effective health of around £11 billion per year, only accounts for about 5 per cent of medical treatment was being provided, then the a small amount goes on children (around research budgets, which is too small if this stigma would disappear. £750 million). Adult care is largely sector represents 25 per cent of demand Fortunately change is now occurring directed to people with psychotic or near- on NHS services and there are effective with the ‘Improving Access to Psychology psychotic conditions (in the wards, in treatments available to be researched. Therapy’ programme which aims to community mental health teams, or in Among the challenges facing society implement NICE guidelines for adult outpatient clinics). As much again goes is the increase of dementia within the anxiety and depression by 2014. This on the care of the elderly. For most people community due to ageing. This is an will mean treating at least 15 per cent suffering from common mental disorders area where new needs, as a fraction of of diagnosable cases. To do so, some or from unexplained symptoms, there is existing provision, are greater in mental 8,000 therapists will be needed: half that no adequate allocation however. health than in physical health. So number are already trained. The cost is there is a strong case for mental health less than £500 million. However, a large Conclusions receiving a disproportionate share of any number of conditions are not covered There will have to be extra expenditure extra NHS spending – or indeed, of the by this programme: they are nominally in order to meet both currently unmet existing total. ☐ Health in mind and body Simon Wessely

he physical care of those with symptoms unaccounted for by physical major psychiatric disorders is disease. Professor Simon grossly neglected – patients Table 1 on page 10 sets this out. Most Wessely FRCP have an average life expectancy people hope to remain in the bottom right FRCPsych FMedSci is Vice Dean at least 10 years less than the rest of corner, feeling fine and not suffering from T and Professor the population. But likewise, so is the disease as defined by medical science. At of Psychological psychological health of those with some stage in life many of us will move Medicine at the physical disorders. It is known that if a into the top left and this is still not a Institute of Psychiatry and person has a heart attack and becomes problem for medicine. The patient feels Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at depressed they are up to three times more ill and the doctor has found something King’s and Maudsley Hospitals. His likely to die in the next year: that means wrong – that is what medicine exists for. research interests are in the areas it is more dangerous to have depression Yet it is the other two categories that between medicine and psychiatry, after a heart attack than it is to continue cause concern. In the top right is a person clinical epidemiology, psychiatric smoking. Looking at hospital attendance, who either has or is at risk of some disease injury and military health. He 20 per cent of Accident and Emergency of which they are not aware. That group has published over 600 papers on Department admissions are associated of people will cause increasing problems in epidemiology, post traumatic stress, with alcohol abuse/dependence; 70 per cost, ethical dilemmas and so on, but they psychological debriefing, chronic cent of ‘frequent attenders’ or ‘high users’ are not the issue today. fatigue syndrome, history, chronic of secondary care services have mental What is of concern for today are those pain, somatisation, Gulf War illness, health disorders; and around half of all in the bottom left box – they feel sick or ill military health and terrorism. new hospital outpatients have physical but the doctor cannot really find anything

fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) 9 mental health wrong according to the conventional mean HbA1c at baseline and 12 months in usual care, MET and MET+CBT (n=305 ) biomedical explanations of disease. 9.8

Physical and mental symptoms One iconic study from the USA looked 9.6 Usual care at those arriving at outpatient clinics with Mean various symptoms. Sometimes chest pain HbA1c was explained by heart disease, fatigue by (%) 9.4 anaemia, or dizziness by inner ear prob- MET+CBT versus usual diabetes care lems, but for the majority there were no 0.45% (95% CI 0.12% to 0.79%) Intervention simple, clear-cut biomedical explanations 9.2 for their illness or ill health. Medical edu- cation on both sides of the Atlantic teaches our medical students for six years how to 9.0 manage the first group; sadly those same students spend a good part of their careers 0 Time from baseline (months) 12 then dealing with the second. A study in King’s College Hospital in Figure 1. RCT and Type 1 diabetes (Adapted from: Ismail et al, Annals Intern Med 2008). London produced very similar results. The majority of those on their first appointment who received the intervention – it was adaptive pacing therapy (APT), cognitive in the acute cardiology clinic did not have motivational interviewing – did report behavioural therapy (CBT), graded an identifiable heart disease. The majority better mental health; in fact there was a exercise therapy (GET) and standard of those seen in gastroenterology did substantial impact. That is perhaps not medical care (SMC). Two treatments, not have Crohn’s disease, and so on. I surprising. But what caught the attention graded exercise and CBT, clearly made a often tell medical students that if they was that those who received the mental difference, although they certainly were not do not like mental illness they should go health intervention also achieved better ‘magic bullets’. For those who appreciate into psychiatry. The average consultant diabetic control. these things, the trial is a thing of beauty, psychiatrist will see one or two new patients Another example, Chronic Fatigue and the results confirm previous smaller a week. In a busy chest or cardiology Syndrome (CFS), illustrates the gap that studies and follow ups. We now have two clinic, a consultant will see around 30 new lies between physical health/illness on the treatments that we can recommend with patients a week. Yet between five and 10 of one hand and mental health/illness on the confidence to our patients. those will have depression, anxiety, etc. So other. It is a condition or illness with huge However, the story does not quite end cardiologists see more new patients with morbidity, mainly because it is an illness of there. Patient groups rejected the trial out psychological disorders than psychiatrists! economically-active people. of hand, and the internet was abuzz with Physical and psychological symptoms CFS is a multi-factorial illness. A abuse and allegations. The main reason are closely linked. A study of 40,000 people person can be at increased risk because of for this depressing reaction was the stigma at Camberwell measured the incidence genetics, or because of previous depression, that attaches to disorders perceived (rightly of chronic fatigue and GHQ (a common for example. Various infections, including or wrongly) to be psychiatric in origin, depression or anxiety). It found a very the Epstein Barr virus, definitely precipitate whatever that means. If one obtained close relationship. Further, the greater the this condition. Yet to understand why identical results to the PACE trial, but this number of symptoms, the more likely the some people do not get better as the time with anti-viral drugs, the reaction patient was to develop a mood or anxiety months and years go by, one has to look would have been totally different. This is disorder. These symptoms may be just at behavioural and psychological factors. exactly what did happen when a very small non-specific markers for distress. It is well- The illness is then a complicated mixture trial of a drug that modulates the immune known of course that psychological factors of predisposition, precipitation and system (and which has some nasty side make an important contribution to the perpetuation. effects) was greeted with acclaim from the outcome of physical disorders. If a doctor In terms of treatment we know that same sources that tried to discredit the wants to know if a patient with rheumatoid antidepressants, diets, vitamins, allergy PACE trial, which tested interventions with arthritis will return to work, he will learn treatments, etc, do not work. On the other an impeccable safety record. more from inquiring about mood disorder hand, understanding what people think than measuring ESR or adding up the about their illness and how they respond to Bridging the gap number of swollen joints. symptoms, does seem to help. A landmark Policy documents now routinely emphasise trial on the management of CFS, known the role of mental health in treating physical Unexplained symptoms as the PACE Trial, was published recently disorders and the role of physical health in Unexplained symptoms represent a huge in The Lancet. It tested four therapies: mental wellbeing. So why is there still a burden of costs within the healthcare system. Yet in order to make the case for more Illness – the patient’s experience resources, there must be some evidence Sick Well that it will make a difference. Psychiatrist Disease Medically explained ill- Prodrome/ Khalida Ismail led a major randomised trial Present according to ness screening at King’s College Hospital in London. The medical study looked at the impact of psychological science Absent Medically unexplained Healthy treatment to improve the mental health and wellbeing of those with diabetes. Those Table 1. Illness and disease

10 fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) mental health gap? It is partly because of the systems psychiatric and neurological disorders and the psychiatrist, or the 35 year old with that we have created to deliver healthcare. are rendered meaningless by the facts to chest pain to be seen swiftly by cardiologist Separate commissioning of physical and hand: why for example is schizophrenia and psychologist, and not six months later mental health services has proved a disaster or Alzheimer’s listed under psychiatry but when it is all too late. in terms of bridging that gap. We now have not in neurology? The answer is simply Yet if we move towards a world of patient- separate trusts for physical and mental historical, and tells us nothing about the centred outcomes, one thing is certain: if we healthcare, with little or no integration or causes of either disorder. are really interested in how people feel and interaction between the two. The general However, the gap is being closed. GP-led in their wellbeing, that will require not only physician is a thing of the past, and it seems commissioning promises real improvement. greater investment in mental health services, as if only the general practitioner still GPs do not want to send patients on a but also a willingness by the same services to has the ability to bridge mind and body. merry-go-round of specialists; they want the leave their traditional boundaries and move Our classification systems perpetuate the patient with altered bowel habit to be seen to where they are needed, alongside their divide. The separate classifications for on the same day by the gastroenterologist physician colleagues. ☐ No health without mental health David Behan he Government’s mental treatment. The stigma attached to mental health strategy aims to David Behan CBE illness is an issue both for people who are transform the mental health is Director General unwell but also for the general population. of the UK population, while of Social Care, Local The Department of Health worked also addressing their continuing mental Government and with the Time to Change programme T Care Partnerships, wellbeing. Mental health should to address the challenge. Around the Department of be everyone’s concern; not just those time the strategy was being devised, the Health. He was the first Chief who work in the health and social care Inspector of the Commission for White Paper on NHS reforms was being sector, but employers, as well as those in Social Care Inspection. From developed. The mental health strategy education, the third sector and housing 1996 to 2003 he was Director of strives to dovetail with this. as well. Social Services, London Borough In the development of the strategy, of Greenwich and a member of The objectives the economic cost of mental illness was the Greenwich Primary Care Trust The Department of Health developed investigated. At 23 per cent of all illness Board as well as the Professional the specific goals of the strategy with in the UK, it is the largest single cause of Executive Committee. In 2003 he external partners. Six objectives were disability. The Centre for Mental Health’s was the President of the Association identified and the delivery of the strategy 2010 estimates calculated the cost at of Directors of Social Services. is structured around these (Table 1). £705 billion a year. Medical treatments Working with external partners was are expected to double in cost over the on outcomes and less on processes and key to getting the strategy right – but it next 20 years or so. Around 1 million systems. also provides a model for effecting change (43 per cent) of the 2.6 million people A critical issue was how to mainstream in public services in the 21st century. with long term health-related conditions mental health services so they achieve The Health Service is moving away from will have an associated mental health or parity of esteem with those services targets and ring-fenced funding so it is behavioural problem. that improve and promote physical critical that the strategy was developed There is a heavy personal cost to health. People receiving mental health with those responsible not only for mental illness. About one-in-four people services need real, informed choice as designing it, but for delivering it. A will have mental health problems at well as control over the way they access broad range of partners from across the some point in their lives. Almost half of all adults will experience at least one episode of depression. People with severe More people will have good mental mental illness die some 20 years earlier, 1 health on average, than the general population. A third of all GP consultations are mental More people with mental health problems health related and some 90 per cent of all 2 will recover prisoners have some diagnosable mental More people with mental health problems health issues. So the cost, not just in 6 shared 3 will have good physical health economic terms but in personal terms, is objectives dramatic. More people will have a positive experience of care and support The Government strategy takes a 4 ‘life-course’ approach to mental health – beginning at conception and parenting, 5 Fewer people will suffer avoidable harm going through the early years, childhood and teenage life, extending into working Fewer people will experience stigma and life and then into old age. Those 6 discrimination responsible for devising the programme were clear about the need to focus more Table 1. Shared objectives of the mental health strategy. fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) 11 mental health

working in a multi-disciplinary way over Connect - with people around you the years. This is important because Be active – go for a walk or run people with complex conditions need Take notice – be aware of the world help from more than one specialism, so Keep learning – learn something new professionals need to work together in a multi-disciplinary way as part of a team Give – do something nice for someone else in order to achieve the best results.

Table 2. Five ways to well-being. Equality The concept of equality is embedded in voluntary, statutory and private sectors and anxiety. This will enable them the strategy at a fundamental level. The were brought together. These included to get back into work, take part in strategy targets three specific areas – the Mind, Mental Health, the Royal College education, training or volunteering, inequality that contributes to poor mental of GPs, psychiatrists, Rethink, and, producing savings of up to £700 million health, inequalities that result from poor importantly, organisations which support in healthcare, tax and welfare gains – mental health and the issue of unequal children, young people and families, such some £270 million of savings will accrue access to services. The public sector as Young Minds and Youth Access. to the NHS alone. has a duty, under the Equality Act, to The present Government has In the past, there has been too little eliminate discrimination and advance supported the strategy through increased focus on promoting mental wellbeing. equality of opportunity. Tackling stigma investment and the Spending Review A Foresight report identified five ways and discrimination is critical to achieving gave further resourcing to psychological to promote mental wellbeing (Table a more equal service. therapies. The Department of Health 2) which are all concerned with how A final element in the new approach will invest over £400 million over the people connect to their surroundings is the drive to personalise care, not just next four years. The Psychological and the world around them. The through direct payments and personal Therapies Programme will be expanded evidence underlying these conclusions is budgets (although these are currently to cover the whole country and its scope compelling and the Department of Health being trialled), but also by enabling will be extended to work with people strategy has built on these findings. people to control their own support and that have long term conditions. The Now, around £2 billion of the money care. Personalisation is also a key means programme addresses the challenge of spent on mental health services is of improving and promoting equality of medically unexplained symptoms and delivered by local government. A silent opportunity for the users of mental health will look at severe mental illness as revolution has taken place over the last services. ☐ well as services to older people. With 15 years in community mental health www.dh.gov.uk/health/category/policy- additional services for children and teams and today it can be difficult to tell areas/social-care/mental-health young people it is anticipated that an at first glance who are the social workers, Foresight report: www.bis.gov.uk/foresight/ extra 1.2 million people will be able to the psychiatrists or the healthcare staff. our-work/projects/published-projects/ access help and treatment for depression Professionals have become used to mental-capital-and-wellbeing

public data

The ethical and practical issues surrounding the use of the vast quantity of data collected by publicly-funded bodies was discussed at a meeting of the Foundation for Science and Technology on 8 June 2011. The value of routinely-collected administrative data Paul Boyle

ithin the UK, various despite the fact that various countries make create and update. datasets are collected about considerable use of such data, we have Examples of the valuable uses of these the public by Government failed to utilise these resources adequately data include that they: Departments. These in the UK. • would underpin a wealth of scientific Winclude medical data on hospital visits, These datasets are particularly valuable enquiry in various domains including educational data on school attendance and because they provide large, nationally medical and social science; exam results, and labour market data on representative, longitudinal samples which • can be used in policy evaluation to test (un)employment and benefits. There is contain little response bias and do not ‘what works’. Their national coverage great potential from linking such datasets suffer from serious attrition. And, of makes them particularly useful for together to provide anonymised datasets relevance at a time when resources are understanding and comparing local for subsequent analysis. Unfortunately, stretched, they are comparatively cheap to interventions;

12 fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) public data

• add value to medical trials, allowing • conditions of access. If approved, condi- participants to be followed beyond tions of access vary considerably across Professor Paul established RCTs, making these data Departments, including views on the Boyle FRSE is valuable for the pharmaceutical and use of safe settings; Chief Executive of other medical industries; • resourcing requests for access and link- the Economic and • provide a crucial resource for driving age. While providing cost-effective Social Research quality improvement as reliable data are data for research compared with survey Council (ESRC) essential for implementing and under- methods, data access and linkage have and President of Science Europe (SE). His research standing service changes; to be resourced and charging models interests are population and health provide dynamic updates of population also vary; • geography. Prior to joining ESRC distributions which would be valu- • sharing of knowledge and development he was Director of the Longitudinal able for geographically-based resource of ‘best practice’. The inconsistent Studies Centre – Scotland, which distribution; methods used to provide access to was responsible for establishing • can be linked to ongoing national various forms of administrative data do the Scottish Longitudinal Study, studies, such as our internationally not facilitate the sharing of knowledge and Co-Director of the Centre for recognised birth cohort or household or the spread of best practice across the Population Change (CPC). He was panel studies, to provide detailed and research community and data control- also a Co-Investigator on the Scottish updateable objective measures of socio- lers; Health Informatics Programme economic circumstances; • public awareness and engagement. The (SHIP) and the Administrative Data • may offer a viable and considerably decentralised approach to access and Liaison Service (ADLS). cheaper alternative option to the decen- linkage does not help promulgate the nial census. raising of public awareness about the benefits of data linkage. The array of General Register Office for Scotland2. The As such, the utilisation of routine data different attitudes and approaches to study is a 5.3 per cent sample of the Scottish speaks to a number of the current the use of administrative data may even population, based on 20 birthdates, and as Government’s priorities, including the serve to undermine public understand- a result includes around 265,000 members. growth, transparency and open data ing of such data use; The study includes data at individual agendas, as well as providing key insights • data quality issues. While administra- (social class, ethnicity, religion, health etc) into processes such as social mobility. tive data provide an exciting resource and household (housing tenure, household The existence of these benefits raises for policy and research, they are not structure, car ownership etc) levels from the question of why we have yet to take designed for this purpose and research the 1991 and 2001 censuses (and, shortly, advantage of such data. is required on the quality of these data. the 2011 census). In addition, it includes vital events data (births, deaths, marriages, What are the barriers? Of course, a balance is required between widowhood), immigration and emigration The failure to make better use of the protection of people’s privacy and the data, cancer registrations and hospital routine administrative data in the UK creation of bona fide valuable knowledge episodes. Most recently, education data involves both legal and cultural factors. about population and society. These two from the annual school census and school Government Departments, agencies, and sides are often presented as mutually exam results have also been included. other organisations such as health care exclusive, but I would argue that both The project has very strong governance: trusts who hold data about the public, can be achieved – it is possible to protect a steering committee with representatives will have an identified ‘data controller’ people’s privacy, to keep data confidential from Government Departments and and established procedures through which and yet make best use of them. academia, as well as a board which assesses researchers can apply for access in specific There needs to be more active every application to use the data to make and approved research projects. engagement with the public: a social sure it is justifiable. The researchers However, views vary between contract which is based on an informed have been to various bodies, including Departments over what represents understanding of research benefits. The the Privacy Advisory Committee, Multi- reasonable requests for data, appropriate research community has to explain that centre Research Ethics Committees and the methods of data access, and the legal data are reliable, valuable, and can be Information Commission’s office to discuss position concerning legitimate research properly managed. Indeed, it could be how these data are managed. The resulting use of anonymised data – for example, argued that the failure to make better system provides access to these data either there is uncertainty over definitions use of routinely-collected public data is a remotely through the submission of of what ‘personal data’ consists of, and terrible waste of public resources. This is statistical code (the results from which are when consent for their use is required. particularly so since practical, reliable and returned to the researcher after checking) Thus, some of the major problems faced robust models for managing such datasets or in a safe setting which is monitored by researchers wishing to gain access to do exist. closely by staff. At any one time, over 40 administrative data, or to use such data for projects are supported and access to these linkage to other datasets, include: Do robust systems exist? data is free for bona fide researchers. • interpretation of the legal situation. The Scottish Longitudinal Study (SLS) Various pieces of legislation1 cover ac- is an example which demonstrates that Making use of the SLS cess to administrative data or have im- robust systems for creating, managing and The study can be used to explore a range plications for the conditions of access, accessing routinely-collected anonymised of demographic, socio-economic and but this legislation is not interpreted data do exist. This study involves a strong health questions. As an example, a recent similarly across different Government collaboration between academics based study looked at widowhood to find out Departments; at the University of St Andrews and the whether losing a partner decreased life fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) 13 public data expectancy. Many earlier studies seem for the widowed. surveys and birth cohorts. Attention will to have demonstrated this effect, but it is also need to be given to capacity building, difficult to determine whether this results Where next? and systems of data support. from the emotional stress of losing a As a result, the ESRC advocated that To some degree, Scotland can be argued partner, the loss of the protective effects of an Administrative Data Taskforce (ADT) to be leading the way in this field and marriage, or selection effects (the fact that be established to explore how we might discussions are ongoing about extending that the person who died is likely to have make better progress in the utilisation of the SLS both in size and scope. It is similar characteristics to the partner they routinely-collected government data. In important that at the same time we make lost and therefore they are more likely to fact, the ADT has now been established, significant progress in England, Wales and die at similar times). chaired by Sir Alan Langlands, the Chief Northern Ireland, so that we benefit from In this study we were able to control for Executive of HEFCE, and with the under-utilised UK-wide provision. a whole range of effects which we thought support of the Minister for Universities Routinely-collected administrative data might feasibly influence that selection and Science. This body brings together are paid for from the public purse, but they process, including a host of personal members of the relevant Government remain under-utilised. Robust models exist characteristics. In addition, by considering Departments, academic experts and the for managing and providing access to such the cause of death of the partner, it was funding agencies to tackle a range of data and they could become invaluable possible to compare those who lost issues, including: for research and policy development and someone due to a cause of death which • the development and introduction of evaluation. is likely to be related to health-related common procedures to provide effi- With appropriate academic/ behaviours and those deaths that were not. cient access to administrative datasets; Government partnerships, we can make Selection effects may exist for the former, • clarification of the legal situation gov- significant progress and we hope that but would seem unlikely for the latter. erning the use of routine data; within a year of establishment, the ADT The results showed that there was • clarification of when consent is required will have developed a convincing set of around a 40 per cent increased risk of and what consent procedures should be recommendations which can be used to dying associated with losing a partner, used; recommendations for new legisla- make better use of existing, routinely- that this was fairly consistent for both men tion (if required) to improve access to collected administrative data. ☐ and women, and that the increased risk administrative data for research; 1. There are numerous pieces of UK and EU lasts for at least 10 years after the death, • the resource implications of increased legislation affecting data access and reuse showing that the ‘widowhood effect’ is not research use of administrative data. for research, including the Data Protection a short-term problem. We also showed Act 1998, the Statistics and Registration Act that selection effects do not appear to We await the recommendations of the ADT, 2007, the EU Directive 95/46/EC and the explain this outcome. Studies of this type but the aim is to identify a clear process Human Rights Act 1998. demonstrate the value that can be derived for providing better access to routine 2. In April 2011 the General Register Office when large samples of administrative data data, a robust methodology for linking for Scotland merged with the National are available, and this particular study such datasets together, and a system for Archives of Scotland to form the National raises questions about long-term support attaching such data to existing large-scale Records of Scotland. Is current data protection legislation coherent? Onora O’Neill he UK’s Data Protection Act 1998 non-personal data. It defines personal (DPA) seeks to regulate the use Baroness O’Neill of data as … data which relate to a living of personal information held in Bengarve CBE FBA individual who can be identified (a) from organised form (files, paper or HonFRS FMedSci is those data, or (b) from those data and other electronic). It does not cover: invasions of a professor emeritus information which is in the possession of, or T of philosophy at privacy that do not use/misuse information is likely to come into the possession of, the (someone peering through your window); the University of data controller.1 Cambridge, and a privacy invasions that do not use organised The Act prohibits what it terms the former President of the British information (twitter); or invasions of pri- ‘processing’ without consent of any infor- Academy. She was formerly vacy that use organised information held mation that is personal, or both personal Principal of Newnham College, for domestic use (your address book). The Cambridge and chaired the Nuffield and sensitive. It then links this account DPA is intended to prevent the sorts of Foundation. She is particularly well of personal data to a wide definition of invasions of privacy that work by searching known for delivering the 2002 Reith processing. or mining files and databases. Personal Lectures entitled A Question of Trust. information is only to be used where the Interrogating the DPA data subject consents, and further use for Two questions arise. other purposes requires new consent. content, rather than regulating specific First, what are ‘data that relate to a The DPA aims to regulate all action types of action. The Act therefore requires living individual’? This term is magnifi- that uses specific types of information or a clear distinction between personal and cently obscure. The crucial element in

14 fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) public data the Act’s definition of personal informa- individuals would be minimised: these about the disclosure or use of information tion is the idea of information that makes demand complex governance and are not for purposes other than those for which it some living individual identifiable on the feasible for all research. I think it is an open was first obtained in a medical setting. Is it basis of ‘other information’ held by, or likely question whether any system of exemptions acceptable or not? Do we really want these to be held by, the data controller, or by oth- from the DPA could be ethically acceptable activities to be unlawful without renewed ers. When do data and other information or effective as a way of dealing with access to consent? Or do we need to find a better make an individual identifiable? reversibly anonymised patient information basis for protecting informational privacy? Attempts to nail this down have led reused for research purposes. to controversy, particularly in medical Would confidentiality serve us and social research. On one view, if data Defective legislation better? are anonymised they are non-personal. Piecemeal remedies that retain the Before the days of data protection, However where anonymisation is reversible, framework of the current DPA are likely confidentiality was taken as a fundamental however secure the encryption and however to fail. Yet, we live in a world where each norm for using information provided in limited access may be to the key, individuals patient is treated on the basis of information medical contexts. Confidentiality governs will in principle be identifiable by some gained by treating others, and they would types of action and does not aim to regulate means by some persons. This leads some be horrified if this were not so. Any all ‘processing’ of an inadequately specified to conclude that no form of reversible account of privacy in biomedical contexts type of information or content. anonymisation can satisfy data protection must recognise this reality. Information Rather than demanding that we first requirements. sharing is not some foul disease to be define and then protect all ‘personal’ Second, what sort of consent to a reuse avoided. It is basic to medical practice content, confidentiality offers a way of of personal data is needed for it to be and obstructing it, even with the best of protecting content of any type that the lawful? In commercial life we consent intentions, is unacceptable. parties to a communicative transaction seek to the reuse of personal data for sundry The basic problem of the DPA is that to protect, have agreed to protect, or are purposes almost without noticing it. We it assumes data can be partitioned into required to protect. It can be invoked for sign forms that we do not read, we click the personal and the non-personal. This specific aspects of professional, commercial and tick and ‘accept’ complex contracts is false. If the receptionist at your GP or other relationships, and can once again and terms and conditions. This is taken to calls out your home address, she discloses be waived by seeking consent from the make further uses of the personal data in personal (not sensitive) information, which confider. question lawful. the surgery holds for purposes connected The central difference from the current In biomedical contexts, standards with your medical care, but should not regime is that, in imparting confidential for informed consent are more exacting, communicate to others without your prior information, the recipient takes on sometimes impossibly exacting. It is consent. Yet, on the other side of town, obligations not to share the information impossible to seek consent to unforeseen there is an electoral register containing without the recipient accepting the same future research uses at the point of treatment, your name and address, for the public obligation. But there is no absolute barrier and often impractical to seek new consent and for political parties to consult without to further uses of information. when research projects are formulated, or seeking your consent. So are your name I conclude that there are good reasons new analysis undertaken. Consequently and home address personal information? for revised data protection legislation. The data protection requirements burden Are they subject to data protection? Or redrafting of the 1995 EU Data Protection medical and social research although they does it depend on the context? If it depends Directive, on which consultations are are feasible for the commercial world. on context, then the basic assumption that proceeding, and any subsequent legislative If consent cannot be obtained, one data can be divided into personal and non- changes in the UK, need to be quite radical alternative would be to make a case for personal fails. if informational privacy is to be served exceptional use of data. Some forms of Because of this fundamental failure, without damaging effects on medical unconsented reuse are permitted by the the Act is breached every day. Mostly, research. I believe that in seeking reform DPA, for example reuse for clinical audit. and sensibly, we overlook these breaches. it would be better to focus on regulating However, the systems set up for further Consider a doctor revisiting information the acts by which content is communicated exceptions have been criticised as being about the treatment of past patients in rather than the ‘processing’ of ill-defined “deeply confusing”. One approach to reform order to refresh her knowledge before types of informational content. ☐ has been the establishment of a system of treating a current patient, without explicit ‘safe havens’, in which the risk of identifying consent from each past patient. This is 1. Data Protection Act 1998, Part I, Section 1 Public trust in public data Stephen Penneck

t the Office for National we published nearly 300 statistical bulletins of national and international best practice, Statistics (ONS), making public and 100 news releases. We host media maintaining our position as a world-class data accessible is at the heart briefings, and organise an array of talks and provider of statistics. of everything we do. As the specialist seminars on a range of themes, AUK’s recognised national statistics institute, ranging from market-sensitive economic From paternalism to openness ONS embraces the transparency agenda. and business data to information on health There has been a major shift in the way ONS We are the UK’s largest producer of and societal well-being. In addition, the works with users in recent years, away from national statistics. In 2010, for example, ONS plays a leading role in the development narrow paternalism towards the broader fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) 15 public data idea of what market researchers might call The Economic and Social Research the ‘citizen-consumer’. Once we acted as Council has recently launched the Secure Stephen Penneck custodians, protecting public data. Now, Data Service (SDS) which enables safe is Director General we live in a world where our customers and secure remote access by researchers of the Office for can ask for the publication of datasets to ONS data previously only available National Statistics. Prior to becoming which do not reveal individual and via the VML. The VML and the SDS are Director General, personal information. Putting the public relatively recent developments compared he had responsibility for at the centre of our statistical services fully with the UK Data Archive which was methodological advice to the ONS supports the transparency agenda. established over 40 years ago. and to the Government Statistical The first challenge in making public ONS data is available from the archive Service, including advice to the data public is to have a clear definition. for the purposes of research and teaching, National Statistician on quality, The Transparency Board, chaired by again with some restrictions. However, standards, best practice, surveys, Francis Maude, has defined ‘public data’ not all users need such detailed datasets administrative sources, analysis and as “non-personal data on which public nor can they all meet our restrictive the Census. As Director of Surveys services are run and assessed and on conditions. There are other solutions to and Administrative Sources, he had which policy decisions are based”. help these users: more than two billion responsibility for all ONS surveys It is important to stress that the statistics have been freed for public use and for their outputs. agenda here is about non-personal data. through the Neighbourhood Statistics We go to great lengths to safeguard the Service and NOMIS websites. information provided by individuals and Last year ONS moved all its printed using the power of the internet. ONS businesses. We do not publish anything materials to the internet, reflecting the has pioneered such data visualisation that is likely to identify an individual, need to broaden the use of official statistics methods in areas such as population household or business. We also safeguard and balance the decline in demand for pyramids and the personal inflation confidentiality and earn public trust in weighty printed publications. This has calculator. everything we do. So it is not just our made data available to users more easily, The second plank recognises that third commitment and ability to make public whilst simultaneously reducing printing parties are better placed to undertake data public, but it is also about our costs and offering better value for money. certain types of analysis and provide commitment to keep private data private. ONS now tweets all major releases. It has some services, and that we have a duty a Facebook page, and some of our analysis to supply the necessary data. So we will Census 2011 is on YouTube. From mobile ‘apps’ to publish on our new website in open data Nowhere is the duality of these obligations software ‘data mash-ups’, demand for the formats, enabling users to lift figures more pronounced than the Census: streaming of relevant and timely statistics easily from our tables for further analysis. arguably the public data event of the is growing. We want to collaborate with a decade. The 2011 Census questionnaire wider range of partners, including the went out to 26 million households across The future commercial sector. England and Wales. Throughout the The latest ONS website includes a data Our final plank concerns access for whole of the Census process, data security repository for published aggregate researchers to disclosive data. We plan is a top priority. statistics, and will also better support the to develop the service provided by the The Census is by far the biggest snapshot dissemination of datasets and tabular and Secure Data Service, restricting the VML of life in the UK, but ONS conducts many graphical outputs. purely to data sets for which the SDS is not others. Business surveys, for instance, Our ‘Beyond 2011: UK-wide appropriate. We will continue to provide collect information that help measure the Population Statistics Programme’ could an effective service to enable Approved state of the wider economy, and help the transform the way we work. This Researchers and other authorised users Bank of England set interest rates. The programme has been set up to establish to access datasets where the appropriate Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings is and test models for meeting future user permissions are in place. used to make recommendations about the needs for census-type statistics, and to minimum wage. address the implications of a transformed Public trust We want to make the most of the population statistics system for wider The Office for National Statistics is information we hold. We know that socio-demographic statistics. striving to make public data public. We unpublished data can be a valuable As we take this work forward, are developing our IT systems, building resource for academic researchers and for maintaining public trust in data security a repository for published statistics, some time we have been making our data standards will be absolutely critical. Our improving our website, and opening available to the research community via a dissemination strategy for the future is up sources, in a spirit of transparency. number of routes. built on a number of planks, recognising However, this will take time. the varied uses of our statistics and analysis. So how can we maintain public Unlocking data The first plank recognises the trust in this new world? We must act Access is given to approved researchers importance of citizens who want to take in people’s best interests, responding to under strictly controlled conditions via information from us in a form they can public rights and safeguarding private the Virtual Microdata Laboratory (VML) directly use in their daily lives. So ONS is data. Whatever we make of public data, we based on ONS sites. The VML has working with the Royal Statistical Society must maintain confidentiality and protect been described by the OECD as “one of on its GetStats campaign. Another their provenance. In the push for greater the most innovative research efforts in important aspect of making better use of transparency of public data, accessibility is the public sector across the 30 OECD public data is to use innovative methods essential, but so is trust. ☐ member countries”. of analysing and presenting existing data, www.statistics.gov.uk

16 fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) stimulating innovation

The question of whether public procurement can be used as a means to stimulate innovation in the UK was explored at a meeting of the Foundation for Science and Technology on 22 June 2011. Focusing Government procurement on innovation John Krebs

he Government is the largest horizon scanning, for Chief Scientific single customer for goods and The Lord Krebs Kt FRS Advisers in all Government Departments. services in the UK. In 2009-10 FMedSci is Chairman Although the inquiry did not find a it spent £236 billion, or about of the House of specific solution to the problem of risk- Tone-seventh of our gross domestic prod- Lords Science and aversion, it did challenge the Government uct (GDP), on public sector procurement. Technology Select to think about how to incentivise civil This figure includes procurement by local Committee. He is servants to determine appropriate Government and Government agencies. Principal of Jesus levels of risk taking and, importantly, to College, Oxford and a member of the The report on Government develop strategies to manage risk. There Committee on Climate Change where procurement by the House of Lords is no point in taking a risk without an he chairs the Sub-Committee on Select Committee looked at ways in Adaptation. He has served as Chief understanding of what might go wrong which the Government could use its Executive of the Natural Environment and what the consequences may be. purchasing power to encourage and Research Council (NERC) and as support innovation. Innovation in this Chair of the Food Standards Agency. Local Government context refers to the stimulation and His early career was spent researching Expectations for innovation at the exploitation of new ideas: this could animal behaviour. level of local Government should not be as diverse as the novel application be unrealistic. Given the need for a of an existing idea, a brand-new idea good understanding of developments in applied to a process, product or system, no single individual in Government science and technology, local authorities or ‘intelligent plagiarism’ – taking an idea has responsibility. Individual on their own, as relatively small entities, that has already been implemented in one Departments make their own decisions are unlikely to have the capacity to drive place (such as the Oyster card in London) about procurement, within an overall innovation and procurement at a local and using it in another. policy framework. The Committee level. The first stage of the inquiry recommended that there should be a One large-scale example of investigated whether the Government Minister responsible for innovation successful innovation in Government currently uses its formidable purchasing and procurement across Government, procurement is the variable speed power as a means of driving innovation and that within each Department there limit controls introduced on the M25 and, if not, how it could be encouraged to should be a Minister with accountability. London orbital motorway. This was do so. Innovation brings better solutions The inquiry looked specifically an innovative solution to a problem of for the public sector as well as stimulating at the Department for Transport and traffic management. Its development was industries to develop products and the Highways Agency, both of which spearheaded by the Highways Agency services that may have a market elsewhere, undertake substantial procurement. and it was subsequently sold overseas. thereby generating economic growth. The Department for Transport has There have also been some small- A number of Government reports an Innovation Procurement Plan, but scale success stories. The Forward encouraging innovation in procurement this lacks focus. To remedy this, the Commitment Procurement initiative were examined including, for example, Select Committee report recommends has produced recyclable mattresses and Transforming Government Procurement measurable objectives for innovation pillows for HM Prison Service and ‘bio- and Race to the Top in 2007; the White procurement and a more prominent dynamic’ lighting for Rotherham NHS Paper Innovation Nation in 2008, and The and proactive role, to include long-term Trust. The Small Business Research Path to Strong, Sustainable and Balanced

Growth and Technology Blueprint, discussion both published in 2010. However, the Risk aversion in the public sector Committee found that, with the exception of a small number of special initiatives, There is deep-seated risk aversion in the public sector, with good reason given most Government procurement is risk- the history of Public Accounts Committee hearings and media firestorms when averse and falls back on the use of tried things go wrong. Assessing results across sectors and portfolios of programmes and tested solutions. rather than just project-by-project would go some way to ameliorating this. In Attempting to find out who makes addition, technical issues such as liability, sharing of risks and rewards as well as the decisions on innovation and EU constraints need to be addressed. procurement, it became apparent that fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) 17 stimulating innovation

Initiative, which is still in an embryonic a complicated process involving large University. We have been involved stage, has identified a potential traffic- amounts of paperwork. Anything that can in doing innovation work for several flow modelling system and a system be done to make the procurement process Government Departments. I have for securing mobile phones. These are more transparent, straightforward and been very impressed by the people I miniscule fractions of total procurement streamlined will be a step in the right have dealt with in terms of their ability and as such they highlight the need to direction. and willingness to recognise where an move innovative thinking to the centre of Government procurement will be innovative solution might work and to the procurement process. reviewed again in about 12–18 months to sponsor its development. What I have see what progress has been made against yet to see is whether these innovative Streamlining the process the inquiry’s findings and what plans solutions are actually put into practice. ☐ The Committee was very encouraged have been put in place to ensure that House of Lords Science and Technology to learn that attempts are being made improvements continue. Committee, 1st Report of Session 2010-11, to streamline the procurement process I would like to end with a personal 25 May 2011, HL Paper 148. www.publica- to enable small companies to bid for observation. In my life in Oxford, I tions.parliament.uk/pa/ld201012/ldselect/ projects without the need to go through chair a small spin-out company of Oxford ldsctech/148/148.pdf Intelligent customers and appropriate suppliers Darren James

arly engagement of an persuading people to buy into the big appropriate supplier by an Darren James is picture and then helping them on their intelligent customer will Managing Director journey. The Committee’s stated intention for Infrastructure provide the best opportunity for to check progress in 12-18 months’ time at Costain. He innovation. This in turn will beneficially is an excellent motivator for change. E is accountable influence projects and result in optimum for the profit and Competence value for money. loss of Costain’s undertakings The need for an intelligent customer in the rail, airports and highway It is important that competence has is important and the definition given sectors. He also has profit and been placed at the top of the agenda. by Lord Bhattacharyya is particularly loss responsibility for the delivery This recognises the importance of the useful: “To be an intelligent customer you of major infrastructure projects intelligent customer. Responsibility for have to understand the technology and and services to nuclear and energy decision-making should rest with those potential added-value opportunities as customers, in addition to being who have the relevant knowledge and well as effective procurement processes responsible for Costain’s tunnelling expertise. For example, the report states and financial rigour.” division which also services the that the Government should “use their From a supplier’s point of view, it is water and power utilities. knowledge of the fundamental workings also important that the customer states of Government to provide solutions”. In clearly the output specification or purpose other words, those who know best should of the project and defines what is of value Another very positive factor is that the do the job. to them – identifying the relative merits Government reports cited by Lord Krebs This is a practical approach with a of short-term cost, long-term cost and are consistent in their messages – their clear role for Chief Scientific Advisers whole-life value. An intelligent customer recommendations for collaboration and to use their technical expertise where it will select an appropriate supplier and the use of procurement as a tool to shape makes the most difference. The report engage in the management of risk and the the market to better drive innovation is clear about where responsibility lies, opportunity for innovation in ways that are remarkably similar. So why is there suggesting a number of ministerial minimise cost and maximise value. such an inconsistent record of embedding appointments and acknowledging the Lord Krebs noted that there have been the recommendations into practice? importance of relationships. Clear and a number of Government reports over the The reasons include issues of policy specific examples of good procurement past few years that recommended early implementation, project delivery style innovation are identified. supplier involvement and collaboration and consistency in the drive for value. Selecting the right form of procurement in public sector procurement. Progress The Select Committee’s report stands is not straightforward. The appetite for has been made in some areas but full out for its practicality. It provides a clear risk and the scope for innovation are implementation of this approach has yet understanding of innovation – a word only two of the factors that need to be to be achieved. One positive step in the widely used but poorly understood. Its considered. As a broad example, a simple 1990s was the arrival of the NEC (New attitude to change is insightful. Change project such as a repeatable, modular Engineering Contract) form developed – and change is what the report requires building – for instance, a supermarket by the Institution of Civil Engineers. The from Government – is best achieved by – should be procured on a commodity Government is now mandating its use motivating people to pursue collective basis. However, a one-off piece of across significant areas of procurement. objectives or, to put it another way, complex infrastructure with interfaces,

18 fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) stimulating innovation

discussion that could be afforded. The carriageway is Making innovation part of the supply chain now being used by 20,000 people every day. If the Government were to come forward early with its high-level objectives, Another example is the widening of the A282 at Dartford. The Highways then in a competitive marketplace the supply side would respond with innovative Agency’s main contractor engaged an SME solutions. Opportunities for all parties to come together early would enable early on, and they were able to develop an discussion of innovative solutions and help the customer better understand the innovative method of traffic management risks and rewards involved. However, the public sector customer needs sufficient that saved over £20 million. Engaging technical expertise to understand what objectives can reasonably be achieved the SME within an environment where through the application of new thinking and technology. risk was shared enabled a programme that was much shorter than originally live operations and existing physical financial exposure. This has a significant envisaged. assets – for instance, St Pancras station – bearing on how small to medium Similarly, early contractor involvement calls for a different procurement method enterprises (SMEs) can be engaged in in a project on the A34 at Wolvercote that reflects the complexity of the project. innovative projects: in principle the client enabled the contractor to work with Such a project also requires a highly will need to nurture them carefully. the Highways Agency to develop an intelligent customer! innovative method of construction. This Where this can all go wrong is when these Early engagement involved the engagement of a specialist simple rules are broken. In particular, if a The stage at which the contractor is SME to build a viaduct in a temporary complex project is procured on too simple engaged can also have a significant impact location alongside the permanent A34, a basis, the opportunity for innovation is on the scope for innovation. Take one thereby negating the need for permanent lost and risk is overpriced. The project highway scheme in South Wales, procured land-take and avoiding the need for a may be delayed, leading to expensive legal using an early contractor involvement public inquiry. This reduced the final action, and it can sometimes result in the method. The client thought that a 7km cost by 15 per cent. contractor going out of business. dual carriageway with nine bridges was I would like to leave you with the It is worth pointing out that the bigger needed. However, the contractor worked following thought. When risk is shared, suppliers are able to sustain more financial out that what was actually needed was a a collaborative approach is created, exposure, which allows them to carry 7km single carriageway with two bridges. allowing innovation to mitigate that risk; more risk on complex projects, while This solution delivered 99 per cent of the hence the risk does not materialise in the smaller suppliers are less able to sustain benefits of the dual carriageway at a cost magnitude that was originally feared ☐. Adding flexibility – and value Sally Collier

he new Efficiency and Reform processes. Sally Collier is agenda within the Cabinet Executive Director of To address the challenge of Office has been set up to drive Procurement Policy procurement capability, an accreditation efficiency and reform in central and Capability in programme, ‘Licence to Operate’, has TGovernment. the Cabinet Office. been established which will increase the As part of its work on improving She is responsible capability of procurement professionals. procurement policy, the first ever ‘Lean’ for the UK’s procurement policy The components are: a licence to source, study of the Government’s procurement and process and for central putting the emphasis on stimulating process was undertaken (‘Lean’ is a Government’s procurement innovation; and pre-procurement production practice that works from the capability. She is leading dialogue. perspective of the customer to identify negotiations on a radical rethink of There will also be a licence to con- end-value and eliminate wasteful activities the public procurement directives, tract-manage, because too often contract that do not create value. Essentially, Lean streamlining the procurement management is a forgotten skill. is centred on preserving value with less process, ensuring that more SMEs In addition, a pilot ‘Commercial work). participate in the government Interchange Programme’ with 15 key sup- The findings were staggering. Many marketplace, and developing pliers is facilitating two-way commercial stakeholders reported dramatic barriers: new innovative ways of raising skills and knowledge transfer between the “It’s an absolute minefield; we have lots and procurement capability. Government and industry. A pan-Gov- lots of hurdles to get over – 17 approvals ernment ‘Procurement Apprenticeship processes and then we eventually might timescales by up to 40 per cent and within Scheme’ is also being considered. get to a contract.” However, it is often 120 days. This will be a powerful lever for not the rules that cause the procurement innovation and a great incentive for firms The role of SMEs process to be so complex and lengthy; to compete. To ensure this happens, a Encouraging small to medium enterprises is it the way they are applied. Based on number of pathfinder projects have been (SMEs) to engage in procurement evidence from complex projects in the put in place whose procurement and programmes is one of the Government’s public sector, it may be possible to reduce commercial teams are being trained in key priorities. The aspiration is that all but the most complex procurement the relevant Lean techniques and new 25 per cent of central Government fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) 19 stimulating innovation

discussion ventures can grow before being subject Will procurement reform be enough? to full competition. A more dynamic marketplace is also being created. Successful innovation often involves development effort, design work, Government has often been criticised prototyping and testing before major procurements are started. It is essential for its use of ‘framework agreements’ to have such preliminary work funded if innovative concepts are to be turned whereby the parties are locked in for into results on the ground, but there is little money available. The problem is years. caused primarily by an inadequate business process design that does not use The Government’s reform agenda for funds to reduce risk by assessing possible solutions before final commitment procurement directly supports, and will to a programme. Although good procurement processes are necessary to drive stimulate innovation by: innovation, they may not in themselves be sufficient. • strengthening expertise, thereby leading to better outcomes and better value for money (vfm); business will go to SMEs. To this end, opens up Government opportunities • making the procurement process an ‘Innovation Launch Pad’ was set up to industry. It is a free online service more efficient and saving costs for on the Number 10 website which invited for businesses, Government buyers suppliers; SMEs to submit proposals for goods or and the public. It shows Government • making contract opportunities more services that would save the Government procurement opportunities, tender accessible to all potential suppliers money or result in better outcomes. documents and resulting contracts. Not and providing greater intelligence to Over 350 proposals were submitted. only has it proved very popular with those firms to be able to bid; These were filtered and a shortlist drawn businesses, it is also driving transparency • providing opportunities for SMEs to up. Those on the list are being invited within Government Departments by put forward innovative proposals; to give a presentation at No 11 Downing publishing their tendering activity every • creating new models of contracts Street. The SMEs with the best proposals month on the website. The Cabinet including employee mutuals. will be offered intensive mentoring by Office is also developing new forms of entrepreneurial experts. This is just contracting, such as mutuals (involving A great start has been made in achieving the start of what will be a continuing employee ownership), and new forms the procurement reform needed to programme of SME engagement. of joint ventures. Cabinet Office generate efficiencies but also fundamental The new ‘Contracts Finder’ service is examining how these new types of to supporting growth. ☐ Public procurement in practice Brian Collins

y experience of working in this is when the majority of the intellectual Government is that there is Professor Brian effort needs to be made in order to make a sad lack of the analytical Collins CB FREng a difference to the outcome in terms of skills and expertise is the former Chief innovation. I was part of an IT working necessary to allow value-for-money and Scientific Adviser party set up in 1999 to analyse why large M at the Department innovation to co-exist. This is partly IT projects fail. One conclusion was that for Transport and caused by a culture of risk aversion and all projects (not only IT projects) need the Department for partly by policy constructs and legislation. Business, Innovation and Skills to have the best team in place during When the procurement process is (BIS). He gave a response to the the first 10 per cent of the spend. That reviewed again in 12-18 months time, first three speeches. lesson is still not applied across a range it will be interesting to see whether the of disciplines – I am not even sure it has barriers have been dismantled sufficiently been learnt in IT. So I do worry that to allow both to be achieved. approach is far too risky, because they the Government’s Procurement Reform Innovation at a small scale is taking have not yet developed a relationship Programme will be difficult to embed at place, but large-scale innovation remains of trust with the client and they are any scale in the public sector. rare. This is partly because that risk therefore unsure of the outcome. In The last point I want to make concerns too is scaled up – large-scale innovation the end, they either bid with the wrong the use of the Web to share information. involves large amounts of money, political instrument (solely because the client If we can achieve transparency of and other forms of social capital. has asked them to use that instrument) knowledge and information, then Do accounting officers or or they walk away. In both cases the a satisfactory outcome is much more procurement officers always have the outcome is unsatisfactory. likely. If everyone shares information knowledge to choose the right method So, although I agree that we need a pertinent to their role, trust will grow of procurement? Or should suppliers hybrid set of procurement instruments, and collaboration become easier. We be brave enough to challenge them and I think it is also important to look at need to ensure that the mechanisms used say, “From our experience, we think you who chooses the instrument in a given for procurement build trust rather than are choosing the wrong method to buy situation, and whether that choice is the destroy it. If we fail to engender that what we are selling”? I have spoken with correct one. trust, our efforts to encourage innovation many suppliers who say that such an Early involvement is vitally important; will also fail. ☐

20 fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) ecosystems

In June, the UK published its National Ecosystem Assessment. The findings were presented at a meeting of the Foundation for Science and Technology on 13 July 2011. Setting out the nation’s natural capital Bob Watson

he National Ecosystem What is the public understanding of Assessment reviewed changes Professor Bob ecosystem services? in ecosystems over the past 60 Watson CMG FRS Most people do not understand the years and looked forward to has been the Chief concept of ecosystem services, although Scientific Adviser for the next 50 years, focussing on economic this is changing. Provisioning services T the Department for assessment and options for response. The such as food and cultural services such Environment, Food Assessment was structured around the as recreation are valued. The increasing and Rural Affairs following 10 questions: (Defra) since September 2007. His membership of organisations such as the main role is to advise Ministers and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds What are the state and trends of ensure that science and technology (RSPB), which has increased from 10,000 UK ecosystems and services? are used to inform policy. He also members in 1960 to over one million There has been a marked change in supports the UK Government’s today, and the UK’s 45 Wildlife Trusts landscape over the last 60 years, affecting all scientific work on minimising with 800,000 members, illustrates an ecosystems. Enclosed farmland has shown the effects of climate change and increasing appreciation and awareness of increased productivity, but this has been improving sustainability. Professor environmental issues. accompanied by a decline in biodiversity Watson was previously at the World (birds) and soil quality. Woodland areas Bank where he was the Chief Why should we encompass have increased, but coastal margins and Scientist and Senior Advisor for economic values of ecosystem marine diversity has deteriorated. Sustainable Development. services into decision making? The economic, health and social benefits What were the drivers for these stemming from these services are central changes? exporting a substantial environmental for human wellbeing. If the services are The main elements were the increase footprint. Biomass flow through the omitted from the economic framework, in farmland, the exploitation of natural UK economy is 150 million tonnes while there will be less efficient resource resources, pollution, invasive species domestic production accounts for only allocation. and (marginally) climate change. The 100 million tonnes. Some 60 per cent of drive to increase productivity has led water demand is met from overseas (in How might ecosystem services to management changes; air and water terms of embodied or ‘virtual’ water). change in the future? quality have improved. Policy changes and economics could well Six ‘storylines’ were considered (Table 1): affect the current balance. • ‘green and pleasant land’; How do ecosystems affect human wellbeing; who is affected, and Green and A preservationist attitude arises because the UK can afford to how are the effects managed? pleasant land look after its own backyard without diminishing the ever- Society in general benefits from a full range increasing standards of living. of provisioning, regulatory and cultural results. There is more food at lower cost; Nature at Work This is based on the proposition that the promotion of ecosystem carbon is sequestered by woodlands; there services through the creation of multifunctional landscapes is are positive effects on physical and mental essential for maintaining the quality of life in the UK health. Yet we have insufficient evidence Local Stewardship This is a future where society is more concerned with the imme- about links between changes in ecosystems and health. Benefits are unequally spread diate surroundings and strives to maintain a sustainable focus on spatially and management is often at a life within that area. local level. Human wellbeing and quality Go with the Flow This scenario is essentially a projection based on current trends of life includes health and social collective and results in a UK that is roughly based on today’s ideals and needs. targets.

What vital UK provisioning National Security Under this scenario, climate change results in increases in global services are not provided by UK energy prices forcing many countries to attempt greater self- ecosystems? sufficiency (and efficiency) in many of their core industries. The UK is not self-sufficient in meeting its World Markets High economic growth with a greater focus on removing barriers food, fibre, water (embedded in products) to trade is the fundamental characteristic of this scenario. and energy needs, and consequently depends significantly on non-UK ecosystem services, thus potentially Table 1. The six scenarios of the NEA. fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) 21 ecosystems

Tier 1: Foundational ➔ Tier 2: Enabling ➔ Tier 3: Instrumental Legislation Markets & incentives

Knowledge, Policies, institutions & governance Technologies & practices information Responses

Social attitudes Voluntary actions ➔ ➔ ➔ ➔ ➔ ➔ ■■ National governments ■■ Government (national & local) ■■ Business & industry➔ ■■ Research organisations ■■ Business & industry ■■ Private land & marine managers ■■ Business & industry ■■ Civil society organisations ■■ Citizens & communities Actors

Figure 1. Knowledge (at a fundamental or ‘foundational’ level) creates the context within which governments enact legislation, adopt policies, enable institutions and Governance-based interventions, and influence social attitudes towards habitats and ecosystem ser- vices. These in turn provide the ‘enabling’ conditions within which actors undertake specific ‘instrumental’ strategies that frequently involve the use of markets and incentives for action, the deployment of specific technologies and practices, or the adoption of volun- tary approaches. The figure also shows the role that key actors play in the initiation and implementation of responses in each of these three tiers.

• ‘nature at work’; emphasised environmental awareness in the area and condition of protected • ‘local stewardship’; and ecological sustainability resulted in areas. Governments, the private sector, • ‘go with the flow’; the largest economic gains to society, voluntary and civil society at large all • ‘national security’; much of which is available over the have key roles to play in the transition • ‘world markets’. short to long run. to a more sustainable use of ecosystems.

Modelling the different storylines How can we secure continued Have we advanced in our produced diverse results. Scenarios 1 delivery of ecosystem services? understanding of the influence and 2 produced significant gains in Contemporary society is less sustainable of ecosystem services on human- a broad range of ecosystem services than it could be. Responding to the wellbeing; what are the knowledge compared with scenarios 5 and 6. pressures to provide food, water and constraints on decision making? energy security, while at the same time While there are uncertainties, knowledge What are the implications of the conserving biodiversity and adapting gaps and controversies in the evidence different plausible futures? to rapid environmental change, will base, there is sufficient information to Even recognising the limitations of the require getting the economics right, manage our ecosystems, and the flows UK NEA analyses (e.g. not all goods creating functioning markets for of services from them, more sustainably. and services were valued) the analyses ecosystem services, improving the use Currently we are unable demonstrate that simple reliance of our resources and adopting new ways comprehensively to quantify all of the upon market prices is likely to yield of managing those resources. relationships between UK biodiversity an inaccurate assessment of the overall Many of the recent improvements and the ecosystem services it supports. economic value of different scenarios in ecosystem services and biodiversity In particular, we need to understand to society. If only market values are conservation have happened as a better the role of microbial and fungal taken into account then storylines that result of effective regulation. These diversity. The lack of information on emphasised national self-sufficiency have been driven by various European how aspects of wellbeing such as health or economic growth resulted in the Union policy directives such as the and shared (social) values are linked largest economic gains in the short- Rural Development Programme, and to ecosystem services constrains our to medium-term due to increased in particular by the European Union understanding of how we can include agricultural production. Conversely, Common Agricultural Policy’s agri- them in decision-making. ☐ if all monetised values are taken environment schemes, complemented into account then the storylines that by the Nature Directives and an increase http://uknea.unep-wcmc.org

22 fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) advising government

How can scientific advice help in the formulation of a response to a sudden crisis? The question was debated at a round-table discussion organised by the Foundation for Science and Technology and held at The Royal Society on 1 November 2011 at which the UK and Irish approaches were explored. Science advice in a crisis

pening the discussion, Sir Scandinavian countries, but the Irish badgers, and here there were strong views John Beddington, the UK and British systems of Chief Scientific on all sides. Perhaps at least part of the Government’s Chief Scientific Advisers across Government was a model answer lay in vaccination. Adviser, noted that scientists for others, he argued. Then there were wider issues: for Oface a perennial problem of when and There were obvious problems in example Irish dependence (around 90 how best to advise governments on conveying the salient information about per cent) on external sources of energy, scientific issues at times of crisis. He scientific problems to ministers and civil the development of renewable sources, cited recent examples where advisers had servants – and indeed securing access to and the controversy over a pipeline been able to provide crucial input into the right people. The crisis in Ireland in between the Republic and Northern crises: the Foot and Mouth outbreak of 2008 over the pig industry and dioxins Ireland. Still wider were such global 2001, the swine flu epidemic of 2009 and was a good illustration. It highlighted problems as human proliferation, the eruption of the Icelandic volcano what was necessary to identify a problem, and how to feed increasing numbers Eyjafjallojökull in 2010. In 2011, there track down its causes, and then take the of people. Professor Cunningham was of course the Japanese earthquake necessary remedial action. In this case, the concluded by saying he looked forward followed by the tsunami and a nuclear Government had acted quite swiftly, albeit to further developing cooperation accident at the Fukushima power plant. at high cost: the cost would have been less between the two countries in the lead In such cases governments needed if action had been taken even sooner. up to, and during, the Euroscience urgent, balanced and practical scientific A major current problem concerned Open Forum to be held in Dublin in judgments on what should be done. bovine tuberculosis transmitted by 2012. ☐ Of the cases he mentioned, action on foot and mouth disease and swine flu had been fast and successful. Yet, there discussion was a lack of appropriate action and international regulation on the effects of In the open discussion that followed, a number of the volcanic eruption. In the case of the Fukushima incident, the risks – so far as points were made: British interests were concerned – were It is often difficult to assess risks and convey balanced advice. Alarmism very small. To address such a range • does not help. Some scientists know how to connect with policy makers of different situations effectively and promptly, we need the right mechanisms and others do not. Even those who do sometimes have to cope with – first to assess risks and then to give the resistance from vested interests and a sceptical media. correct advice, especially to the right Access to the right people at the right level is essential. In some cases, people. We also need to access a wider • this access may depend on good personal relationships. Good use has to be community of experts in areas specific made of mechanisms such as COBRA (in the Cabinet Office), the Met Office to the issue at hand. Sir John noted that he had made (now owned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) and the progress in this respect as Government Parliamentary Science and Technology Select Committees. Chief Scientific Adviser, setting up Presentation of scientific problems in the media is a particular problem. subgroups for specific purposes, • It can be hard to avoid making statements which give the impression of developing the Foresight Programme, and cooperating with such bodies as the greater certainty than may be justified. Even scientists can be wrong Parliamentary Science and Technology sometimes. Select Committees. • Scientists have to do better in explaining themselves, and make better use The Irish context of data analytics and intelligent technology. They should make themselves Professor Patrick Cunningham, Chief more available, and also be ready to take initiatives, for example over Scientific Adviser for Ireland, strongly energy and its storage. This means being ready to challenge policy outside welcomed the development of scientific the strictly scientific field: for example over transport or security issues. dialogue between the UK and Ireland. Although scientists should improve their cooperation with their European Irish investment in science had greatly • counterparts, they have to recognise differences in approach and increased. In fact, in both countries it amounted to around 2 per cent of philosophy. There should be a stronger focus on work within European GDP. The spend on science might not institutions, including the European Parliament. be as high as in Switzerland and the fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) 23 events

Recent dinner/discussions organised by the Foundation for Science and Technology are listed below. Summaries of these and other events – as well as the presentations of the speakers – can be found on the Foundation website at: www.foundation.org.uk

Stimulating economic growth Developing adaptation policy The Japanese earthquake, by increasing the contribution and action for the UK in tsunami and nuclear accident from research, innovation and response to climate change - implications for the UK the Higher Education sector 19 October 2011 18 May 2011 23 November 2011 Neil Thornton (represented by Dr Sir John Beddington CMG FRS FRSE, Sir Richard Lambert, Former Director Rupert Lewis), Director for Climate, Government Chief Scientific Adviser, General, CBI Waste and Atmosphere, Department for Government Office for Science Dr Graham Spittle CBE, Chairman, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Professor Nick Pidgeon, Professor of Technology Strategy Board Sir Graham Wynne CBE, Deputy Applied Psychology, School of Applied Catherine Coates, Director, Business Chairman, Sub-Committee for Psychology, Cardiff University Innovation, Engineering and Physical Adaptation, Committee on Climate Professor Laurence G Williams Sciences Research Council Change FREng, Former HM Chief Inspector Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Minister for Tom Bolt, Director, Performance of Nuclear Installations, Professor of Universities and Science, Department for Management, Lloyd’s of London Nuclear Safety, John Tyndall Institute, Business, Innovation and Skills University of Central Lancashire The UK National Ecosystem Dr Mike Weightman FREng, HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations, The impact of the Assessment Office for Nuclear Regulation, Health development of shale and 13 July 2011 and Safety Executive tight gas reservoirs on global Professor Bob Watson CMG FRS, Chief energy supply Scientific Adviser at the Department for The future strategy for the 9 November 2011 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs management of mental health Malcolm Brinded CBE FREng, in the UK Executive Director, Upstream Public procurement as a tool International, Royal Dutch Shell 4 May 2011 to stimulate innovation - the Professor Paul Stevens, Senior Associate Professor Lord Layard FBA, Centre (Energy), Royal Institute of International House of Lords Science and for Economic Performance, London Affairs, Chatham House Technology Select Committee School of Economics and Political Professor Mike Stephenson, Head of Report Science Science, Energy Geoscience Programme, 22 June 2011 Professor Simon Wessely FRCP British Geological Survey The Lord Krebs Kt FRS FMedSci Hon FRCPsych FMedSci, Vice Dean, DSc, Chairman, House of Lords Science Academic Psychiatry, Head, Science advice in a crisis and Technology Select Committee Department of Psychological Medicine, Darren James, Managing Director and Director, King’s Centre for Military 1 November 2011 Infrastructure, Costain Health Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Sir John Beddington CMG FRSE, Sally Collier, Executive Director, Maudsley Hospital, King’s College Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Procurement Policy and Capability, London Government Office of Science Efficiency Reform Group, Cabinet David Behan CBE, Director General Professor Patrick Cunningham, Chief Office of Social Care, Local Government and Scientific Adviser, Government for Professor Brian Collins CB FREng, Care Partnerships, Department of Ireland Former Chief Scientific Adviser, Health Department for Business, Innovation Lifting barriers for career and Skills and Department for Transport Is there a viable future for paths in Science, Technology, biofuels in the UK? Engineering and Mathematics Can better use be made of 6 April 2011 public data for example in (STEM) Dr Bernie Bulkin, Chair, Office 27 October 2011 health research? for Renewable Energy Deployment Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE FRS 8 June 2011 (ORED), Department of Energy and FRSE FRAS FInstP, Chair, Women in Professor Paul Boyle FRSE, Chief Climate Change STEM Inquiry, The Royal Society of Executive, Economic and Social James Primrose, Global Strategy Edinburgh Research Council Manager, BP Biofuels Dr Ellen Williams, Chief Scientist, BP Baroness O’Neill of Bengarve CBE Sam Cockerill, Business Development Sir Adrian Smith FRS, Director FBA HonFRS FMedSci, House of Manager, Ensus General, Knowledge and Innovation, Lords Professor Douglas Kell, Chief Department for Business, Innovation Stephen Penneck, Director General, Executive, Biotechnology and and Skills Office for National Statistics (ONS) Biological Sciences Research Council

24 fst journal >> december 2011 >> vol. 20 (7) The Foundation is grateful to the following companies, departments, research bodies and charities for their support for the dinner/discussion programme.

AECOM Limited getstats at The Royal Statistical Society Royal Society of Chemistry Arts and Humanities Research Council GlaxoSmithKline R&D Royal Statistical Society Arup Halcrow Group RPS Energy Association for Science Education Heads of University Biological Sciences Science & Technology Facilities Council Association of the British (HUBS) Sharp Laboratories of Europe Ltd Pharmaceutical Industry Health and Safety Executive Shell International Limited Aston University Heriot-Watt University Sir William Francis Atkins Home Office Smith Institute for Industrial BAE Systems House of Commons Library Mathematics and System Biotechnology and Biological Sciences House of Lords Select Committee on Engineering Research Council Science and Technology Society for General Microbiology Birmingham Centre for Railway HR Wallingford Group Ltd Society of Maritime Industries Research and Education Institute of Mathematics and its STEMNET BP Plc Applications Technology Strategy Board Brett Consulting Limited Institute of Physics The Institution of Agricultural British Academy Institution of Mechanical Engineers Engineers British Antarctic Survey Ipsos Mori The Kohn Foundation British Council Japan Society for the Promotion of The Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust British Geological Survey Science The Medical Schools Council Cancer Research UK John Wiley & Sons The Michael John Trust City & Guilds of London Institute Johnson Matthey plc The Royal Academy of Engineering City University London Keele University The Royal Commission for the Comino Foundation King’s College London Exhibition of 1851 Costain Kohn Foundation The Royal Society Council for Industry & Higher Lloyd’s of London The Royal Society of Edinburgh Education Lloyd’s Register The Wellcome Trust Council for Science and Technology London and Continental Railways TWI Ltd Cranfield University London School of Hygiene & Tropical University College London Cuadrilla Resources Limited Medicine University of Aberdeen Department for Business, Innovation Medical Research Council University of Birmingham and Skills National Endowment for Science, University of Bristol Department for Communities and Technology and the Arts University of Cambridge Local Government National Oceanography Centre University of Dundee Department for Environment, Food and National Physical Laboratory University of East Anglia Rural Affairs Natural Environment Research Council University of Edinburgh Department for Transport Natural History Museum University of Glasgow Department of Health Newcastle University University of Hull Economic and Social Research Council Nottingham Trent University University of Kent Embassy of France in London Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser, University of Leeds Embassy of Ireland in London Ireland University of Leicester Embassy of the United States of Open University University of Nottingham America in London Parliamentary and Scientific Committee University of Reading Engineering and Physical Sciences Premmit Associates University of Sheffield Research Council Queen’s University Belfast University of Southampton Financial Services Knowledge Transfer Risk Solutions Wm Morrisons Network Rolls-Royce plc Geological Society Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew The Foundation for Science and Technology 10 Carlton House Terrace London SW1Y 5AH Telephone: 020 7321 2220 Fax: 020 7321 2221 Email: [email protected] www.foundation.org.uk

T H E F O U N D A T I O N F O R S C I E N C E A N D fs t TE C H N O L O G Y