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9348 SIP SPRING 2011 8/2/11 09:30 Page 1 Annual Lunch SCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT Global Water Security Engineering Better Healthcare Synthetic Biology Public Dialogue sip Spring 2011 Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Science Minister, launches the UN International Year of Chemistry at a unique event organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry on the House of Commons Terrace Log on to www.rsc.org for the edited webcast highlights The Journal of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee www.scienceinparliament.org.uk 9348 SIP SPRING 2011 8/2/11 09:30 Page 2 MAKING BRITAIN HEALTHY: UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF IN VITRO DIAGNOSTICS IN THE NHS Seventy percent of clinical decisions are based on an in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test. These have an increasing role to play to deliver cost effective healthcare and improve outcomes for patients. However, to fully realise these patient benefits and cost efficiencies we need the Government to: • Encourage increased access to point of care diagnostics in the community - allowing more rapid treatment of patients in a setting convenient for their daily lives • Address the way money flows within the NHS to reduce perverse incentives which block the use of new tests or better use of existing tests • Ensure that the DH supports NHS organisations in embedding recommendations and guidance for diagnostics from NICE About BIVDA BIVDA is the national trade association for the manufacturers and distributors of IVD products in the UK. We currently represent more than 95% of the industry and over a hundred organizations ranging from British start-up companies to UK subsidiaries of multinational corporations. BIVDA members employ over 8,000 people in this country including in manufacturing and R&D, with a total industry turnover of approximately £900 million of direct sales. Please don’t hesitate to contact the Director General, Doris-Ann Williams if you would like any further information about any of the aspects of this issue or about in vitro diagnostics in general. She is always more than willing to visit you in Westminster. British In Vitro Diagnostics Association · 1 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9BT Telephone: 020 7957 4633 · Fax: 020 7957 4644 · Email: [email protected] · Website: www.bivda.co.uk 9348 SIP SPRING 2011 8/2/11 09:31 Page 3 Parliamentarians with a background in or dedication to Science and SCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT Technology are at the forefront in the efforts to encourage and support all those concerned with ensuring that the high quality R&D undertaken in the UK is put to the best possible use, be it fundamental research or applied science. It is probably no surprise to UK and EU Parliamentarians with S&T backgrounds that the German economy has recently rebounded so rapidly, when compared with the UK, as so much effort is placed not just on “Blue Skies” research but also on those areas where the results of fundamental research are applied directly to ensuring that the industrial base, and especially manufacturing, are both fully supported to ensure global market sip competitiveness. The Journal of the Parliamentary and Scientific Unfortunately, the UK currently generally recognises only one internationally Andrew Miller MP Committee. accepted level of attainment in science, and not surprisingly that is where Chairman, Parliamentary The Committee is an Associate Parliamentary those with the ability to do so have for obvious reasons naturally tended to and Scientific Group of members of both Houses of direct their full attention. Those with the ability to turn new discoveries into Committee Parliament and British members of the economic benefits for the whole of society on the other hand, normally do European Parliament, representatives of not receive anything like the attention or recognition devoted to their pure scientific and technical institutions, industrial science counterparts. organisations and universities. Martin Rees, the outgoing President of the Royal Society has however made an enormous contribution in advancing the cause for long term planning for R&D in the UK backed up by some of the best scientific brains the world can muster, many of them based at the UK’s world class Universities. How can we begin to put this matter right before it is too late if our economy is to be prevented from sliding down a slippery slope? Who will be primarily responsible for ensuring that the full integration of science, technology and engineering takes place throughout the UK’s educational and industrial landscape? History has shown us with painful results for every one of us that reliance Science in Parliament has two main objectives: on service industries alone, including high risk banking, will not, as previously 1. to inform the scientific and industrial thought, provide the basis for a stable long term future for Western style communities of activities within Parliament of a scientific nature and of the progress of economies. The US and UK have both been vulnerable in this respect. relevant legislation; Much attention is currently being devoted to investigating the need for and 2. to keep Members of Parliament abreast of future development of Technology Innovation Centres as a way to ensure scientific affairs. that the UK considers all the options before us. There is both an urgent need and new opportunity to help supply the Developing World with the products they require from us and to help manage their increasing demands for improved infrastructure and their burgeoning human populations. This is one important area where a new generation of Technology Innovation Centres based in the UK could really make a difference if we get the funding and structures right. CONTENTS TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION HOW ENGINEERING PROVIDES BETTER SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY PUBLIC CENTRES 2 HEALTHCARE 19 DIALOGUE 40 Opinion by Professor Richard Brook Addresses to the P&SC by Professor Molly Stevens, Addresses to the P&SC by Dr Brian Johnson, CHALLENGE OF RESPONSIBLE Professor Lionel Tarassenko and Professor Douglas Kell and Professor David Delpy INNOVATION 5 Professor John Fisher EFFECTIVE PUBLIC DIALOGUE 45 Opinion by Professor Richard Owen THE CODE FOR SUSTAINABLE HOMES Suzannah Lansdell A WATER INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTION Karen Smith 24 HERPES VIRUS’ TACTICAL MANOEUVRE TO CLIMATE CHANGE 7 TESTING TIMES – NEW IDEAS 25 46 Michael Norton, Dr Richard Harpin and Dr Steve Thompson EVOLUTION OF ANIMAL LIFE 47 Alexander Lane BUILDING BRIDGES 26 HOUSE OF COMMONS SELECT UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS FOR A Dr Michael W Elves COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND BETTER RAILWAY 8 SOLAR ENERGY AND FUEL CELLS 27 TECHNOLOGY 48 John Amoore MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY 28 PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE OF SCIENCE UN INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF Dr Ralph Rayner AND TECHNOLOGY 50 CHEMISTRY 2011 10 AUTISM: A DIFFERENCE OR A HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARY SEMTA SUPPORTS SCIENCE SKILLS 12 DISORDER? 30 SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT SECTION Philip Whiteman Dr Ellie Dommett 52 IN VITRO DIAGNOSTICS IN THE NHS 14 DEMAND FOR HUMAN BODILY HOUSE OF LORDS SCIENCE AND Doris-Ann Williams MATERIAL 31 TECHNOLOGY SELECT COMMITTEE 54 ANNUAL LUNCHEON OF THE Catherine Joynson SELECTED DEBATES 55 PARLIAMENTARY AND SCIENTIFIC COLD WINTER IMPACT ON WILDLIFE 32 COMMITTEE 16 SCIENCE DIRECTORY 56 Dr Andy Clements Guest of Honour Rt Hon David Willetts MP SCIENCE DIARY 65 IS GLOBAL WATER SECURITY ACHIEVABLE? 34 Addresses to the P&SC by Professor Roger Falconer and Michael Norton Science in Parliament Vol 68 No 1 Spring 2011 1 9348 SIP SPRING 2011 8/2/11 09:31 Page 4 OPINION TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION CENTRES AIRTO has long argued for a UK equivalent of the technological support infrastructure represented by the Fraunhofer Institutes in Germany. This would address a long standing problem with the UK’s underperformance in converting world class research into economic growth. The problem stems from a perception at policy level that investing in universities and encouraging closer working with business and industry will of itself bring about significant economic growth. This falls quite a long way short of what’s needed in relation to a) boosting research based innovation by facilitating industry to industry working Professor Richard Brook OBE FREng President AIRTO and b) making available a full spectrum of specialised skills and support at every stage of the journey from research through innovation to This article reflects the oral successful commercialisation. evidence from the author to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Adding dedicated research and wider economic A previous attempt to Committee into Technology and and enterprise resources to development and by the need emulate Fraunhofer style Innovation Centres in December universities achieves a measure for these companies to leverage institutes gave rise to the 2010. of success, but struggles to new technology. Faraday Partnerships that came address several important into being in the 1990s. I ran This isn’t the first attempt to aspects of the challenge, one of the first of these. Why enhance the industrial uptake of particularly where collaboration didn’t they last? new technology in the UK. New and partnership between centres were brought into being The Faraday Partnerships multiple parties is concerned. after both world wars and, started up very unevenly. First of More extensive support is together with Public Sector all, a number of Post-graduate required, particularly to help Research Establishments and Training Partnerships were match demand side pull from privately formed research established between individual business and industry with organisations, these comprise a RTOs and research intensive scientific and technological considerable network of universities. This was modelled expertise; to co-ordinate access technologically highly skilled on one element of the for industry to multiple sources resources across the UK. Fraunhofer system. Those of us of scientific and technological involved felt that they were very development; and to proactively SO WHAT IS THE successful. Later in the decade stimulate collaborative PROBLEM? the Faraday Partnerships proper enterprise, foster technology Governments have were launched as the EPSRC development and support repeatedly tried to make these provided an initial tranche of business incubation.