SCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT

The Journal of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee sip SEPTEMBER 2015

This is not an official publication of the House of Commons or the House of Lords. It has not been approved by either House or its Committees. All-Party Groups are informal groups of members of both Houses with a common interest in particular issues. The views expressed in this Journal are those of the Group. This Journal is funded by the members of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee. www.scienceinparliament.org.uk G L Brown Lecture 2015 Extreme Threats Environmental threats: Origins, consequences and amelioration Mike Tipton, Professor of Human & Applied Physiology

16.00 on Friday 16 October 2015 followed by a drinks reception Hodgkin Huxley House, 30 Farringdon Lane, London EC1R 3AW

Contact [email protected] for more information and to book your place

Sir George Lindor Brown (9 February 1903 – 22 February 1971) was a noted English physiologist. In 1975 The Physiological Society established the G L Brown Prize Lecture in his memory. The G L Brown Lecture takes place each year at a variety of locations across the UK.

Founded in 1876, The Physiological Society supports over 3,500 scientists internationally by providing world-class conferences, resources and grants - find out more at www.physoc.org Welcome to my first editorial It was great to see the launch as the new Chair of the P&SC. I of the MRC Innovation Fund – SCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT am looking forward to this new an initiative of my colleague, role enormously. George Freeman. We shall be commissioning contributions to I have two thanks to give. SiP from some of the winners in sip First to my predecessor, due course. Andrew Miller, who did such a Some topics which have been superb job in running it for five covered either in Discussion The Journal of the Parliamentary and years. I am sure he is now Meetings or in these pages will Scientific Committee. Stephen Metcalfe MP, enjoying the peace and quiet not lie down. We have recently The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee is an All-Party Chairman, Parliamentary and after the hurly burly of witnessed renewed controversy Scientific Committee Parliamentary Group of members of Westminster. about neonicotinoids and GM both Houses of Parliament and British insects. members of the European Parliament, Second to our President, Ron representatives of scientific and It is excellent that MPs have technical institutions, industrial Oxburgh, for providing the organisations and universities. continuity (and the last Editorial) had a chance to quiz some of during the odd inter regnum the top scientists in these fields. which occurs between Our programme for the parliaments. Autumn commences with Parliament may have vanished “Patient Safety” in October. for a few weeks, but the world I am looking forward to seeing of science never sleeps. new faces in the audience. Science in Parliament has two main objectives: 1. to inform the scientific and industrial communities of activities within Parliament of a scientific nature and of the progress of relevant legislation; 2. to keep Members of Parliament abreast of scientific affairs.

CONTENTS

INNOVATION HUBS 2 THE BIG DATA OPPORTUNITY 20 PROFESSOR JOHN BLEBY 39 Professor Sa’ad Medhat Hetan Shah HOUSE OF COMMONS SELECT COMMITTEES 40 INCENTIVE PRIZES AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF BIG DATA IN NEUROSCIENCE 22 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 3 Professor Mark Stokes and Nicholas Myers HOUSE OF LORDS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Paul Ridout SELECT COMMITTEE 43 THE COLD TIME BOMB 25 PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND ECOLOGY MATTERS 6 Professor Martin Freer and Professor Toby Peters TECHNOLOGY 44 Ben Connor SCIENCE AND THE NEW PARLIAMENT 27 HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARY SCIENCE AND 150 YEARS OF THE STATE VETERINARY SERVICE 8 Parliamentary Links Day 2015 ENVIRONMENT SECTION 46 Dr Alison Wilson GALLIUM NITRIDE FOR SAVING LIVES, ENERGY, SCIENCE DIRECTORY 47 FOOD AND THE FUTURE 10 CARBON EMISSIONS AND MONEY! 30 Veronica Vaccari Address to the P&SC by Professor Sir Colin Humphreys SCIENCE DIARY 56 THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM INSTITUTE FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY 32 AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY 12 Addresses to the P&SC by Professor Andrew Fisher, Professor Hervé Morvan Professor Milo Shaffer and Professor Alex Orlov

THE FUTURE OF ROAD TRANSPORT 14 COMBATING ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE 38 Addresses to the P&SC by Lord Borwick, Rob Wallis and Dr Lindsay R Chura, Elizabeth Hogben and Steve Yianni Stefania Di Mauro-Nava

The covers of this issue are sponsored by NEF: The Innovation Institute, The Physiological Society, The University of Nottingham and The Royal Society of Biology.

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 1 INNOVATION HUBS – A STRUCTURED PLATFORM FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH Achieving growth that generates economic value and social benefit requires a structured approach that binds an organisation’s strength and aspiration with that of its stakeholders and partners, thus creating an innovation capability that is scalable and sustainable.

Having such a capability gives innovation hub development is activities. Examples of innovation the freedom to public or private to cluster the organisation’s hubs in education include Tyne sector organisations to develop capability around new and Metropolitan College who an ethos of entrepreneurship emerging economic areas of focused on providing solutions Professor Sa’ad Medhat and the ability to experiment growth. Clustering delivers in Engineering Systems and CEO, NEF: The Innovation Institute with different choices. constructive alignment between Design; Havering College built a business strategy and the their Hub on the strength of Market responsiveness, innovation focus, thus improving their healthcare expertise and changing technologies and speed of response and Plymouth University centred trends, tighter budgets and enhancing the quality of new their Innovation Hubs on shifting economic conditions offerings for the organisation. developing local enterprise have all acted as stimuli for Innovation hubs can be physical capital in eco-environment, organisations to innovate to or virtual and their structure and health and life sciences and consider alternative approaches characteristics are determined by digital and media creative to drive performance. Innovation strategic goals. They can be sectors. In business, innovation happens not only in a product implemented at a regional or hubs can be used to leverage or a service but also in the way in which organisations design ... innovation requires openness to collaborate and conduct their business to and the freedom to be creative ... maintain competitive positioning. city level, or as part of a broad base IP and identify The drive for innovation company, a college or a public possible solutions to challenges, requires openness to collaborate sector organisation to provide thereby enabling faster market and the freedom to be creative. the vital knowledge exchange response. Pharmaceutical and However, organisational rigidity environment that stimulates FMCG businesses often use the and bureaucracy often inhibit creativity and accelerates notion of open innovation the innovation process. Having a innovation. Hubs can be formed delivered through innovation structured approach that as an autonomous single unit or hubs to access different expert contains risk whilst providing a as a network of distributed but perspectives to support creative channel to experiment out of interconnected thematic entities. problem-solving. An example of the business norms, provides an Innovation Hub approach in greater opportunity to secure In education, innovation hubs business has been the quick wins. One structured offer a natural fit with further collaborative laboratory or approach is the formation of an education colleges in that they ‘Collaboratory’ in DuPont. Both Innovation Hub. build upon the relationship that virtual and physical, the a college has with local business Collaboratory which brings a INNOVATION HUBS and industry, and provide a knowledge base of some nine An Innovation Hub presents a means of collaborative thousand experts in the fields of compelling platform for engagement to develop science, engineering and harnessing capability, focusing commercial solutions, underpin technology, is founded on the investment and stimulating educational provision and precepts of collaboration and co- enterprise. The key to successful extend outreach and civic

2 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 creation. Through the use of live Organisations which create role. Whilst maintaining a future could potentially extend the conferencing, design thinking innovation hubs have the ability focus on managing an opportunities and benefits. and ideation, solutions to to mobilise innovation initiatives innovation portfolio, a hub In fact, hubs provide a robust challenges are being discovered quickly and can optimise the leader should also embrace mechanism for competitive and DuPont’s innovation time taken to create new value impact-driven operational collaboration. Again, pharma pipeline is flowing. for their end users and accountability that fosters companies tend to do this well themselves. partnership development to Three determinants in tackling issues during drug drive co-creation and informs characterise the modus operandi development or a clinical trial HUBS LEADERSHIP & the decision-making processes of innovation hubs, they: stage. Such models can offer a GOVERNANCE within a hub’s ecosystem. scaffold structure for any sector • act as a catalyst for driving Hubs provide an effective to consider. organisational change vehicle for shaping the dynamics INVESTING IN • create the basis for a of go-to-market solutions. Their INNOVATION A third option for investment in multiplication factor for primary focus on innovation Different investment models in hubs could be to employ an growth make the measurement of their innovation hubs could be aggregator concept, where the • become an instrument for tangible and intangible considered. The simplest is to participation of many attracting capital investment outcomes more readily provide a separate budget for stakeholders, particularly small identifiable. hub development with its own and medium size enterprises, is In addition, there is a direct encouraged. Universities and correlation between ... hubs provide a robust mechanism for colleges could adopt such a development of a hub and the competitive collaboration ... model as it naturally lends itself increase in the level of learning to a wider collaborative development. Such activities However, the key to success P&L. However, this approach innovation development. lead to instilling a high for innovation hubs is the ability may not necessarily render the performing culture that of organisational leaders best returns. Alternatively, strengthens the organisation’s embarking upon such adopting a partnership model readiness to innovation and development, to take on both a for investment with stakeholders builds its knowledge base. governing and an empowering (eg supply chain, customers), INCENTIVE PRIZES AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

There is a wide range of high-value incentive prizes on offer for the development of technologies to help solve some of today’s scientific challenges. The intellectual value of such prizes may be much wider than the original challenge. Details of the recently awarded Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE demonstrates some of these benefits.

During the18th century, the In 2004, the $10 million Ansari resistance. In July 2015, the $2m British government offered more XPRIZE was awarded to the first Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health Paul Ridout than £100,000 in prize money non-governmental organization XPRIZE was awarded to the Ocean Scientific International Ltd. to anyone who could come up to launch the equivalent of a teams who could improve the (OSIL) with simple and practical three-person crew into space accuracy and affordability of methods for measuring twice within two weeks. More ocean pH sensor technology. longitude to assist maritime recently the Longitude Prize has navigation. In 1927, there was been launched which offers a Incentive prizes, which offer the $25,000 Orteig Prize, for the £10m prize to address the large cash rewards to motivate first non-stop transatlantic flight. problem of global antibiotic the attainment of targets in

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 3 scientific research and seek to find sponsors for place in July 2015. Prize values throughout the water development, have increased in individual projects. One of their Sponsor, Wendy Schmidt has a column at Station Aloha, a 110 popularity in the last decade. It is ‘Grand Challenges’ includes keen interest in the marine square mile region in the Pacific argued that this type of funding Energy and Environment, which environment. As President of Ocean, located approximately could effectively solve a wide has a goal to generate The Schmidt Family Foundation, 100 miles off the northern shore range of today’s science breakthroughs in clean energy, she works to advance the of Oahu. During this six-day challenges. Although incentive climate change, energy development of renewable period, sensors were put prizes have long been used and distribution/storage, energy energy and the wiser use of through rigorous performance natural resources. In 2009, tests focused on accuracy and Wendy and her husband Eric precision, while battling real- Schmidt created the Schmidt world pressure scenarios in Ocean Institute (SOI) and in water depths of up to 3,000 meters. To reach this point, ... higher levels of teams had to successfully put acidity in their sensors through a three- the oceans ... month test in controlled laboratory conditions at the 2012 they launched the Monterey Bay Aquarium research vessel, Falkor, as a Research Institute (Autumn mobile platform to advance 2014), followed by a month- ocean exploration. long performance test in a Electrical Interference Testing and Ozone Testing coastal environment at the Teams participating in the Seattle Aquarium in February may have led to valuable efficiency/use, and water Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health 2015. discoveries and inventions, little resource management. XPRIZE competed for two empirical evidence has been Previously awarded prizes in this available prize purses: the $1M On July 20th 2015 XPRIZE around to understand how area have included a project to announced the first-place winner prizes work. inspire innovative methods to of both prize purses as Sunburst improve cleanup at sea following Sensors, a small company of In his book, ‘Technological oil-spill incidents. chemists and engineers from Innovation and Prize Incentives’, Missoula, Montana, led by CEO Luciano Kay (University of The latest award has been the and co-owner, James Beck, an California Santa Barbara) seeks Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health engineer who graduated at MIT to understand the effect of such XPRIZE, which was launched in and University of Washington. prizes on innovation. Some of September 2013. This was a 22- They won the $750,000 grand the key points in his findings are month competition to develop prize in both the affordability and that prizes can induce new R&D accurate and affordable pH accuracy categories, earning activities, re-direct ongoing sensors to detect ocean them a total of $1.5M. Sunburst industry projects and that well acidification. Rising levels of Competition Phase 4 Testing Sensors co-owner, Professor designed prizes induce atmospheric carbon are resulting Michael DeGrandpre, is a innovation over and above what in higher levels of acidity in the accuracy purse, based on Professor of Chemistry at the would have occurred anyway. In oceans, impacting the health of performance, and the $1M University of Montana, where he addition, prizes may induce shellfish, fisheries, coral reefs, affordability purse, based on cost pioneered the development of technological breakthroughs. and usability. In April 2015, 14 an autonomous alkalinity sensor, However, according to Dr Kay, ... generate semi-finalist teams were in collaboration with Dr Reggie there are significant funding breakthroughs in narrowed down to the five Spaulding from Sunburst. requirements, by the entrants, in finalist teams, representing four However, the competition’s order to carry out the projects clean energy ... countries (Table 1). They requirements were quite and bad economic conditions other ecosystems and our very embarked on a one week deep different from the sensors they may slow down (or in some were already producing with survival (a topic previously sea trial to assess ocean pH cases, halt) R&D activities to find solutions to the prize challenge. covered by the P&SC). While ocean acidification is well In this article, I seek to documented in a few temperate understand more of the ocean waters, little is known in processes and effects of high latitudes, coastal areas and incentive prizes by focusing on a the deep sea. Most pH sensor recently awarded prize from the technologies are too costly, USA-based charity, XPRIZE. The imprecise, or unstable, to allow XPRIZE philosophy is to for sufficient knowledge and incentivise a solution to a coverage on the state of ocean problem with challenges that are acidification. audacious, but achievable and tied to objective, measurable Over 70 teams from around goals. Groups of experts identify the world expressed an interest areas of scientific and in competing when registration technological need and then opened and the final award took Competition Phase 4 Testing – Hawaii

4 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 emphasis on fast sampling rates, Team Finalists for the 2015 Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPrize deep-water operation, accuracy and affordability. The company • ANB Sensors (Cambridge, England), a team of scientists and researchers from the concentrated on their previously Schlumberger Gould Research Center with expertise in lasers, chemistry, fluid mechanics and developed commercial sensors geophysics. to create the two winning sensors: the i-SAMI (“i” for • HpHS (Yokosuka, Japan), a team of research scientists and engineers from the Kimoto Electric inexpensive) and the t-SAMI (“t” Co., Ltd. and Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). for titanium). The team • Sunburst Sensors (Missoula, Mont, US), a team of mechanical engineers from Sunburst collaborated with Woods Hole Sensors, LLC, a company focused on the development of chemical sensors for marine and Oceanographic Institution freshwater applications. (WHOI) for development and testing of the t-SAMI deep-water • Team Durafet (Plymouth, Minn, US), a team comprising representatives from Sea-Bird instrument. Scientific, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego and Honeywell Aerospace Advanced The second place prize in Technology group. affordability was awarded to ANB Sensors from Cambridge, • Team XYLEM (Bergen, Norway/Beverly, Mass, US), a team representing two Xylem England, and the second place companies, Aanderaa Data Instruments in Norway and YSI in the U.S., with extensive work in prize in accuracy was awarded to commercializing high performance and reliable optical chemical sensors used in oceanography. Team DuraFET from Plymouth, Minnesota and Monterey Bay, focus on stimulating suffer when working on the waters outside their California. Each team won technological innovation, but this technology to operate in the workplace to compare data with $250,000. During the course of is just the start of the process. ocean, including high pressure, the fixed sensors located on the the competition ANB Sensors The Ocean Health XPRIZE goal is corrosion etc. SIO pier. formed their own start-up also to raise awareness of ocean An example of innovation from The XPRIZE competition aimed company and have been acidification and its potential ‘out-of-the-box’ thinkers was the to drive industry forward to working on the second impacts and there are a large Smartphin project. Environmental produce the capability to provide generation of their competition number of post prize activities film maker, Andrew Stern, and meaningful data needed to take entry for market. Team DuraFET being planned in this regard”. engineer/surfer, Benjamin action and produce results. In a Thompson, teamed up to wider context the prize hoped to: ... a keen interest in the marine environment ... produce a sensor system which • Provide tools for the study and is embedded in the fin of a monitoring of ocean has donated their award money The winner of both 1st prize normal surfboard. Originally for acidification’s impacts to the international ARGO categories, Sunburst Sensors, is a temperature and salinity they program – a program that is small company mostly working developed the technology to • Catalyze ocean acidification deploying sensors in the global in a different market area and include pH in order to compete research • Increase development of the ocean services industry – data, information and forecasting • Inspire innovations in ocean sensing technology to monitor the health of the ocean • Create both tools and support for policymakers and public officials • Inspire the public to engage in solving ocean acidification XPRIZE plans to launch three more ocean-based prizes in the next five years as part of the XPRIZE Ocean Initiative. The goal of this initiative is to launch Award Ceremony, New York impactful prizes and inspire other actions that put us on an oceans to improve our located about as far from the for the XPRIZE. They made it to unstoppable path towards understanding of the baseline ocean as you can get in the US. the semi-finals but progress healthy, valued and understood state and any changes. In that respect, the prize certainly doesn’t stop there. Starting in oceans. stimulated transfer of technology November, 50 researchers from Professor Ralph Rayner, a from one market to another. the Scripps Institution of It remains to be seen how British marine scientist who was Many of the problems they had Oceanography (SIO) will be many of these will be achieved a scientific advisor for the XPRIZE to overcome revolved around screwing Smartphin prototypes but evidence to date is commented, “It is true that the the usual issues that all of us into their boards and taking to encouraging. prizes generally have an initial

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 5 ECOLOGY MATTERS Ecological science is an integral part of finding a way to live well in a world with more people and pressure on our natural resources. Through studying the interactions of living organisms with each other and the environment, we are able to predict the impact of human activity on our natural world and understand how the environment supports our society. Ecology is not environmentalism, but it does have both global and local Ben Connor Policy Officer, resonance; it can provide insight into international climate British Ecological Society change and localised flooding, endangered species and our BRITISH ECOLOGICAL garden wildlife. SOCIETY The British Ecological Society was founded in 1913, and has over 5,000 members. As an independent, authoritative body and the leading voice for ecologists in the UK, the Society is committed to ensuring that policymakers have access to the best available scientific evidence.

Contact us at Policy@british ecologicalsociety.org Bumblebee – ©Dave Goulson ©David Bird

In the UK, ecologists are able we face a world which is likely part of sustainable economic to build on a long history of to change significantly through growth, yet this has been environmental data collection, climate change, technological consistently undervalued. The which in turn has contributed to advances, and geopolitical UK National Ecosystem the country’s pre-eminence in pressures. Assessment placed the value of environmental science. The UK THE VALUE OF these goods and services at hosts centres of world-leading many billions of pounds1. ecological science, but these Ecologists working alongside must be integrated into national economists in the Natural policy development, and Capital Committee have set out implemented at the local level in an innovative framework for order to maximise the benefits ... world-leading of our natural resource and ecological science... ensure its long term sustainability. Ecology will be corporations to take account of Fishing – ©David Bird central to the Government’s 25 their natural capital, and present year strategies to restore a series of potential biodiversity, eradicate bovine TB ECOLOGY…. environmental investments that and improve farming – all … TO THE ECONOMY offer good economic returns. commitments made in the This is an important step in the Conservative Party manifesto. Protecting and enhancing our sustainable management of our Ecology also has a role to play in natural capital, from which we natural resource by business assessing the effectiveness of derive benefits such as food, and government alike. these policies. This is critical as timber, and water, is an essential

6 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 The economic value of insect Good health can also bring effective and resilient to external ecological research and ensuring pollinators to the UK economy economic savings; Natural pressures. that policy is informed by the has been estimated at £690 England have estimated that latest scientific evidence is crucial The systematic review of million a year 2, yet these £2.1billion worth of mental and if we are to tackle these ecological evidence provides a populations are in decline. physical health costs could be challenges effectively. Ecologists contribute to the averted each year if every basis from which to develop wealth of knowledge needed to household in the country were policies; ecologists working in safeguard this vital service, provided with equitable access Cambridge and Bangor are providing information on to good quality green space 6. leading this approach, analysing evidence to assess the effects of ... enhancing our natural capital ... influential factors such as the …TO THE spill-over of viruses from ENVIRONMENT commercial to wild pollinator species 3, the role of natural Species and habitats have habitats on pollination services 4, intrinsic value that should not be the impacts of climate change underestimated, and are on pollinators such as essential for maintaining the bumblebees 5 and more. benefits we derive from the environment. However the UK is Starfish Application of this knowledge experiencing reductions in all not only provides a lifeline for aspects of biodiversity: 60% of conservation interventions, the References these species, but brings long species have declined over the impact of invasive species and 1 UK National Ecosystem Assessment term economic prosperity, as last 50 years and 31% have (2011) The UK National Ecosystem more. Assessment: Synthesis of the Key well as avoiding costs for both declined strongly 7. Findings. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge. business and the public purse. Ecologists also work to The Making Space for Nature evaluate policies once they are 2 Centre for Food Security (2015) … TO SOCIETY report, led by former British Sustainable Pollination Services for UK implemented. Recent evidence Crops. University of Reading The relationship between Ecological Society President has emerged that the EU Birds mental and physical wellbeing Professor Sir John Lawton, called 3 Manley et al. (2015) Emerging viral and the natural environment is for a new approach to nature Directive has had a positive disease risk to pollinating insects: ecological, evolutionary and conservation underpinned by impact on target species, increasingly well understood, anthropogenic factors. J. Applied Ecology.

4 Carvalheiro et al. (2010) Pollination services decline with distance from natural habitat even in biodiversity- rich areas. J. Applied Ecology.

5 Kerr et al. (2015) Climate change impacts on bumblebees converge across continents. Science.

6 Natural England (2009) Our Natural Health Service: The role of the natural environment in maintaining healthy lives. Natural England, Sheffield

7 Burns et al. (2013) State of Nature. The State of Nature Partnership Hoverfly Puffin – ©Cheryl Pilbeam from the role of microbial ecological science to meet the including the avocet, marsh biodiversity to the importance of target of halting the loss of harrier and corncrake. local green spaces. Ecologists are biodiversity by 2020. working with health professionals to advance this understanding, ... halting the loss of biodiversity ... identify gaps in our knowledge Ecological research allows us The relationship between and find out more about the relationship between different to understand the underlying people and the environment is types of natural environments causes of biodiversity loss and at the heart of many of the and their influence on health ensure that our conservation most important challenges of and wellbeing. strategies are efficient, cost the 21st century. Investing in

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 7 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS OF THE STATE VETERINARY SERVICE 1865 – 2015

slaughter or quarantine of In 1905, under Chief veterinary medicine. His time in affected animals and their Veterinary Officer Sir Stewart post saw the passing of the contacts, one of the approaches Stockman, the VLS expanded its Tuberculosis Order 1925, which that continues to this day. remit and started to research for the first time linked the animal diseases. In 1917 this spread of disease in humans Two widespread endemic research was transferred to the with the consumption of diseases, bovine tuberculosis newly opened Central Veterinary untreated milk and led to bTB (bTB) and brucellosis remained Laboratory (CVL) at a site near testing in cattle herds. an issue for both animal and Weybridge1. The CVL was one human health. Controlling these The importance of the of the first purpose-built state was more difficult as signs did veterinary profession in fullfilling veterinary laboratories in the not appear until the disease was a public service was further world and is now an integral Dr Alison Wilson MCIPR advanced, so veterinary recognised in 1919 when the part of the Animal and Plant Senior Press Officer, Animal and surgeons looked to develop newly established Ministry of Plant Health Agency (APHA) Health Agency (APHA). better diagnostic methods. Agriculture had veterinary Sir Stewart’s appointment expertise at its core in its new This need for better diagnostic brought about significant Diseases of Animal Division. By support had first been changes in the development of unifying the provision of state recognised in 1894 during an veterinary medicine and providing leadership to the profession, a significant step had been taken in controlling animal diseases. During the 1930s demand for veterinary services increased as The State Veterinary Service farmers and the government was created in 1865 when the sought to eliminate bTB and Government established the improve the health of the Veterinary Department of the nation's farm animals in order to Privy Council to tackle a safeguard agriculture and food devastating epidemic of cattle production 2. During that time plague (Rinderpest), a highly various Acts and schemes were infectious viral disease which introduced including: caused the loss of around 400,000 animals. For the first • the Milk Act 1934, which time, veterinary medicine was introduced the notion of an ‘attested herd’ (ie certified as seen as nationally important and outbreak of swine fever. At that being free from disease) attempts to control disease, time dead animals were taken whereby milk guaranteed as although effective locally, to the Royal Veterinary College disease-free attracted a needed national co-ordination at Camden Town for post premium; and standardisation. mortem examination. However, By 1900 the nation had the Board of Agriculture decided • the Attested Herds Scheme suffered numerous serious to set up its own diagnostic 1935, which enabled farmers outbreaks of infectious livestock service for animal disease to apply for official bTB testing diseases including sheep pox, eradication schemes. The and, in the absence of cattle plague, swine fever, foot Veterinary Laboratory Service reactors, to be entered into the Register of Attested Herds; and mouth disease and bovine (VLS) was established in a pleuro-pneumonia. The policy basement at 4 Whitehall Place • the Agriculture Act 1937 saw for eliminating these diseases and, over the next decade, the Ministry’s Animal Health was to place restrictions on the samples from diseased pigs Division take over the importation and movement of were transported to the centre Veterinary Investigation Service livestock, and the compulsory of London for examination. Sir Stewart Stockman (VIS), under the control of the

8 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 CVL Director at Weybridge. This in Starcross identified the first scrapie-like agent in ruminant- In 2009, Defra created the function, previously carried out case of Mycobacterium bovis in derived meat and bone meal. Animal Health and Veterinary by local authorities, was badgers and found that badgers Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) as There followed a period of responsible for livestock were a significant reservoir of part of a review of its arms- significant change as Civil disease surveillance in the the disease. length bodies. The new Agency Service reforms transformed the regions, encompassing both brought together a wide range The wild badger population at delivery of central government animal health and the safety of of field services, wildlife and Woodchester Park in services. In 1990, CVL became meat and milk intended for veterinary expertise and scientific Gloucestershire has been one of the government’s first capabilities in order to make the human consumption. intensively studied by executive agencies, followed by delivery of these important • a system of financial government scientists since the merger of CVL and VIS to services and the ability to compensation for farmers’ 1975. This is the only long-term form the Veterinary Laboratories respond to disease outbreaks losses through compulsory study of TB epidemiology in a Agency (VLA) in recognition of more resilient in the economic slaughter policies, providing an wild badger population. The the links between them. This climate at that time. incentive to them to abide by capture, examination and brought together a national sampling of individual animals In 2014 the Animal and Plant government regulations and network of laboratories providing throughout their lifetimes has Health Agency (APHA) was facilitate the work of state veterinary surveillance, research, yielded a unique database and formed by merging the AHVLA veterinary surgeons. laboratory services and specialist fundamental insights into badger with those Defra Inspectorates advice to MAFF, private covering plant, seed and bee This culminated in the ecology and TB dynamics. This veterinarians and the agricultural health, creating a single establishment in 1938 of the research has benefited from industry. The VLA was organisation responsible for responsible for many significant safeguarding animal and plant developments in animal disease health. recognition, diagnosis, Over the course of 150 years, surveillance and monitoring, the constant theme has been providing MAFF with scientific the promotion of better animal evidence to aid policy health and the detection of development. This work threats to the national livestock extended to zoonotic diseases population. Vets have worked such as salmonella, working tirelessly to achieve this aim, and closely with public health bodies will continue to do so for as to protect human health. long as there are animals at risk.

State Veterinary Service (SVS), as close collaboration with part of the Animal Health scientists from Weybridge and Division of the Ministry of led, in 2010, to licensing of the Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF), first tuberculosis vaccine for under Sir Daniel Cabot, the badgers (BadgerBCG) which is Chief Veterinary Officer 3. in regular use in parts of the World War II further country. emphasised the important role Government vets also played a of the SVS as the Government very significant role in enforcing sought to boost food production animal welfare legislation, in Britain. Following the war, the providing an excellent and much 1947 and 1957 Agriculture Acts appreciated service to the public were introduced to increase in relation to safeguarding food production and agricultural animal welfare standards. The SVS became an Agency of References systems became more intensive. The VIS continued to work the Department for Food, 1 Bradley R 2000 veterinary research at During the 1960s, the SVS Environment and Rural Affairs the central veterinary laboratory, closely with CVL to facilitate Weybridge, with special reference to was heavily involved in (Defra) in 2005 and changed its investigation into outbreaks of scrapie and bovine spongiform eradicating bTB and brucellosis. disease. Issues identified by the name to Animal Health in 2007 encephalopathy, Rev. sci. tech. Off. Int. However, pockets of bTB VIS often led to further research following mergers with the Egg Epiz., 19(3), 819-830 persisted in the South West; by the laboratory. For example, Marketing Inspectorate, Dairy 2 Floud F. L. C.1927 The Ministry of complete eradication has CVL characterised the first case Hygiene Inspectorate and Agriculture and Fisheries. London, UK: continued to pose a challenge. of bovine spongiform Wildlife Licensing and G.P. Putmans Government vets and scientists encephalopathy (BSE) in 1986 Registration Service in line with 3 Gardiner A. 2010 Small animal practice also played a key role in and, from the epidemiological recommendations made by the in British veterinary medicine, 1920– identifying and investigating information provided by the VIS, Hampton Review. 1965. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press. emerging diseases in wildlife. In identified a link between the 1971, the regional VIS laboratory disease and feed containing a

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 9 FOOD AND THE FUTURE When it comes to keeping us properly fed, we can’t just think about our next meal - we need to keep in mind how we manage food supply in the long-term.

With the planet’s population Andrew Jackson, Head of the science and industry could work due to hit 9 billion by 2050, the FCO’s Science, Innovation and together to support the Agri-Tech FAO estimate that global food Climate Department, headed up sector in the context of long- production will have to increase a high-level panel of four term climate risks, including: by 70%. At the same time, speakers looking at weather and • considering potential climate Veronica Vaccari climate change and resulting climate impact on food supply impacts on food security, Consulate General Milan weather extremes could mean and security: Kirsty Lewis availability and malnutrition, in that current food production (Climate Security Team Leader, order to help policy makers systems will not function well by 2050. It is hard to predict what ... global food production will have to will happen at a local level but increase by 70% ... climate change has the potential to put millions of people at risk Met Office), Shaun Hobbs build resilience and reduce the of food shortage, through flood, (Global Director, Knowledge threat of future hunger; drought, and other extreme Bank, the Centre for Biosciences • use of weather forecasts, weather events, and through and Agriculture International early warning and horizon changes in invasive pests and (CABI)), Aaron Davis (Senior scanning to prepare better for diseases. Research Leader, Plant weather and climate shocks in

The panel members and SIN Italy team in the bee-hive shaped UK Pavilion

As part of the Grown in Britain Resources, Royal Botanic order to support agriculture and GREAT week on Agri-Tech, the Gardens, Kew), Tania Osejo supply chains; Science and Innovation Network Carrillo (Climate Change • use of big data to manage (SIN) and the Met Office hosted Adaptation Consultant, The crop health and control plant a BIS-funded seminar on 10 July World Food Programme). disease and invasive species; in the UK Pavilion at Milan Expo While debating links between (part of the series of world • building resilience of the climate and weather, food Expos that take place every five agricultural economy to the years). security and malnutrition, effects of climate change. panellists considered how

10 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 Participating organisations the European Commission (JRC world using an interactive map. UK to address the global brought different perspectives and EFSA), UKTI, a visiting An exhibition was set up under challenge of feeding the planet. and case studies to the delegation from Columbia, and the bee-hive shaped UK Pavilion The “Food and the Future” discussions. Kew described how the Expo Scientific Committee. and proved very popular: there event was financed by BIS they are using climate modelling Also in attendance were a was strong and sustained public through its Global Partnership to find ways to help Ethiopian BIS/UKTI funded UK-Turkey Agri- engagement with hundreds of Fund and is part of the “Grown coffee farmers avoid crop failure; Tech delegation, visiting the visitors watching the videos in Britain” SIN Programme which the Met Office presented their aims at maximising the ‘Human Dynamics of Climate Expo and aiming to forge UK- explaining the climate change in international Science and Change’ model (including via an ... the UK has pioneered developments in the Innovation opportunities linked exhibition open to the general livestock sector for centuries. ... to the World Expo Milan 2015. public); and CABI focused on their work to increase or Turkey Agri-Tech collaborations the “seminar suite” of the The Science and Innovation maintain crop yields in the face as part of the UK-Turkey Year of Pavilion. Network (SIN) is funded by the of climate change, by using Science and Innovation. UK Foreign and Commonwealth The UK is home to world-class modelling and Big Data to Office (FCO) and Department The day was rounded off with agricultural research in areas improve management of pests for Business, Innovation and Met Office-led sessions on the such as plant and animal and diseases. Skills (BIS). SIN has nearly 90 ‘Human Dynamics of Climate breeding, remote sensing, officers in 28 countries around Change’. These aimed to meteorological prediction and the world, working across the data exploitation. From genetics entire UK science and to grazing, the UK has innovation landscape to deliver pioneered developments in the international collaborations in livestock sector for centuries. science and innovation. SIN The challenge now is to aims to ensure UK researchers continue to provide safe, have the opportunity to work nutritious food that is affordable with the best in the world, to and accessible to all. The UK’s use the best facilities, to Agri-Tech strengths should help leverage research and us to ensure better crop innovation funding and to productivity and yields, with ensure science and innovation reduced input and supports UK growth through The seminar debate in the UK Pavilion conference room environmental impact. World- international outreach. These leading UK Agri-Tech research The panel debate provided illustrate some of the impacts of collaborations encourage new institutions, innovative farmers insights into how technology climate and population change ideas, inform policy and help and food manufacturers came and innovation could improve in the context of a globalised drive further innovation. to Milan to attend the Agri-Tech ... World-leading UK Agri-Tech GREAT Week and the “Food and research institutions ... the Future” seminar, helping the the competitiveness of the Agri- Tech sector whilst also addressing global food security. With agriculture so dependent on weather, the panel concluded that there was more we can do to support resilience in this sector:

“Through science and industry working together to meet the challenges of growing more food in a sustainable way, we can build food security and also help our agricultural industry compete in the global race”

Leading British and Italian research centres and universities attended the event, alongside The exhibition set up in the UK Pavilion

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 11 THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM INSTITUTE FOR AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY: Pioneering UK aerospace innovation & skills

Recent UK Government policy Nottingham established the technological research focused has sought to protect and Institute of Aerospace on underpinning technologies develop the UK aerospace Technology (IAT) in 2009. The based around five key strategic sector. In 2010 the Government, remit of the IAT is to integrate, areas: working closely with the UK develop and promote the • Aero Engines and Propulsion aerospace industry, established University’s substantial Researchers at Nottingham are the Aerospace Growth aerospace research portfolio, carrying out cutting edge Partnership (AGP) as a way of enabling the University to better research to improve engine tackling barriers to growth, support the sector by performance and efficiency. The boosting exports and increasing contributing to knowledge University is home to two Rolls- the number of high value jobs exchange and innovation and Royce University Technology Professor Hervé Morvan, in the UK. In 2013, building on driving investment in key Centres and one of the UK’s Director of The University of the success of the AGP, the national infrastructure and skills Synthetic Biology Research Nottingham Institute for Aerospace Aerospace Technology Institute development. Technology and the University Lead Centres which is carrying out (ATI) was launched to sustain for the Aerospace & Transport Since its establishment, the IAT innovative research into biofuels. Research Priority Area and grow the UK’s has been instrumental in the internationally competitive • Aerospace Manufacturing growth of Nottingham’s aerospace sector through Nottingham has substantial The global aerospace market aerospace research portfolio is buoyant. Over the next 20 investment in technologies expertise in aerospace years, the original equipment manufacturing across a broad market is forecast to exceed range of areas, including additive $5trn globally, with services manufacturing, machining, exceeding over $2trn. It is process control and optimisation. predicted that by 2033, 57,000 The University is home to the new fixed wing aircraft and Airbus Centre for Aerospace 40,000 new helicopters will Manufacturing and two EPSRC be required. Centres for Innovative Manufacturing in Composites The UK is at the forefront of and Additive Manufacturing. In these developments and is addition, the University was also home to the largest aerospace The Aerospace Technology Centre on The University of Nottingham’s a founding partner of the sector in Europe and the second Innovation Park. Manufacturing Technology largest in the world; employing consistent with aircraft updates, from £35m in 2010 to over Centre (MTC). more than 230,000 people new aircraft and the sector’s £75m in 2015 and has assisted across over 3000 companies, strengths. The ATI has secured in positioning Nottingham as • Aerospace Materials and including Rolls-Royce, Airbus, over £2.1bn in R&D funding to one of the leading aerospace Structures Agusta Westland and GKN; and support the sector and, since its Universities in Europe, linking Scientists and engineers at a vast network of small and establishment, has funded in research excellence with Nottingham work closely with leading aerospace equipment medium size enterprises. It is a excess of 140 projects UK wide. innovative developments for high value-added, research and industry. The IAT works closely manufacturers to develop and development intensive sector, Aware of these opportunities in with a range of national and analyse next-generation materials where investment has resulted the UK and related opportunities international aerospace industry designed to produce lighter, in substantial benefits, anchoring in Europe, and building on a and research partners to address safer, more fuel efficient aircraft. outputs and jobs for decades to strong aerospace research global challenges and drive the The University is home to the come. heritage, The University of development of innovative EPSRC Nottingham

12 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 Nanotechnology and was the only University to be research funding and was supports the recruitment of Nanoscience Centre (NNNC) awarded Associate Partner recently a partner in a successful world-class students to the and also a key member of the status in its own right in Clean funding proposal to the ATI with University’s other undergraduate, UK Research Centre in Non- Sky and is currently a Core local SME Romax. postgraduate and CPD courses Destructive Evaluation. Partner in the €4.2bn Clean Sky that have alignment with the Leading Innovation 2 programme. Through this aerospace industry. The Institute The Institute sits at the • Aerospace Operations funding, researchers from the has also been successful in interface between university, As the aviation industry grows, University are working with a gaining funding from the industrial partners, government there are increased challenges series of UK and European European Commission’s Marie and funding bodies: acting as around capacity, sustainability, Aerospace companies to Skłodowska-Curie actions to the bridge between academic passenger comfort, safety, develop a range of exciting next launch two multi-disciplinary excellence and industry, supply chains and security. generation technologies such as PhD programmes: INNOVATE Nottingham is home to a range the Helicopter Electro accelerating knowledge transfer and INNOVATIVE, which of high profile centres and Mechanical Actuation System and the exploitation of research, collectively provide 37 PhD institutes with a focus on (HEMAS, see image), Green and supporting technological studentships related to addressing these challenges. Taxiing Motor and Electric Starter innovation for the sector. To aerospace research. These include: the Nottingham Generator Motor. assist in driving collaboration between academia and industry, The IAT is also committed to ... researchers from the University are the Institute has been successful developing and promoting inter- working with a series of UK and European in securing funding to facilitate disciplinary aerospace research Aerospace companies ... the development of and is currently working to infrastructure and facilities. These integrate its exciting research on Geospatial Institute, the Working with the ATI to Drive include a £5.1m Aerospace aerospace with the innovative Nottingham Transportation Forward Aerospace Research Technology Centre (ATC), based research taking place across the Engineering Centre, the Centre in the UK on The University of University on transport. In doing for Risk and Reliability Nottingham’s IAT has also this, the IAT is working closely Engineering and the Automated secured substantial funding from with groups such as the Impetus Scheduling, Optimisation and the ATI. This includes Partnership and the Transport Planning Research Group. infrastructure funding to Systems Catapult to share establish a national knowledge and develop • More Electric Aircraft transmissions testing facility to collaborative projects across a The development of more research and develop future newly created University electric aircraft is a key priority Aerospace and Transport aircraft large engine, rotorcraft, for the future of the aerospace Research Priority Area. sector. Home to the largest industrial and gas turbine power electronics research transmissions. Through funding Building on these strategic group in the world and the from the ATI, the IAT has also interventions, The University of George Green Institute for developed a series of Nottingham is advancing its Electromagnetics Research, collaborative projects and position as one of the leading Nottingham is at the cutting strategic partnerships with global Electromechanical actuator for Aerospace Universities in Europe edge of this, with internationally aviation leaders such as Rolls- helicopters developed in by continuing to develop its Royce. partnership with Liebherr Group European and UK research renowned expertise in power and Airbus Group Innovations on portfolio and further expanding management, control and Supporting and Working with display on the Clean Sky booth at the Paris Airshow in June 2015 its portfolio of fundamental distribution, electrical machines SMEs science research to ensure that and electromagnetic protection. As well as working with leading Nottingham’s Innovation Park. the UK aerospace sector national and international A Research Leader in Europe The ATC is a research and continues to push the aerospace companies, the IAT is Across these strategic areas, knowledge transfer hub, which boundaries in terms of research also committed to supporting the University has been provides state of the art facilities innovation. successful in securing funding Small and Medium-sized and support for the For further information on the for a suite of research projects. Enterprises (SMEs) and is a development of large scale Institute of Aerospace These include a number of member of The University of demonstrations. projects funded through the Nottingham’s Ingenuity Network. Technology contact: Improving Education & Skills EU’s Clean Sky Joint Technology This extensive business support [email protected] network is part funded by the The IAT sees skills Initiative; a major European You can also visit: European Union and aims to development as a key priority for Aerospace Programme that www.nottingham.ac.uk/ the sector and will be supporting brings together industry, transfer knowledge and aerospace or follow us on the launch of a new Aerospace academia and research centres expertise from the University Twitter at: @UoNAerospace Engineering undergraduate to deliver next generation into local and regional small and programme during 2016-17. The technologies for lowering medium sized businesses. The IAT is also home to the pollution and safeguarding the IAT has also worked closely with University’s MSc Aerospace leading position of the sector. SMEs to facilitate access to UK Technologies course and The University of Nottingham and European aerospace

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 13 FUTURE OF ROAD TRANSPORT Meeting of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee on Tuesday 16th June ELECTRIC CARS Cars represent freedom. You have the right to get into your car for any reason at any time and go where you want, subject only to cost. An electric car with no charge will take away that freedom from you, and many consumers will resent that.

So if we want to see our road The key to the success of the The Modec van, however, was network covered with electric TX1 London Taxi was its a pure electric delivery vehicle cars, then we need further wheelchair accessibility, but with a two tonne load and a improvements in technology. actually this provided space 100-mile range, which worked Lord Borwick underneath the flat floor, on the basis that there is no House of Lords But the development of electric vehicles is nothing new. I needed for the wheelchair, for range anxiety among the was the Chief Executive of siting batteries. However, my first delivery companies. FedEx and Manganese Bronze Holdings for priority was to make the taxi UPS were two of our biggest 14 years, where we made drivers rich by making a great customers for the Modec van. London black cabs. We made taxi, but what I did not focus on They can plan their routes with the TX1 London taxi – the new was that rich drivers would great accuracy and so they know standard London Taxi – diesel move out to the suburbs. The how many miles their drivers powered, with the idea of effect of this was that many would be doing every day. UPS converting it to electric later. drivers have a lot of dead warned us that in America,

Modec van in London ©Modec

When I sold out of that mileage before they start driving on the right hand side, business in 2003 I started a earning their living in London, they would do ten times as new electric delivery vehicle meaning a hybrid is a better many right hand turns as left business called Modec and I solution for their vehicles’ hand turns and we should also become chairman of a needs than a pure electric design the steering system battery company called Oxis. vehicle. accordingly. This of course had

14 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 an impact on the range of the the car pool lanes on Californian of the car, where the driver There are five features of a vehicles. freeways. A second hand Prius would see it and feel pressurised battery that must be optimised. with one of these stickers on the to do something about it. The first is the speed of This question of range anxiety window was worth about discharge, essentially the power for vehicles has a long history. The bottom line of the internal $2,000 more at five years old. output of the battery. The Indeed, electric vehicles were far combustion engine is that it is Perhaps the lesson here in the second is the speed of the more common than petrol ones very, very complex and has had UK is to allow electric cars into charge. The third feature is the at the end of the 19th century. millions of engineers working bus lanes. number of charge cycles I can In 1905 if you compared the many hours to improve it. Each do. All the pure electric car very common electric vehicles To achieve success in the one may have many thousands companies have agreed that with the awkward and dirty longer term, the electric car of components. The electric they need a minimum of 1,000 petrol ones, the driver with the really has to beat normal petrol motor would probably only have charge discharge cycles. The range anxiety would have been or diesel engine vehicles, so three components and not fourth feature is the temperature the man wanting to buy petrol. studying the competition is require any maintenance. So stability and how its important. For instance, a feature why has it not conquered the At the start of the 20th century performance varies in tropical or of all internal combustion world? The answer is because most people would have arctic conditions. The final engines is their exhaust pipe, petrol and diesel are very hard to predicted that electric vehicles feature to look at is how close to which are made as attractive as beat. When you pour petrol into would be far more common the capacity edges you can get possible with chromium plating your car at the petrol pump you than the internal combustion without ruining the longevity of and placed low down at the are transferring energy at a rate engine vehicles by the start of the battery. back of the vehicle. This is the of about 30 megawatts. That the 21st century. Petrol and Of course, all of this makes it diesel cars clearly took over for ... the electric car really has to beat harder to produce and test a many decades but as politicians normal petrol or diesel engine vehicles ... new battery. If I were to invent – and consumers – become brilliant new battery chemistry more conscious of the one point where the driver means that a 20-pump petrol tomorrow, I cannot start selling it environmental impact of the cannot see them, but that is the station beside the road has the for at least three years. With combustion engine, a lot of place where they feed their power output of a modern pave testing, where you rattle resources were ploughed into fumes into the faces of bicyclists nuclear power station. Electricity the suspension of a car on a the development of a new wave and children on the pavement. at 30 megawatts would need a single mile of cobbles, this is of electric cars, including various Exhaust is, of course, poisonous, 300 mm wide cable and be far equivalent to 100 miles of use. types of hybrids. and this poison comes in many more dangerous. But nobody has yet developed a forms; no longer filled with lead, The first effective one of these In the long term, the future of robust and accepted but it is the diesel particulates was the Toyota Prius, and the electric vehicles depends on the “accelerated cycling” test that we should worry about company made two brilliant future of batteries. Right now, algorithm for batteries. most. moves when introducing this car they come in two major types – Having said all that, some great which are lessons to remember. Over the last ten years there the stationary and the moveable. work has been done on lithium The first was to ensure that the has been constant and justified The stationary batteries include titanate and there are apparently pumped storage, the marvellous several manufacturers ... the future of electric vehicles depends on system we have in Dinorwig in prototyping vehicles with a 300 the future of batteries ... North Wales. The obvious mile range, quite enough to moveable battery is in your abolish range anxiety and enable vehicle had a different body attention to carbon dioxide, but mobile phone. It is lithium ion, electric vehicles to take their shape so that it was distinctive; it a single minded pressure on the major type of batteries place in the market. enabled the driver to boast reducing CO2 meant new cars developed in the UK in the late But the rewards for whoever visually that he was doing used diesel. This then led to 1980s and early 1990s. cracks it will be huge. Low something better – and possibly more particulates in the air. In the lithium ion battery, speeds make an electric car the more virtuous – than other As the efficiency of diesel power density and energy perfect car for a teenager or drivers. (Honda, on the other engines improved, PM2.5s density improved rapidly. But elderly driver. And for a hand, made their first hybrid in increased (particulate matter new technologies develop most teenager, the electric car is cool. the same body shell as their less than 2.5 microns in size) quickly at the start of their lives, It is new technology that can be small saloon and consequently and only later did we discover and the law of diminishing marketed at an environmentally sold very few of them.) The that these particulates bypass returns is now starting to apply. aware young audience – lesson is that it is useless to be the throat and go right down So we have to look at other another piece of the latest kit to good unless everybody knows it into the lungs where they can chemistries to make our future go with their smart phones and – ask any two year old. cause most damage. If electric vehicles. The two tablets. Electric cars will, in time, The second brilliant move by somebody wants to clean up chemistries that immediately be the new vehicles of freedom. Toyota was ensuring that the the air we could do worse than come to mind are lithium Prius was allowed to travel in put the exhaust pipe at the front sulphide and lithium titanate.

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 15 FUTURE OF ROAD TRANSPORT AUTOMATED VEHICLES

and services with far-reaching each bringing specialist operating as a service on the implications. knowledge and capability to the Greenwich peninsula; secondly, project. It is supported by an automated valet parking to REALISING THE VISION advisory group, chaired by Lord improve parking space and time OF AUTOMATED Borwick, and includes more than efficiency and thirdly, the use of VEHICLES twenty organisations, each automated, low noise and zero In 2010, Google announced feeding diverse insights into emission vehicles for urban that they had been testing self- study design and the collection/delivery. Further, we driving cars on the road, gaining interpretation of results. will address cybersecurity issues substantial media attention. TRL and conduct off-street GATEway has six primary aims: has been evaluating automated simulations and trials, gaining Rob Wallis driving for many decades, 1. Demonstrate automated deeper knowledge about public Chief Executive, Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) starting in the 1950s with a ‘self- vehicles safely and effectively in perceptions, driver behaviour steering’ Standard Vanguard. public environments. and attitudes towards TRL’s system used two coils 2. Understand legal, societal and automated vehicles. mounted symmetrically across technical barriers to the front bumper to detect CREATING FUTURE implementation. offset of the vehicle from an MOBILITY electric cable buried in the 3. Inspire industry, government Beyond the GATEway project, centre of the lane under the and the wider public to engage TRL worked with Ricardo on a road surface. This technology with automated vehicles. feasibility study for the was adapted to a Citroën DS, Ford Cortina Mk II and even a Daimler single-decker bus. Coupled with a rudimentary Professor Nick Reed cruise control system, these TRL Academy Director vehicles were able to drive themselves; initially around TRL’s INTRODUCTION test track. Plans for on-road testing were ultimately still-born. TRL, the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory, was Technology has progressed created in 1933, originally as significantly. The implications for part of UK Government, and legislation, economic impact and privatised in 1996. driver behaviour have been 4. Generate valuable, exploitable Department for Transport researched by TRL in many knowledge of the systems looking into platooning of trucks A world-leader in creating the dimensions. required for effective on highways, potentially leading future of transport, our heritage management of automated to on-road trials. We are also In 2014, Innovate UK launched includes major contributions to transport. researching the deployment of the UK’s transport infrastructure the ‘Introducing Driverless Cars 5. Create a long-term test bed ultra-low-emission vehicles and international projects to UK Roads’ competition. This for future automated transport (ULEVs) where battery range supporting established and was not in order to fund the system evaluation. remains a challenge. TRL is emerging markets in developing development of new leading another consortium on transport solutions. Our in-depth technologies, but to consider the 6. Position UK plc at the behalf of Highways England to sector experience provides the wider implications of automated forefront of global industry, conduct a feasibility study into insight to recognise an vehicle deployment. TRL’s encouraging inward investment dynamic wireless power transfer. approaching revolution in reputation for independent, and job creation. This concept would enable a transport and mobility, driven by trusted and technology-agnostic In achieving these, the project vehicle to charge its batteries acceleration in the development research allowed us to develop must demonstrate and evaluate inductively while the vehicle is of connected and automated and lead the successfully funded automated vehicles. This will be driving at motorway speeds, vehicles and triggering safer, GATEway (Greenwich achieved in three public trials. dramatically increasing vehicle more efficient journeys but also Automated Transport Firstly, testing electric, driverless range and the viability of large, dramatic, broader changes in the Environment) project. GATEway shuttles each capable of carrying movement of people, goods includes eleven organisations, up to 10 passengers and commercial ULEVs.

16 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 Working with the European safer urban cycling behaviours to necessity for smart infrastructure, What are some inspiring Commission, vehicle help TfL drive the Mayor’s vision including fixed/dynamic wireless implications of this revolution? A manufacturers and the to double cycling in London by charging? Will businesses adopt few observations: automotive supply chain, we 2020. automated ULEV vehicles, 1. The UK Driving Test is 80 systematically reviewed more optimised for smooth and safe years old; TRL plays a major role than fifty vehicle safety systems AN APPROACHING freight journeys through urban in its ongoing development. such as autonomous emergency REVOLUTION centres, using wireless power How will this evolve as vehicles braking, lane departure warning There are divergent expert technologies? become automated? Will it systems and alcohol ignition opinions on how road transport become obsolete? interlocks, providing evidence to will change in the next ten years, These new emerging support possible changes in with new business models technologies create 2. Can roadside infrastructure be legislation. We are also engaged challenging the established opportunities for the UK and for removed – supplanted by in- in the push for harmonisation of mobility sector. industry, but acceleration is vehicle information displays and

... reduced fuel costs and improved public health ...

required to remain relevant and automated driving? Does the competitive. The US provides windscreen become a viewing examples: gallery rather than giving the driver a critical view of the road a) Uber emerged in five years to ahead? have millions of clients, TRL Autonomous driving 1962 operating in 300 cities globally. 3. How will automated vehicles While their business model is operate amongst manually global crashworthiness Considering vehicle automation, causing friction in established driven vehicles? Will they act standards, linked to our heritage will we see: markets, Uber is now investing aggressively to optimise journey- in developing these standards a) driver assistance systems in automated vehicles to time (for a fee?) or passively to over many decades and evolve leading to a proliferation enhance their service radically. maximise comfort and network founding the EuroNCAP protocol of partially automated vehicles, efficiency? Will they exacerbate in 1996. with a driver still present and no road rage? Air quality has an increasingly prospect of full automation for 4. Road vehicles are developed high priority. TRL has pledged many years? Established vehicle to withstand crashes (caused support to the United Nations- manufacturers are pursuing this mostly by driver error). Reduced sponsored Urban Electric model. crash risk and differences in Mobility Initiative, which aims to b) or mass adoption of fully crash types might prompt a re- achieve 30% of urban vehicles automated and driverless think into the design, materials, as ULEVs by 2030, with an vehicles, especially in urban weight and cost of such anticipated multi-trillion dollar areas, bringing major market vehicles. benefit to the global economy disruption by non-traditional 5. How will technology through reduced fuel costs and players such as Google, Uber or developers make decisions improved public health. A Tesla? Mass changes in vehicle tangible example of where TRL about codifying driving style and ownership models may b) Google has been trialling its is seeking to make an ethics into software? How will influence public transport, driverless cars for some time, environmental difference in the automated vehicles make deliveries and manufacturing with over 1.7 million miles UK is the integration of real-time instant, safety critical decisions? with significant re-shaping of the covered on Californian public air quality satellite data into our employment market. roads. This in itself is TRL actively supports the UK world-leading SCOOT traffic revolutionary but is just one and industry to participate and management and signal Considering ULEVs, will we see: dimension of profound shape this revolution in the optimisation software, working a) a revolution in propulsion – a advances in artificially intelligent global transport and mobility with the University of Leicester, breakthrough in battery system development. marketplace. It is pleasing to see the European Space Agency, technology or the development further UK Government and relevant Local Authorities. of practical fuel cell EVs enabling c) Tesla is pushing electric car investment and related activity in vehicle range that matches or capabilities, investing heavily in In the push for improved vehicle automation and exceeds that of vehicles with battery technologies, including public health, we should not connectivity to support advances combustion engines. its planned ‘Gigafactory’ in in journey safety and efficiency forget that walking and cycling Nevada. They will apply an over- and stimulating a hugely have health benefits – b) improvements in battery the-air update to existing Tesla significant market opportunity. automated vehicles should not technology while traditional vehicles to enable automated discourage these activities. We combustion-engine vehicles driving on highways. have undertaken research into remain dominant – driving the

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 17 FUTURE OF ROAD TRANSPORT THE FUTURE OF ROADS AND CITIES

The Transport Systems Catapult traditionally beset the transport such as augmented-reality and is helping the UK secure as sector, whether it be congestion, 3D printing could soon render much of this market as possible pollution or the lack of "joined some of our journeys and by supporting business, creating up" thinking between the deliveries as unnecessary but jobs and driving economic different modes of transport. It the smooth movement of the growth. With a clear emphasis goes further than that, however, growing numbers of people on collaboration we are bringing by also helping the transport around the world’s already together diverse organisations industry to address wider congested cities won’t be solved across different modes of societal trends including a by technology alone. It is how transport, breaking down barriers growing and ageing global we deploy technology that will and providing a unique platform population, climate change, the determine which cities prevail. for meeting the world’s most rapid depletion of our traditional Transport should be regarded as energy resources, the shift away a key enabler to cities becoming Steve Yianni pressing transport challenges. from personal cars to mobility as smart and by overcoming Chief Executive The common goal is to a service and increasing barriers such as business Transport Systems Catapult develop future transport systems urbanisation. models and attitudes to change, that will make; we can start to unlock the In order to meet these • Travelling an end to end, user potential of such technologies. INTELLIGENT MOBILITY: challenges, Intelligent Mobility AN ECONOMIC centric experience has to cut across and go beyond ... shift away from OPPORTUNITY • A positive impact on our the traditional transport sector. Britain has a long history of personal cars ... carbon footprint Intelligent Mobility therefore transport innovation: from the • Travel safer and quicker making focuses on new and emerging One example of this is how shipbuilders who paved the way assets more productive technologies that make it the Transport Systems Catapult for globalisation, to the railways possible to achieve more for is working collaboratively with that underpinned the industrial • The UK generate a larger share less. Milton Keynes on these revolution. We pioneered the of the economic opportunities challenges. Whilst the city has era of modern aviation, the available SMART AS STANDARD experienced great economic airline industry, air traffic control • Our transport systems more The business demand for co- success, the challenge of and even the development of resilient location of like-minded supporting sustainable growth radar. Britain is still a world • Improvements to mobility for organisations and people without exceeding the capacity leader in transport innovation, all areas of society presents significant challenges of the infrastructure, and and the Transport Systems Intelligent Mobility is about for those in charge of city ensuring achievement of key Catapult is positioning the UK at taking a different approach to planning and infrastructure. carbon reduction targets, is a the forefront of the next the challenges that have Technological advances in areas major one. revolution in how we move people and goods around the world. Encompassing everything from autonomous vehicles to seamless journey systems and multi-modal modelling software, Intelligent Mobility uses emerging technologies to enable the smarter, greener and more efficient movement of people and goods around the world. Intelligent Mobility is a fast growing sector with the global market estimated to be worth £900 billion a year by 2025.

18 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 To help address these and techniques is set to grow to friendly manner. If vehicles can save over 2,500 lives annually challenges, the collaborative £60 billion from £15 billion in be made to run entirely without and prevent more than 25,000 initiative MK:Smart (partly 2014. The market size, human drivers, automation serious accidents in the UK funded by HEFCE) is developing comprising modelling, simulation could also offer a new lease of alone. innovative solutions to support and augmented reality, is some mobility to those who cannot Studies undertaken by the economic growth in Milton £125 billion. The UK is an currently drive, whether on Department of Transport Keynes. Central to the project is international leader and has a account of age, disability or highlight a significant reduction the creation of a state-of-the-art strong professional services simply because they do not own in the number of 17 to 20 year ‘MK Data Hub’ which will industry. The Transport Systems a car. olds obtaining a driving licence support the acquisition and Catapult’s work is about with data showing a peak at management of vast amounts of equipping the industry to ... Introducing 48% in 1993 and a steady fall data relevant to city systems maintain this world leading Driverless Cars ... to 31% by 2011. The data for from a variety of data sources. status. 21 to 29 year olds is a similar These include data about energy Proof of the UK’s willingness to proportion from 75% to 63% and water consumption, REALISING THE invest in this area can be seen over the same period. The transport usage, data acquired BENEFITS in the three projects exploring growing popularity of usage through satellite technology, As champions of Intelligent these technologies as part of the rather than ownership will see social and economic datasets, Mobility, the Transport Systems Government’s ‘Introducing new business models begin to and crowd-sourced data. emerge, with the diversification Building on the capability of the traditional car provided by the MK Data Hub, manufacturer potentially moving the project will innovate in the towards the operation of models areas of transport, energy and such as fleet management of water management, tackling key autonomous vehicles and car demand issues. Similar projects sharing clubs. are under way across the UK which collectively will start to Recent improvements in route unlock new business models planning software that consider and enable innovative multiple transport modes is an technologies to emerge. example of the first steps being taken towards overcoming some of the challenges to mobility becoming a service, but there is Catapult and its partners are Driverless Cars to UK Roads’ still a long way to go. Part of our taking advantage of competition announced in remit at the Transport Systems developments in web December 2014. These three Catapult is to overcome the silo connectivity, integrated systems, programmes already represent a Many projects are informed by thinking that has typically public private partnership and feed into the Transport state of the art modelling and dogged the transport sector and investment of £40m. In March Systems Catapult’s data visualisation, and the emerging encourage collaboration among 2015, the Government visualisation programme, which Internet of Things to change all transport providers and announced the creation of a by deploying and visualising data how we think about the modes. holds huge potential for movement of people and Intelligent Mobility. This goods. ... save over 2,500 lives annually ... enhanced use of data is only The LUTZ Pathfinder £200m investment (half As we progress closer to possible because of the programme, managed by the financed by the State and half Intelligent Mobility, the benefits explosion in digital connectivity Transport Systems Catapult on by industry) to enhance the will become increasingly clear. and as this paves the way for behalf of the UK Automotive development of driverless car Reduced congestion, fewer car transport connectivity. The Council, will trial three self- technology and the systems related deaths, an easing Transport Systems Catapult is required to improve and adopt pressure on our natural unique in its approach, driving pods on the pavements the technology. resources and more flexible identifying the barriers that hold of Milton Keynes, with a focus journeys to name a few. A back modelling and visualisation on ‘last mile’ journeys. The Connected cars also take away myriad of opportunities are true potential. High on its hit list advent of autonomous vehicles the element of human fallibility, there to overcome some of the is the ‘silo approach’, where key is expected to change how we which is estimated to be at least barriers and challenges that individuals, departments and perceive car ownership. Instead partly responsible for more than stand in the way and the organisations fail to share of seeing the car as a status 90 per cent of road traffic Transport Systems Catapult looks valuable information with each symbol, people are likely to accidents. A study from KPMG, forward to helping technology other, thus mitigating the regard it as an on-demand commissioned by The Society of and society to catch up. potential of data modelling. By service which must Motor Manufacturers and 2020, the market for data, accommodate our schedules in Traders predicted that connected modelling and analytical tools an efficient, safe and eco- and autonomous vehicles would

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 19 THE BIG DATA OPPORTUNITY What steam was to the 19th century, and oil has been to the 20th, data are to the 21st. They are the driver of prosperity, the revolutionary resource that is transforming the nature of social and economic activity, the capability that differentiates successful from unsuccessful societies.

There is considerable interest in troubled hotspots. The Office policies it announces, and in data and how they can for National Statistics is trialling should also commit to regular improve policy, prosperity and how to use administrative data and long term evaluation of even our democracy. There is (the data we give to policies. Where we lack the data Hetan Shah particular talk of ‘big data’. It is a government for other non to inform choices between Executive Director, the Royal statistical purposes – eg applying Statistical Society term that is not well defined – options in important policy @HetanShah perhaps better seen as ‘mood for a driving licence) to areas, we should invest in word’ which indicates the supplement and perhaps even getting it. supplant the traditional ubiquity of data and our growing decennial census in order to interest in them. Big data hints DATA SHARING provide more real time at the rise of digital data which Greater data sharing between information about the society come from our phones, our government departments for we live in. supermarket purchases, and statistics and research purposes soon (with the emergence of ... Government should publish the data and the internet of things) our fridges and other household evidence that underpin any new policies ... devices. We know we are in an TAKING DATA would provide opportunities for era of big data through the SERIOUSLY IN POLICY a range of public services and explosion of data visualisation; To make the most of the big policy areas ranging from ‘smart the increased linking of datasets, data opportunity, evidence must cities’ to better healthcare. One interest in new types of data be taken more seriously in option would be to follow the such as digital or administrative policy formulation and Canadian model and allow the data; the rise of new ways of evaluation. Making policy when Office for National Statistics analysing data such as machine resources are tight is difficult but access for statistical purposes to learning; and technological decision makers should take into all major public and private change which means we can account the probable quantified sector datasets – which are gather and store more data than consequences of alternatives. already regulated and controlled we ever dreamt possible. – to focus not on us as ... the driver of prosperity ... individuals, but on how society is changing as a whole. The opportunities from greater The Government has made Increasingly important data are usage of data for better policy welcome investment into the held by the private sector – eg are limitless. In health we will ‘What Works’ centres, which link think of what aggregating see the rise of personalised academics with policymakers to everyone’s mobile phone data medicines, as well as improved cast evidential light on key or supermarket loyalty card data methodologies for clinical trials. issues. The Behavioural Insights could help tell us about our Better local data could lead to Team or ‘nudge unit’ has society’s lifestyle, movements, ‘smarter cities’ which can focused on the small changes dietary habits etc. These new monitor transport needs or that can make a big difference, data sources can provide more improve energy usage through such as what letter wording real time evidence than was real time data. The Foreign Office from the tax man leads to more previously possible. Our is already experimenting with people paying their taxes. To research 1 with Ipsos MORI analysis of social media data to build on this, Government suggests that the public supports find key influencers who can act should publish the data and data sharing if it is done for the as bridges between communities evidence that underpin any new public good by organisations

20 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 trusted to safeguard privacy and more to open these up. And in ‘data economy’ that we inhabit UK probably needs to take a confidentiality. Safeguards future if public entities are we need to skill up the nation. cross-cutting interest in data should be built into any sharing privatised, their underlying data More and more people – eg analytics so that action on this of personal data at the outset should not be lost to the public teachers, nurses, will have to issue is properly co-ordinated. including anonymisation of the good which is sadly what handle data to do their jobs. But We also have to ensure an data (as far as is possible), legal happened to the Royal Mail’s as a nation we don’t have the appropriate balance between penalties for misuse, access only Postcode Address File. skills. Our research 2 in capital and revenue spending on to accredited researchers where association with Nesta and science – big data is not just appropriate, and gate-keeping PRIVATE SECTOR DATA Creative Skillset supports that about high powered computers, access to big linked data sets so The private sector has an skills shortages are a pressing but highly skilled analysts who that personal identities are important role to play in sharing issue for the UK’s data industries. can understand the data. And protected, as in the UK’s and opening their data. In part this will need to be we have to ensure that all Administrative Data Research Companies should be addressed in our education universities retain their data Centres. There needs to be encouraged to share data with system. We should ensure that analytics capabilities. It is good all young people learn to handle to see the new Alan Turing ... important data are held by the and interpret real data using Institute as a home for data private sector ... technology, and should train science, but for good science all teachers from primary school universities need to retain a more detailed reporting of cases researchers for research through to university lecturers to strong data analytics and where personal data is shared purposes, to share the data they encourage data literacy from an statistical unit, both for the with companies, as this is the hold about individuals with early age. Basic data handling strength of UK innovation in this area on which the public most those individuals, and to publish and quantitative skills should be field, and as a service to support want reassurance. open data for everyone, for the an integral part of the taught other scientific disciplines. public good. More and more curriculum across most A level Otherwise we will continue to OPEN DATA important data is being held by subjects. The Nuffield hear about the ‘reproducibility We can also make private companies and much of considerable gains through the them are not commercially ... skills shortages are a pressing issue for ‘open data’ agenda which seeks sensitive. If they were released the UK’s data industries ... to make data more open, as open data we would know accessible and reusable. The more about the country we live Foundation found in 2010 that crisis’ where advances in our best known examples come in – eg the location of across 24 countries, England, science and research base are from transport data – for supermarkets, ATMs, post boxes Wales and Northern Ireland had too limited due to a lack of example, Transport for London and water company boundaries. the lowest level of participation collaboration on the underlying has made its transport data I would also like to see the in the study of any kind of data. open, and as a result companies rigour shown around official mathematics post-16. This has a There is also a wide range of have made apps which tell you statistics in the public sector, and severe impact on higher public service professions for when your next bus is due. As financial statements in the education and employment. which data skills are increasingly well as making society more private sector, extended to other Recent rises in A Level important, including in convenient, this is economically crucial information sources, such Mathematics participation are government. Politicians, productive as it reduces time as the clinical trials reported by welcome, but wider policymakers and other improvements are needed. We ... Open data can be a rich source of innovation professionals in the public sector should also put resources into should be given basic training in at relatively little cost ... making sure that new A levels data handling and statistics. To and AS levels, as well as new address these needs and that might otherwise be wasted. pharmaceutical companies. And Core Maths qualifications following our pre-election Open data can be a rich source as we move to a wider range of for those who do not wish to ‘Parliament Counts’ campaign, of innovation at relatively little public service providers, schools take A level mathematics, deliver the Royal Statistical Society is cost – particularly if it is and hospitals and other public appropriate statistical skills. glad to offer workshops for MPs effectively marked with standard services provided by private and their staff on basic statistical codes for geography, time and providers should adhere to the As well as improving concepts. other attributes. Geospatial data same data standards and everyone’s skills to a basic level, such as postcode address files transparency as those in the we need to ensure we have the References are the core reference data public sector, so that we are higher level skills for data 1 http://www.statslife.org.uk/news/1672- upon which society depends, able to monitor services across analysis that will give our top new-rss-research-finds-data-trust-deficit- with-lessons-for-policymakers and also act as a catalyst to the board. companies and universities the release economic value from edge that they need. As a recent 2 http://www.statslife.org.uk/files/model- workers-report.pdf other open datasets. SKILLS FOR THE DATA report 3 by Nesta and Government has made some ECONOMY Universities UK indicated, to 3 http://www.nesta.org.uk/publications/ analytic-britain-securing-right-skills-data- To prepare for the increasing progress in this area but can do achieve this Research Councils driven-economy

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 21 BIG DATA IN NEUROSCIENCE: Improving efficiency, efficacy, and transparency in clinical and basic research

We have entered the Age of healthy volunteers and/or studies scanning the human Big Data. Every day, the world patients with neurological or genome for variations that generates over two exabytes of psychiatric disorders. Data banks increase the risk of Alzheimer’s information (that’s two million 1- also exist for maps of brain disease already involve TB hard drives, or a video in activity patterns, collected across thousands of individuals. DVD quality that runs for dozens of facilities and hundreds Similarly, the compilation of 1 100,000 years ). From online of individual brains using non- brain scans from patients with marketing to particle physics, invasive functional imaging (eg Alzheimer’s disease into an scientific as well as economic functional magnetic resonance openly accessible database has progress critically depends on imaging: fMRI). However, spurred a wealth of discovery aggregating, and understanding, Big Data. The same is true for ... reward researchers who share their data ... Professor Mark Stokes the burgeoning field of Head of Attention Group, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, neuroscience. Understanding Department of Psychiatry, University how the brain works is without arguably the most valuable data (over 400 research articles have of Oxford 3 doubt one of the most complex to neuroscience come from made use of the database ). challenges facing science today. individual brain cells that can However, data sharing is equally Thousands of laboratories only be recorded during rare important for basic research, around the world are pushing neurosurgical procedures, or in where small sample sizes still 4 the boundaries of this exciting research animals. Individual labs pose a fundamental problem . frontier, generating vast amounts lack the resources to generate More refined theories of brain of valuable information each enough of this kind of data for function will require validation year. While the 20th century was rigorous scientific analysis. The on larger amounts of data. As marked by ever-improving full potential of such information with the self-correcting nature of techniques for measuring the can only be realised by sharing websites like Wikipedia, brain, the next big leap in research output across labs and openness inherent to the neuroscience will be driven by between institutes. A recent collective process will also help improved methods for example is a project that eliminate errors that inevitably aggregating, sharing, and provides anonymized brain creep into the scientific literature, Nicholas Myers and will help prevent outright Research Associate, St John’s understanding Big Data. Such a scans from over 500 volunteers College, Oxford University collective endeavour will depend with autism 2. Compared to fraud. By increasing the reliability on the support of science individual studies (which would of published research, data funders, who will need to typically test only 20 to 30 sharing can increase trust and encourage and reward individuals), this database allows reduce wasteful follow-up researchers who share their data fine-grained research at an studies that are based on false leads. ... Understanding how the brain works... Furthermore, by making data available online, funders of openly. Success in this new era unprecedented scale that could research can save money that of neuroscience will have never be reached without data would otherwise be spent implications for understanding sharing. Aggregating data collecting redundant data. One and treating brain-related therefore promises benefits neuroscience sharing platform disorders, from autism to beyond its constituent parts. alone is estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease. A major advantage is that large saved funders 35 million $US What does big data in sample sizes make discovery (over 166 studies that used neuroscience look like? easier. The evidence is simply their shared data 5). In addition Frequently, it consists of vast clearer for generating robust to saving money, data sharing archives of brain images from conclusions. For instance, also democratizes the business

22 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 of doing science: valuable available data. Furthermore, track who accesses the shared benefits from shared data are resources are no longer under group identification is possible data, and for what purpose, but awarded to all data generators is lock and key, but can be even with anonymized data, and also act as a consultant on in urgent need of discussion. accessed by researchers, could lead to group correct and incorrect uses of Funding in neuroscience needs laboratories, or countries that discrimination based on shared particular data sets. to start taking a Big Data could otherwise not afford to neurological properties 7. Future There is a related issue of perspective. Breaking up funds test their theories. The diversity studies must consider ethical intellectual property. Who owns into too many small projects, of a broader collective of without a strategy to aggregate solutions that are pragmatic but the data, and the discoveries scientific minds could help us those data sets properly and respect individual privacy rights. that arise from them? Data find new directions and ways of make them accessible, is One solution is to appoint a generators currently lack an thinking. wasteful and will slow down data steward. This custodian incentive to share: as long as scientific discovery. By their valuable data are kept ... Animal models make a unique and appointing stewards to private, they keep exclusive irreplaceable contribution ... coordinate and encourage data access without fear of another sharing, and by explicitly rewarding individual researchers There is also an additional and departments for sharing, ethical dimension when funders and public policy can considering data acquired from help effect a cultural shift in experimental animals. Animal neuroscience, creating an open models make a unique and research community that is irreplaceable contribution to more than the sum of its parts. neuroscience, but we have a greater responsibility to share these data, because their maximal re-use will increase the References value of each animal life that is 1. The Four V's of Big Data.www.ibmbig lost in the name of science 6. datahub.com/infographic/four-vs-big- data Secure storage and accessibility of animal data will ensure that 2. Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange. fcon_1000.projects.nitrc.org/indi/abid they not fall victim to the e/ otherwise inevitable loss of data 3. ADNI Publications.adni.loni.usc.edu/ over time. news-publications/publications Artificial Fiction Brain Given these benefits, it may be 4. Button, K. S. et al. Power failure: why surprising that the majority of small sample size undermines the reliability of neuroscience. Nat. Rev. data in biology, and in would be entrusted with the lab publishing similar results first. Neurosci. 14, 365–376 (2013). shared data, and grant access to In a system that rewards novel neuroscience in particular, are 5. Stretching NIH Research Dollars not shared publicly. Data sharing it on a case-by-case basis, discoveries, not data sharing, it is Further. www.hhs.gov/idealab/ ... Who owns ensuring that data are not not surprising that some projects-item/stretching-nih-research- researchers feel reluctant to dollars/ the data ... mined excessively or for nefarious reasons, and that they change their ways. This problem 6. National Centre for the Replacement, platforms are still the exception has been recognized by Refinement & Reduction of Animals remain as anonymous as in Research. www.nc3rs.org.uk to the rule, and only cover 9 possible. funders , and incentives for data particular areas (such as sharing have appeared (such as 7. Mittelstadt, B. D. & Floridi, L. The A bigger challenge may be Ethics of Big Data: Current and Alzheimer’s disease). There is a specialized data publications that Foreseeable Issues in Biomedical number of hurdles holding back changing the mind-set of can be cited by users). However, Contexts. Sci Eng Ethics1–39 (2015). data sharing in the mainstream. researchers to adopt a culture of open data. At the moment, ... group discrimination based on shared Privacy is an issue for human many researchers mistrust neurological properties ... studies. Often there is no explicit others’ use of their data, and consent from participants to these incentives are so new that 8. Rathi, V. et al. Sharing of clinical trial suspect that a researcher who they lack an agreed-upon value data among trialists: a cross sectional share data, and obtaining survey.BMJ 345, e7570–e7570 consent retroactively is not was not involved in the initial (and don’t ensure tenure or (2012). measurements might not know further grants). Moreover, feasible. Moreover, while 9. Incentives and culture change for databases typically strip scans of how to analyse their data universities can also raise issues data access. any information that links them correctly 8. This issue cannot be of intellectual property, especially www.wellcome.ac.uk/About- resolved over night, but once when financial rewards from the us/Policy/Spotlight-issues/Data- with an individual, there is no sharing/EAGDA/WTP056496.htm guarantee that they could not be again, trained stewards could translation of basic research 10. Check Hayden, E. Alzheimer's data identified in the future by help build trust in appropriate findings into drugs or therapies lawsuit is sign of growing tensions. 10 comparison with other publicly use. For instance, they could are at stake . How future Nature 523,265–265 (2015).

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 23 THE COLD TIME BOMB

UP TO 50% OF GLOBAL URBAN GLOBAL FOOD IS POPULATION WASTED BECAUSE WILL GROW TO 6 FOOD PERISHES BILLION BY 2050 AIR POLLUTION CURRENTLY WHILE 1 IN 8 GO CAUSES 1.2 MILLION PREMATURE HUNGRY DEATHS IN CHINA EACH YEAR AND 600,000 IN INDIA

DEMAND FOR COOLING IN ALL ITS FORMS IS ACCELERATING. THESE ARE THE PROBLEMS, WE HAVE THE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS... WWW.BIRMINGHAM.AC.UK/ DOINGCOLDSMARTER

TIME TO RETHINK COLD ENERGY

24 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 THE COLD TIME BOMB

The supply chain is under pressure. Currently up to 50% of food local environment and upon perishes or is thrown away, when it could be used to feed the one climate change. The energy in eight going to bed hungry every night. In emerging and required to deliver cooling is developing economies, this is largely because produce cannot be significant and highly polluting. If kept at sufficient temperature en route to market. refrigerant usage trends continue, for example, Hydrofluorocarbons From field to fork, the cold chain – the movement of fruit, (HFCs) will be responsible for vegetables and meat via a ‘chain’ of refrigerated transport and nearly half of all global storage – is extensive and complex. The journey is problematic and greenhouse gas emissions by fleets are challenged, particularly in developing countries where 2050. reaching rural communities without adequate infrastructure is complicated. Furthermore, an estimated 200 million tonnes of perishable food Professor Martin Freer Closer to home, the increase in ‘doorstep delivery’ services has is wasted in developing countries Director, Birmingham Energy extended the chain and seen a surge in smaller refrigerated Institute each year, the production for transport vehicles and cold storage facilities. which contributes around 3.3 The provision of cold energy, or cooling, is integral to modern billion tonnes of carbon society; without it, the supply of medicine and data, as well as food, emissions. The delivery vehicles would simply break down. It is also essential to domestic and retail and storage facilities are also comfort through air conditioning solutions and modern server space significant polluters with for rapid and widespread internet provision. refrigeration units consuming up to 20% of a refrigerated vehicle's diesel but emitting up to six times as much Nitrogen oxides

(NO and NO2) as a modern truck engine. While ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions by Professor Toby Peters 80% in the UK and the new US Visiting Professor of Power and Cold Economy at the University of Climate Change plan announced Birmingham and CEO of the by President Obama earlier this Dearman Engine Company year show that developed countries are taking sustainability seriously, statistics around cold 800 million people show this area cannot be in the world are ignored. under nourished and OUT OF CONTROL the UN Food and The need for cooling provision in many forms will rise with the A rapid growth in new middle classes across the world, including Agriculture growth of global populations and an anticipated increase to 3 billion in Asia in the next five years, Organization the escalating demands of the means the demand for cold energy to provide the luxury comforts new middle classes. estimates that by of air conditioning, modern technology and healthcare is soaring, 2050 feeding the from Starbucks to the latest Apple i-product. 70% of food consumed in the UK is chilled or frozen to store If this ever-increasing need is met using existing fossil fuelled global population and the demand for technologies then that would add to the pressure upon the commodities is expected to rise will require a 70% environment, both adding to dangerous air pollution and by around 30% over the coming contributing to climate change. increase in food decade. Food security is a production. HEATING THE PLANET problem in the developing world now but if cold is not addressed The rapid growth in urban populations is having a dramatically properly the food crisis will come worsening impact on the environment. As urban populations grow to Britain’s door too. This puts and people become more affluent, so their patterns of consumption huge pressure on energy change and their demand for cold in particular will increase. provision and could have ruinous This has the potential to have a very significant impact upon the effects on the environment.

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 25 SOLUTIONS global energy demand over the A policy commission titled next 25 years presents significant ‘Doing Cold Smarter’ led by the opportunity for innovation in the Birmingham Energy Institute at field and export of technology the University of Birmingham and knowledge. and independently chaired by Around 14% (almost £5.2billion Lord Teverson, Liberal Democrat each year) of Britain’s electricity Spokesperson for Transport and goes to cooling, yet compared former Member of the European with transport and heat, cold and Parliament, was launched earlier cooling has received little this year to produce a roadmap attention in the international for the UK to navigate the energy debate. While current technologies are capable of improving the cold chain complexity of cold energy and overcoming some of the challenges, the environmental impact provision and provide direction Toby Peters, Visiting Professor would be severe. Air pollution currently causes nearly 1.2 million for investment in sustainable of Power and Cold Economy at premature deaths in China and 600,000 in India. The impacts of solutions. The commission, the University of Birmingham climate change are familiar but the role of cold and cooling is, as yet, which is made up of academic and CEO of the Dearman Engine still ignored. researchers and industry experts, Company said: ‘The next 10 is researching new ways of years of development in the A COLD ECONOMY providing cold in a sustainable reconfiguration of the UK’s Experts at the University of Birmingham say addressing cold way, specifically through a energy landscape and the rapid demand and energy consumption is essential to delivering on system level approach, as well as building out of the energy carbon reduction targets and planning energy systems for the future. exploring the economic infrastructure in emerging opportunities this new clean cold markets requires an accelerated Furthermore they have recognised that the process of ‘doing cold industry could present. adoption of a variety of novel smarter’, including providing new clean cold technologies and energy technologies. These providing the expertise required to integrate them could lead to the This commission will also technologies will be a radical foundation of a ‘cold economy’. The UK has a unique opportunity to demonstrate ways the UK could departure from the traditional lead this emerging global sector. become a global leader in the methodologies and could development of new cold The Cold Economy has the potential to include far more than just provide sustainable solutions to energy systems and the a collection of energy efficient technologies. Importantly, it could cooling. There is an exciting technical, economic, research involve a systems analysis and cover many aspects of efficiency, opportunity for the UK to and skills issues around ‘cold’. including the recycling of waste cold and utilisation of ‘wrong time’ embrace these new business energy – such as excess wind power generated at night when Lord Teverson said: ‘Cold is a and export opportunities demand is low – to provide, through novel forms of energy storage vital part of energy policy for the spurring innovation and and low-carbon, zero-emission cooling and power. future, but has been little generating tens of thousands of explored. The demand for jobs.’ Professor Martin Freer, Director of the Birmingham Energy Institute, cooling is rising globally, and if said: ‘A systems approach to energy that looks at integrating the With urban populations we fill this urgent need with different aspects of generation, storage and use is vital to future- growing at pace and the existing technologies it would proofing our lifestyles – from food to data and modern technology.’ increased demands of new have a detrimental effect, not middle classes for energy New technologies for sustainable cooling, including alternatives to only on the environment, but intensive luxuries, this is a critical refrigerators, delivery vehicles and storage options are gaining also for our energy supply. time for transformation of the traction with a number of SMEs developing innovative new products ‘There’s significant opportunity global energy system. Time is and prototypes. For example, creative entrepreneurs are pioneering in the UK to develop a new running out for changing the new technology for utilising the most simple power of water for economic hub of innovative course of food security and cooling with extensive medical, food and domestic applications as manufacturing and technology, environmental crises, as well as well as the properties of liquid air to pave the way for zero-emission as well as positioning ourselves the UK opportunity to boost transport refrigeration and other liquid coolants which could as leaders in this field on the economic growth in this area. revolutionise data cooling. world stage. This will generate Professor Freer said: ‘The UK has enormous talent and expertise jobs and important economic 28 OCTOBER 2015 in energy solutions manufacturing and technology innovation but it benefits for our country as well The commission will report on is being stifled. We can achieve the country’s ambitious carbon as essential carbon reductions.’ its findings at a launch event reduction targets but only if we invest in these sustainable on 28 October 2015 and The global energy storage innovations – the government must take cold seriously instead of present a roadmap for policy. market is set to grow by 8% per focusing solely on heating. For further information about annum, rising to be worth £35 the commission and to get ‘There is significant opportunity for the UK to grow new business billion by 2020. For cooling and involved, visit and generate jobs but time is ticking and if we don’t act now, refrigeration this means £14.6 www.birmingham.ac.uk/ economic giants such as China and India will get there before us.’ billion. Anticipated growth of the doingcoldsmarter

26 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 PARLIAMENTARY LINKS DAY 2015 SCIENCE AND THE NEW PARLIAMENT

The Attlee Suite was once again filled to capacity with MPs, Peers, scientists and engineers – it was standing room only from the very start – for this year’s Parliamentary Links Day at the House of Commons on the theme of Science and the New Parliament. There was a stellar array of speakers and for connoisseurs of Twitter this year’s #LinksDay2015 was trending by 10.30am and reached #5 – a new record! The Speaker of the House Rt Hon John Bercow MP – a steadfast supporter of science during his Speakership – launched the event as he had done throughout the last Parliament.

Links Day remains the largest “The Society is to be congratulated for its initiative and leadership in organising annual science event of its kind today’s event on behalf of the wider science and engineering community” on the Parliamentary calendar Rt Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons and this year was sponsored on a bipartisan basis by the newly- elected Chair of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee Stephen Metcalfe MP and Shadow Minister Chi Onwurah MP (whom the Speaker later allowed to put

“I would like to congratulate the (Royal) Society of Biology for its vision in organising this event which I know has long been an established fixture in the annual Parliamentary calendar.” Rt Hon David Cameron MP Prime Minister

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 27 Links Day into the Hansard The political contributions to The Minister addressed over record on the floor of the Links Day were made by Jo 200 MPs and representatives House). Johnson MP, the newly- from the science community appointed Minister for and, in one of his first Organised by the Royal Society Universities and Science, Nicola appearances since being of Biology on behalf of the Blackwood MP, the newly- appointed to the role in May, science and engineering elected Chair of the House of Johnson admitted that he was community Links Day promotes Commons Science & 'no science buff at school' but links and understanding Technology Select Committee, had been 'putting in the hard between the worlds of Science, and by the Earl of Selborne, yards' to visit the UK’s wealth of Parliament and Government. Chair of the House of Lords This year’s format included a Select Committee on Science mixture of keynote speeches and Technology. and panel discussions. The In his Keynote address the speakers explored the Minister of State for Universities importance of effectively and Science, Jo Johnson MP, engaging Parliament and said that developing Government and concentrated collaboration between academia on the value of Science in both and business will be among his a national and international main priorities during this context. Parliament.

“Many of the key global issues that we face – whether they involve Health, Global Climate Change, Food Security, the Environment or Access to Water – have a scientific aspect to them. None can be addressed or solved without scientific advice.” Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP Leader of the Opposition

A SELECTION OF TWEETS CAPTURED ON THE STORIFY ABOUT LINKS DAY

BSI Resources Parliamentary Links - Jenna Stevens-Smith @J_DoubleS British Society for Immunology Great to hear @ChiOnwurah address #linksday2015 a female engineer on #NWED The Society of Biology demonstrated its #womeninengineering heft in bringing together a heavyweight set of panellists and speakers for this CaSE @sciencecampaign latest Parliamentary Links Day “I welcome the strong cross-party commitment to science” says @JoJohnsonMP #linksday2015 Joanna Barstow @DrJoVian Innovate or regress - Speaker of the House RSB @RoyalSocBio supporting development of science facilities .@JoJohnsonMP ‘We want to make Britain the in schools #LinksDay2015 best place in the world to do science’ #LinksDay2015 BES Policy Team @BESPolicy A new Parliament offers new Jane MacArthur @Jane_MacArthur opportunities...exciting time for the scientific “Chinese science spending is overtaking European community says Stephen Metcalfe MP science spending, likely to overtake US spending #LinksDay2015 in 2019.” @LiamByrneMP #LinksDay2015

28 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 science and engineering centres and get to grips with his brief. “Arriving at the Links Day, I was immediately struck by He welcomed the fact that how well attended the event was by both scientists there was strong cross party and parliamentarians… Parliamentary Links Day was consensus for investment in filled with inspirational speeches that instilled hope in science and said that science the future of science in the UK.”” ran through the Conservative party’s manifesto – which he Arikana Massiah, Society Champion and pre-registration Clinical helped to write – 'like through a Microbiologist at Barts Health NHS Trust stick of rock'.

The Minister reiterated the Government’s commitment to “This House congratulates the (Royal) Society of investing £6.9bn in science Biology…. and welcomes the continuing contribution infrastructure capital by that Parliamentary Links Day makes to strengthening 2020/21, and set out three the dialogue between Parliament and the science and 'themes' that he said will be engineering community.” priorities for his Department. These include the acceleration Early Day Motion 141 of collaboration between Tabled 17 June 2015 universities and businesses, 'making the most' of the UK’s

education policies that would encourage an influx of scientists into the country. Sir Venki highlighted how science is crucial to maintain the advanced society status that Great Britain has, enabling us to help not just ourselves, but other citizens of the world too. This advancement scientific expertise and output, Naomi Weir (Acting Director of Tyler (Director of the is, however, limited by the salary and ensuring the UK nurtures the Campaign for Science & Parliamentary Office of Science element of the UK immigration the best scientific talent in the Engineering), Clare Viney from and Technology) and Chris system, and the turmoil in the the Royal Society of Chemistry, Whitty (Chief Scientific Adviser at world and continues to inspire EU that may discriminate against Sarah Hartwell-Naguib (Head of the Department for International others into science and overseas research scientists. engineering careers. the Science and Environment Development). Section, House of Commons This year’s Links Day made Sir Venki Ramakrishnan FRS, The Panels were both chaired Library) and Dr Luke Alphey of another welcome and unique Nobel Laureate and incoming by Stephen Metcalfe MP and the Pirbright Institute. contribution to the debate about President of the Royal Society, they discussed the national and the role of science and well and The contributors on Stephen gave the closing speech at the international value of science to truly launched Science in the Metcalfe’s second Panel were event. He addressed several the UK. These debates (and New Parliament. Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell issues that hinder growth in across Twitter) were lively (President of the Royal Society science and engineering but at Further details about question and answer sessions. of Edinburgh), Dr James Larkin the same time acknowledged Parliamentary Links Day are The contributors on the first (Royal Marsden Hospital), the achievements that UK available at: http://blog.rsb. Panel were Rt Hon Liam Byrne Dr Hetan Shah (CEO of the research has made and called org.uk/links-day-2015-keynote- MP (Shadow Science Minister), Royal Statistical Society), Dr Chris for improved immigration and speakers/

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 29 LIGHT British Science Week Seminar on Thursday 19th March

Gallium nitride for saving lives, energy, carbon emissions and money! SUMMARY gallium nitride research for over already six times more efficient Gallium nitride and its alloys ten years. Our research has led than incandescent light bulbs make up an amazing family of to lower-cost LEDs that are now and 50% more efficient than new materials which could save being manufactured in the UK. so-called low-energy compact 25% of all the electricity we use Plessey sold 2 million LEDs fluorescent lamps (CFLs). In the and 25% of carbon emissions based on our research in 2014 laboratory there are LEDs which from power stations. This is not and plans to sell many more in are even more efficient, and 2015. these will become commercially Professor Sir Colin Humphreys scientific hype: it is already Department of Materials Science starting to happen. Gallium and Metallurgy ENERGY SAVINGS FROM nitride also has the potential to University of Cambridge GALLIUM NITRIDE LEDS provide clean water, saving The Department of Energy millions of lives in the (DoE) in the US has stated that developing world, and to enable by 2025 gallium nitride LEDs totally secure communications. could reduce the global amount In addition, optimized gallium of electricity used for lighting by nitride Light Emitting Diodes 50%. In the UK, lighting uses (LEDs) will increase productivity about one-fifth of all electricity. at work and performance in LEDs are poised to reduce this schools, and improve the health figure by 50%. Lighting will then of us all. Finally, our gallium nitride research is already being available in the next few years. If exploited in the UK where we replaced all our lighting in Plessey is manufacturing LEDs the UK with LEDs we could and creating jobs in Plymouth, close (or not build) eight large an unemployment black spot. (1 GW) power stations. The UK is at the forefront of this outstanding developing WHAT IS PREVENTING technology. THE WIDESPREAD USE OF LED LIGHTING IN WHAT IS GALLIUM OUR HOMES AND NITRIDE? OFFICES? Gallium nitride and its alloys The main problem is cost. can emit light over a wide range Low-power LEDs, for example of colours – from the infra-red used in toys, are very cheap; but (IR) to the ultra-violet (UV), high-power LEDs for lighting a including all the colours of use 10% of all electricity, thus room are expensive. I recently visible light. Already these saving 10% of electricity. This paid £15 for a replacement materials are widely used in amounts to an annual saving of 60W equivalent LED light bulb. LEDs that are part of our over £2 billion per year in Not many people will pay this, everyday lives: from blu-ray DVD electricity costs. If this electricity even though the LED bulb players through to bicycle lights, comes from fossil-fueled power rapidly repays for its cost in stations, as most does, LED from replacement LED light lower electricity bills. All lighting will save 10% of carbon bulbs to back-lighting of our commercial gallium nitride LEDs emissions from these. computer and TV screens. are grown on sapphire or silicon Cambridge and Manchester Commercially available carbide wafers, both very have been collaborating on replacement LED light bulbs are expensive. My research group

30 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 has pioneered the growth of when lights are switched on, so you could choose to have potentially be saved using gallium nitride LEDs on silicon it is a much more effective way reddish white light for a gallium nitride devices. In wafers, which are much of making this peak demand romantic dinner, for example. addition, we could save up to cheaper. We patented our than wind and solar power. More of this later! 25% of carbon emissions from technology and set up two power stations. Unlike solar and companies in 2010 and 2011 to A COMPARISON OF ENERGY SAVINGS FROM wind power, these savings will exploit it. The UK company LEDS, WIND AND SOLAR GALLIUM NITRIDE be made at times of peak Plessey acquired both The US Department of Energy POWER ELECTRONICS electricity demand. companies in 2012, hired post- has recently made an interesting Gallium nitride not only has a docs from my research group to forecast comparing electricity low electricity consumption for transfer the technology and are savings from LEDs, wind and now manufacturing low-cost solar. The DoE predicts that if ... save up to 25% of carbon emissions from gallium nitride LEDs on silicon at LED costs continue to come power stations ... their factory in Plymouth, Devon. down and the efficiency lighting, it also has for This is the first manufacture of continues to increase, LEDs will LIGHT AND OUR HEALTH electronics. Power electronic LEDs in the UK and the first have 90% of the US lighting Life has developed over devices are very widely used, for commercially available LEDs on market by 2030. LEDs will then millions of years in natural example in chargers for mobile silicon in the world. Plessey are save twice the electricity lighting: sunlight. There is phones and laptops, in electric selling the LED chips to other generated by wind and twenty increasing evidence that sunlight cars and in IT server farms. All companies to put into lightbulbs times the electricity generated is good for our health (if over- these power electronic devices and other products. So this will by solar. The annual US exposure is avoided). For are made from silicon. However, enable cost reductions in LED electricity savings due to LEDs in example 90% of the vitamin D gallium nitride power electronic lighting and accelerate its in our bodies comes from devices are 40% more efficient widespread adoption, thus sunlight on our skin and only than those made from silicon. If saving the UK over £2 billion 10% comes from food. Two- we replaced the silicon devices per year in electricity costs. thirds of the UK are “severely by gallium nitride ones we lacking” in vitamin D, leading to THE IMPORTANCE OF would save 10% of all the a weak immune system electricity we use. PEAK ELECTRICITY (enabling colds, coughs and Peak UK electricity demand in ENERGY SAVINGS FROM worse), fatigue, broken bones, 2014 was on 3 January at 6pm. GALLIUM NITRIDE headaches, etc. Vitamin D is also In general, electricity demand is believed to protect against Gallium nitride devices can highest on winter evenings. The certain cancers (eg breast, save us 10% of electricity using prostate) by preventing the existing LEDs. If we eliminate ... close eight large (1 GW) power stations ... overproduction of cells. With tunable LED lighting we will be electricity supply must match 2030 is estimated to be $40 able to mimic sunlight indoors this peak demand or else the billion. And there are no and hence produce vitamin D lights go out (and governments subsidies for LEDs. indoors. We will also be able to risk not being re-elected!). minimize or eliminate Seasonal TUNABLE WHITE LEDS Affective Disorder (SAD), which There is often high pressure Nearly all the LED replacement affects over 3 million people in weather in winter, which results light bulbs sold today are the UK. in weak winds, and so wind gallium nitride blue LEDs coated turbines often make a tiny with phosphor materials, the IMPROVING supply to peak demand. By combination producing white PRODUCTIVITY AT WORK definition, solar power makes light. If we could eliminate the AND IN SCHOOLS zero contribution to peak energy phosphors and produce white There is clear evidence that demand, because the sun is not light by mixing blue, green and good quality lighting reduces shining on a winter’s evening. So red LEDs within a single light absences due to illness from the phosphors we can save a wind and solar energy cannot bulb we would save another schools and improves exam be relied upon to contribute to 5% of electricity, so that LEDs further 5% of electricity. If we performance. It also increases our peak electricity demands. would save a total of 15% of all replace silicon power electronic productivity at work. Optimised On the other hand, LED lighting electricity, equivalent to saving devices with gallium nitride ones LED lighting in schools and makes a major contribution to the UK over £3 billion per year. we could save another 10%. So workplaces should be a reducing peak electricity We would also have colour an astonishing 25% of the total government priority to improve demand on winter evenings, tunable white lighting, so that electricity we consume can productivity and performance.

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 31 WATER PURIFICATION emitting deep-UV light. At nitride single photon sources to CONCLUSIONS The earth’s atmosphere present the intensity of the light create pairs of entangled Gallium nitride is a key prevents deep ultra-violet is not sufficient to purify flowing photons for totally secure material for saving 25% of radiation from reaching us, so water, so more research is communications. For example, electricity and carbon emissions. life on earth has developed in needed. However, there is the mobile phone conversations It can also save millions of lives, the absence of deep-UV light, clear potential to save literally could then be totally secure. In provide secure communications and it has no defence against it. millions of lives in the addition, in about five years time and augment WiFi. It can Deep-UV light damages the developing world by using this WiFi radio frequency bands will improve productivity at work and nucleic acid in both DNA and gallium nitride technology, which become saturated. We are in schools. It can help UK

... Optimised LED ... stops all bacteria lighting in schools ... and viruses from reproducing ...

could be powered by solar cells. manufacturing and job creation. It would also be more efficient Optimised LED lighting can than chlorination in the improve the health of us all. The developed world. UK is at the forefront of this RNA and stops all bacteria and researching transmitting the amazing new material. viruses from reproducing: SECURE same information using light effectively killing them. By COMMUNICATIONS AND from LEDs, thus overcoming the adding aluminium to gallium LIFI potential WiFi crisis. nitride we can produce LEDs We are researching gallium

NANOTECHNOLOGY Meeting of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee on Tuesday 14th July NANOTECHNOLOGY – what is it and what is it for?

Nanotechnology is driven by a much of the complex machinery THE LONDON CENTRE collision of science and of living systems operates. FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY techniques drawn from different Within this range, the physical Almost ten years ago UCL and disciplines, which has uncovered laws governing the behaviour of Imperial College London new fundamental behaviours of matter begin to switch from decided to create a joint London matter and new opportunities classical to quantum mechanical, Centre for Nanotechnology for practical applications. Modern and become subtly dependent (LCN) using funding from the semiconductor integrated circuits on size. The concepts, HEFCE Science Research are carved, “top-down”, at knowledge, and tools from Infrastructure Fund, recognizing Professor Andrew Fisher increasingly short length scales, University College London different disciplines, including the very widespread importance underpinning the continuous electronic engineering, materials that now attaches to the ability improvement in electronics over science, chemistry, physics, to control matter in the recent decades (‘Moore’s law’). biochemistry, and medicine are nanometre range. The LCN At the same time, chemists have being exchanged and concept involves making learnt how to build increasingly developed, creating new available to the widest possible large, well-defined structures opportunities in which science range of researchers a full set of from “the bottom up”. These and technology are synergistic: worlds intersect at the tools for making and nanoscale, where dimensions new science leads to new characterizing nanostructures, Professor Milo Shaffer technologies, which in turn enabling them to carry out Imperial College London are measured in nanometres (billionths of a metre); it is the enable further scientific leading fundamental research Co-Directors, London Centre developments. and to target applications in for Nanotechnology same lengthscale on which

32 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 information technology, The LCN team also works EXAMPLES healthcare and the environment. closely with a range of other Nanoscience and interdisciplinary initiatives in By combining two of the UK’s nanotechnology now play an London, including the Thomas strongest research universities integral role in many fields, and the LCN provides a large, high- Young Centre for the Theory in many potential applications. quality and exceptionally diverse and Simulation of Materials, a These range from improved high research community that can leading platform for advancing Direct imaging of the plasmon performance electronics, aiming the performance of materials, resonance associated with a metal to beat the limitations of take full advantage of these “nano-bow tie”, using the Titan nanoscale tools, which have and the Centre for Plastic electron microscope; such Moore’s law, to the become pervasive in current Electronics, focused on the structures are useful for development of more manipulating light on scales shorter science and technology. The development of cheap, large than its own wavelength, for environmentally-friendly institutions have great strengths area devices such as solar cells sensing, high resolution imaging, chemical processes and energy and photonics, courtesy of Prof sources, and the advancement across the physical and and displays. Stefan Maier biological sciences, as well as in of new therapies based on engineering, and in biomedicine NANOSCALE TOOLS nanomedicine. A few examples – the location in central Core fabrication facilities in follow. nanotechnology rely on both London, close to Europe’s Catalysts largest concentration of the high performance clean Catalysts are now playing an specialist medical care, gives it room environments needed for increasingly important role in the unmatched opportunities for detailed photo- and electron removal of pollutants from research with the healthcare lithography, scribing nanoscale vehicle exhausts in catalytic sector and for technology patterns on the surface of a convertors. The active transfer. This large research material, and the wet labs components of many catalysts community makes it possible to required for (bio)chemical are nanoparticles, and it is invest in a broader range of synthesis and analysis. Some of becoming clear that their equipment than would be the most interesting effectiveness depends critically possible for for a single opportunities arise from the on how much the atoms are university. integration of these approaches, ‘strained’ or distorted from their requiring adjacent coordinated LOCAL VERSUS Image of a 20 nm nanopore ion- ideal geometries. It has been facilities. Characterization of the milled into a membrane, designed difficult or impossible to NATIONAL FACILITIES to assist the sequencing of resulting structures has often determine this strain until An important part of the LCN individual strands of DNA. The been a limiting step. The LCN, concentric ‘bull-eye’ pattern recently but now Prof Ian philosophy is that nanoscale with support from the concentrates light to control the fabrication tools should be Robinson, in a joint project with Engineering and Physical temperature at the pore. Courtesy available as locally as possible, Dr Josh Edel. Johnson Matthey, has shown Sciences Research Council so that they can become part of how the information from (EPSRC), installed the UK’s first the everyday research scattered X-rays can be cleverly Titan monochromated, programme for the participating combined to produce a strain aberration-corrected electron image of a single particle. An groups. Even in London traffic, nanostructures and to image microscope, giving access to an alternative strategy includes UCL and Imperial are close the results. order of magnitude enough that it is easy to travel nanoparticles catalysts within the improvement in resolution. Future infrastructure from one to the other! fuel itself to improve fuel Over the last decade, developments may target efficiency and reduce soot Other facilities involve major revolutionary developments in emerging themes in formation; the effect of such infrastructure that cannot be electron microscopy have automated/instrumented robotic particles on the vehicle exhaust provided even in a multi- allowed imaging even of experimentation, three (or and their potential impact on institution collaboration such as individual atoms. In addition, more) dimensional human health is being studied the LCN. Particularly important electron spectroscopy can imaging/visualisation at different using advanced imaging tools, are neutron and X-ray scattering, reveal the chemical identity of lengthscales, and environmental such as Titan, in a collaborative which involve wavelengths characterisation under “realistic” the atoms or resolve functional project with the US which match the separation conditions. It is essential to properties of nanostructures. Environmental Protection between atoms. This continue to invest in state of the Agency, led by Prof Terry Tetley. infrastructure is best provided as Similarly, again supported by art equipment, to remain a national facility, and LCN EPSRC, the LCN installed the internationally competitive, and Scanning probes researchers are large users of UK’s first neon ion microscope, to exploit the latest technological One of the most powerful the UK’s ISIS neutron facility providing unprecedented opportunities. tools in probing the nanoscale and Diamond X-ray synchrotron. combined ability to mill world has been the scanning

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 33 can perform some important conventional electronics) for tasks (for example, breaking unprecedentedly long times large whole numbers into their from seconds to several hours factors – a critical task in i-sense: Early detection of attacking the security of present- infectious disease day cryptography) much more efficiently than any ‘normal’ Globally, infectious diseases computer. The UK National such as influenza, Ebola, MRSA Quantum Technology and HIV rank among the gravest programme has recently started threats to human health, some important projects to bring alongside global warming and quantum technologies to short- terrorism. Nanotechnology offers term application, but in the long the possibility of sensitive and term many researchers believe specific, cheap, disposable that the scalability possessed by diagnostics that will widen nanoscale solid-state systems access to testing in the Image of an individual nanoparticle, the colour coding the strain of the community and the developing atoms. Courtesy Professor Ian Robinson and Rachel O'Malley (Johnson will win out over competing Matthey). approaches. In this context, an world. At the LCN, Professor especially important recent Rachel McKendry directs i-sense, the EPSRC Interdisciplinary probe microscope, in which a individual atoms and molecules, demonstration came from the Research Collaboration in Early microscopic tip ‘feels’ the but whole devices operating on LCN’s Prof John Morton and Warning Sensing Systems for structure under investigation as it quantum principles have new colleagues, who showed that Infectious Diseases. This multi- scans across it. LCN researchers properties – they can process fragile quantum information can partner centre aims to detect have been particularly information in new ways, and be preserved in silicon (the disease much earlier than prominent in developing this same material used in before by linking web data, such technique; in one notable as social media posts, with example Dr Bart Hoogenboom nano-enabled, mobile phone- and his colleagues were able to connected diagnostic tests. image “nanodrills” at work, built Patients will benefit by gaining by individual proteins that faster access to treatment, the bacteria produce to kill living NHS and global healthcare cells That advance relied on providers will benefit from pushing the technique to detect targeted care and antibiotic the weak forces that operate in stewardship, and populations soft biological environment. will benefit from the reduced Another variant involves spread of infection. detecting the electrical current through an atom or molecule, THE NANOTECHNOLOGY rather than the force. Using this WORKFORCE approach, Dr Cyrus Hirjibehedin What kinds of people are and his colleagues have been driving this work forward? A able to demonstrate a single- quick survey of the current LCN molecule magnetic sensor in workforce reveals which the electrical current is up representatives from France, to 60 times more sensitive to a Italy, Germany, Sweden, The magnetic field than had Netherlands, Israel, Russia, India, previously been expected. Japan, China and Kenya as well as the United States, Canada, Nanoscale devices for Australia and of course the UK. quantum technologies This mix is not atypical of fast- Ultimately, we would like to be moving areas of science and able to create devices that technology, but underlines how function entirely according to the important it is for UK universities microscopic laws of quantum Schematic of a magnetic molecule (centre) on a surface. The to be able to appoint people magnetization of the molecule interacts with local magnetic fields and also mechanics. It has been known with electrons emitted by the scanning probe microscope tip, thereby with the very best skills for many years that these laws affecting the current and forming a sensitive magnetic field sensor. internationally, in order to Courtesy Dr Cyrus Hirjibehedin, image by Tobias Gill determine the behaviour of compete in the global

34 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 THE FUTURE AND COMMERCIALIZATION Nanostructured components will increasingly appear as crucial enabling elements integrated in complete functional systems for a wide range of applications. Improvements in cost-effective nanomanufacturing will accelerate implementation. The combination of nanostructures with other components will increasingly create “hierarchical systems” operating over a range of lengthscales. It is worth highlighting that biology is especially adept at building functional materials specified at every possible lengthscale. We, Image illustrating the concept of the i-sense project. Low-cost diagnostic tests, relying on nanotechnology and on the other hand, are good at integrated with mobile phones, form part of a multi-scale approach including monitoring of web posts and social atomic scale manipulation media. Courtesy of Prof Rachel McKendry and Kailey Nolan. through chemistry, and micron- marketplace for ideas. It is helps the UK to attract the best but conventional approaches are scale manipulation through essential to be able to access talent. generally appropriate. In certain engineering, but very unskilled in the best talent at every level cases, however, there is a chance the intervening nanoscale. from students, through SAFETY that discrete, engineered Famously, Richard Feynman researchers, to experienced As nanotechnology moves nanoparticles might be released, announced that there was academics and industrialists. forward into commercialization, it either accidentally or deliberately, “plenty of room at the bottom”, but we may now consider that Policies that encourage, for is critical to ensure that potential leading to human or there is still “plenty of room in example, PhD students to stay impacts on human health and environmental exposure. In these the middle” to integrate top- in the UK and start new the environment are taken into cases, the fate of the down and bottom-up businesses here exploiting their account. The field in the UK nanoparticles must be approaches, to deliver new knowledge, rather than insisting benefited from a landmark Royal considered carefully. Atmospheric technologies with economic and that they leave the country Society and Royal Academy of pollution, for example by diesel societal benefits. immediately, would be Engineering report in 2004 soot, is one very prominent beneficial. entitled Nanoscience and example of nanoparticle release; New materials and nanotechnologies: opportunities other nanoparticles occur in very manufacturing technologies For such an international field it and uncertainties, which much smaller quantities. typically have long development is also especially important to provided an early and widely However, the fate and influence cycles. Initial enthusiasm ensure that the UK is able to respected analysis. It served both of these particles need to be sometimes wanes too quickly for take part in international to promote an awareness of considered on a case by case the development of real collaborative research projects. safety and ethical issues within basis. Considerable research to technologies, and many In particular, the UK benefits the field, and to reassure those date has shown that the opportunities are lost in “the disproportionately from EU outside it that early and behaviour is very dependent on valley of death” between initial funding; any withdrawal from somewhat sensational warnings the composition, size, and use of promise and ultimate delivery. the EU science framework of the risks from ‘grey goo’ the nanoparticles. In some cases, Unfortunately, the UK generally would have a devastating impact nanotechnologies were there is no immediate concern, has a poor record in making the on UK science, both in loss of overstated. The report concluded while in others suitable most of its own intellectual revenue and loss of that many nanotechnologies do precautions relating to exposure achievements. It is critical that opportunities for international not raise any particular concerns should be employed. Particular government, industrial, and collaborations, most of which beyond conventional industrial care will be needed in venture-driven R&D investment also involve companies or end- manufacturing, for example, nanomedical applications, where takes a sufficiently long term view users. Many of the schemes when small structures are buried nanomaterials are directly that the new opportunities are (such as the European Research within larger electronic devices. administered to humans, manifested within the UK. Council Fellowships) bring The safety of the manufacturing although rigorous testing can be significant international prestige process and the life cycle fate of anticipated. as well as opportunity, which the product must be considered,

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 35 NANOTECHNOLOGY Transforming our lives with Nanotechnology in safe and responsible way Nanotechnology is very exciting field. From revolutionizing medical applications to producing the most efficient electronic devices, it is already transforming our daily lives.

In the US there has been very electronics, to develop new Despite the enormous little controversy related to science and commercial potential for nanotechnology to funding of this emerging field. applications. The NNI has improve our wellbeing, there are The US National recognized the importance of still questions about safety of Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), blue sky research, with almost nanoparticles to humans and the a coordinating organization for 35% of the budget dedicated to environment. In relation to safety 20 Federal departments and such fundamental research. The there are two aspects to independent Agencies, was Policy makers in the US have Professor Alex Orlov consider. Firstly, contrary to Assistant Professor of Material given over $21 billion since its recognized that skewing research popular beliefs, nanotechnology Science and Engineering, State inception in 2001. The budget funding too much towards University of New York, Stony Brook request for the coming year was applied research can potentially can solve many environmental $1.5 billion, in line with the undermine all the future problems. For example, previous budget proposals. This breakthroughs enabling nanoparticles can reduce initiative has gained strong commercial applications of environmental contamination, support from three Presidential nanotechnology. produce energy in a cleaner way administrations, resulting in technological advances in solar ... NNI has recognized the importance of blue sky research ...

energy conversion, nanomanufacturing and sensors. It is not a coincidence that the technological competitiveness of the US economy is strongly linked to research and commercialization of nanotechnology. The late John Marburger, Chief Science Adviser to President Bush, stated that NNI was one of the least controversial sciences and technology programs for budget appropriations. This is not surprising, given that this initiative facilitates investment into research infrastructure, education and applied/ fundamental research. It has enabled many disciplines, Reproduced from Orlov, A. Catal. Sci. Technol., 2015, 5, 2504. with ranging from medicine to permission from the the Royal Society of Chemistry

36 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 and make conventional are already saving millions of conducting risk assessment of concept can be used to guide materials less harmful. In 2009 lives by delivering clean drinking nanotechnology and for new product development, the OECD organized one of the water. communicating these whereby exposure to potentially first meetings on the topic, to assessments to general public hazardous materials can be offer an alternative view to The second aspect of safety of and policy makers. Whereas eliminated during production, toxicology driven perception of nanoparticles is as following. scientists and engineers always use and disposal of nanomaterials. This meeting Despite the promise of try to quantify risk factors, given nanomaterials containing offered a glimpse of the nanotechnology it is foolish to the incomplete information products. However, if existing emerging field, called dismiss toxicity aspects. There available for most of new manufacturing practices do not environmental nanotechnology, are credible scientific reports on nanomaterials, it is often a provide adequate protection, aimed at improving human toxicity of nanoparticles. In fact challenging task. Finding they have to be changed or the health and the environment. product has to be redesigned. If Nanoparticles can also enhance nano-enabled products are ... the safe development of nanotechnology designed responsibly, it is ecological health indirectly by will bring multiple benefits for all. ... facilitating clean energy possible to reduce risks production. We have created a associated with exposure to nanoparticles to negligible levels new generation of nanoparticles, the UK Government has a long pathways to incorporate while taking advantage of their which can produce clean source standing Hazardous Substances qualitative information and extraordinary properties. We of energy from water using accounting for such externalities Advisory Committee (HSAC) have demonstrated a new sunlight. The product of this as public perception and advising DEFRA on toxicity approach to evaluation of safety reaction, hydrogen gas, can then regulation is a daunting task for aspects of nanotechnology. of products containing carbon be used to power fuel cells to traditionally trained scientists and nanotubes. It is often assumed produce electricity. We have also Being a member of this engineers working in academic that nanoparticles encapsulated committee for almost seven environment. Transcending demonstrated how to use in polymers are safe. We demonstrated that under certain conditions this assumption might not be true. In fact there are some scenarios of these materials’ exposure to sunlight, moisture and abrasion where carbon nanotubes might become detached from the polymers holding them inside. Given numerous reports of toxicity of carbon nanotubes the question then becomes whether to remove these from the market or to reformulate them to improve their safety. Recent work offered several pathways of making nanomaterials more stable and thereby safer to use. The first pathway is to substitute more harmful nanomaterials with the less harmful one. The second pathway is to redesign the entire nanomaterials containing product to make it more resilient towards environmental degradation. In case of polymers this can be nanoparticles to clean water and years gave me a number of interdisciplinary boundaries is achieved by adding various UV air pollution, both on a small unique insights into the the only way to advance stabilizers and by making carbon scale and on urban scale. This interdisciplinary aspects of the nanotechnology without nanotubes more compatible approach is currently being safety nanoparticles. One of the harming public and with polymer matrices. utilized in a recent commercial most important nuggets, which environment. development by the US came out of numerous We can be certain that the It can be argued that the company called PURETi, which discussions at this committee, ingenuity of researchers in this toxicity of some nanomaterials coats urban surfaces with self- was that scientists working on area will ensure that the safe does not necessarily mean that cleaning and air purifying nano- development of nanotechnology applications of nanotechnology they have to be removed from coatings. In addition to should collaborate with will bring multiple benefits for the market. Environmental all. nanoparticles, nanotechnology toxicologists, economists, health professionals know that can also create such environmental and social even the most hazardous nanostructures as nanopores in scientists. All these disciplines materials present zero risks if we membranes. These membranes are incredibly important for are not exposed to them. This

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 37 COMBATING ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE: A Coordinated Global Response by the UK Science and Innovation Network

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) action. An international cross- New international partnerships: is a global threat that has been Whitehall steering group on The UK Science and Innovation referred to in the same terms as AMR has been established and Network (SIN), based in 28 terrorism and climate change. plays a key role in guiding countries, is playing a key, The ability for doctors to activities across government supporting role in the UK prescribe antibiotics to combat departments. Government’s international infection has been part of modern medicine since Scottish ... coordinated international action is vital ... biologist Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928. The Chief Medical Officer, campaign for global action on However, widespread and Dame Sally Davies, has led a UK AMR. SIN India co-organised a Dr Lindsay R Chura sometimes unregulated use of government push to raise global workshop on Open Innovation in antibiotics in both humans and awareness and galvanise action. Drug Discovery and AMR in livestock has led to the growing Significant progress has been September 2014. SIN Japan co- problem of antimicrobial made in 2015 with the World organised a workshop in resistance. “Superbugs” know Health Organisation (WHO) November 2014 to discuss no borders; therefore adopting an AMR Global Action research collaboration on coordinated international action Plan in May followed by the UN diagnostics and drug discovery, is vital. Food and Agriculture and a network for research Organisation and World collaboration is being established Lord Jim O’Neill, Chairman of Organisation for Animal Health on animal health. SIN US the Review on AMR, adopting resolutions expanding worked with Chatham House to commissioned by the Prime action into agriculture and organise a “One Health” Minister in 2014, suggests that animal health spheres. The Colloquium in December 2014 without action, AMR could cost Global Health Security Agenda to examine direct and indirect Elizabeth Hogben some 2-3.5% of global GDP (GHSA) is an important benefits and risks to human and cause 10 million more mechanism for delivering health posed by livestock. In deaths by 2050. The UK is international engagement on February 2015, the team leading on global efforts to AMR with the UK as a leading organised a symposium at the prevent, detect, and control illnesses and deaths caused by ... raise global awareness ... antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The UK’s international engagement partner on the AMR action American Association for the to tackle AMR is a package. GHSA was launched by Advancement of Science comprehensive cross- the United States in February conference in California involving government effort, with the 2014 to advance a world safe the CMO and other UK experts. Department of Health, Foreign and secure from infectious SIN US also supported a recent and Commonwealth Office, disease threats and to bring visit by Lord O’Neill in June Stefania Di Mauro-Nava Department for International together nations to make new, 2015, where highlights included Development, Department for concrete commitments, and to engagement with the United Environment, Food and Rural elevate global health security to Nations, a keynote presentation Affairs, Department for Business, a national leaders-level priority. at the Biotechnology Industry Innovation and Skills and others The G7 endorsed the GHSA in Organization convention (the working in partnership to June 2014. world’s largest gathering of the develop and deliver coordinated biotechnology industry) as well

38 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 as a range of high-level boost capacity. SIN helped emphasis on wider engagement level 2016 meeting on AMR at meetings in Washington. support development of the first in BRIC countries, particularly as the United Nations. Commonwealth laboratory AMR China prepares to host the G20. Promoting innovation: The AMR is a global health and regional twinning workshop in network works closely with UKTI Galvanising global action: The economic issue which cannot Trinidad and Tobago. SIN China to ensure that opportunities are WHO Global Action Plan was be solved by any one country ran a series of collaborative maximized to showcase ratified in May 2015 on AMR acting alone. Action is needed to innovative technologies from the drive forward the development UK. SIN has been working with ... network for research collaboration ... of more refined diagnostics, Nesta to promote the Longitude surveillance and infection control research workshops on and represented a landmark Prize, a £10 million UK-led methods. Governments around quantitative microbial risk which moment in global health. SIN is challenge to find a cost-effective, the world must act collectively to resulted in the UK Institute for working in a number of areas to accurate, rapid and easy-to-use address the growing threat Food Research conducting risk further progress and will point of care test kit for posed by AMR, taking into assessment training for the continue to support the UK’s bacterial Infections. account both the human and Chinese Centre for Disease international engagement on animal dimensions of this Building capacity: SIN is well Control and Prevention. SIN will AMR, including through complex challenge. placed to support efforts to continue to place a big advancing work towards a high-

PROFESSOR JOHN BLEBY 1932-2015

The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee is sorry to He was also one of the small team of Parliamentary and record the recent death of Professor John Bleby. Scientific Committee members who went to Washington to learn about the Office of Technology Assessment. This fact He had been a loyal and supportive member of the P&SC for finding mission then led to the establishment of the more than 30 years. He was a member of the Steering Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST). Committee, and later was elected to the Council. During the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 he volunteered He joined Sir Gerard Vaughan in Westminster Publishing which as a Ministry vet and spent six months in Cumbria. published Science in Parliament between 1989 and 1998. He also went on one of the Parliamentary and Scientific He represented the Research Defence Society (now Committee delegations to China. Understanding Animal Research) on the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee for many years.

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 39 HOUSE OF COMMONS SELECT COMMITTEES 2015

The Chairs of all the House of Commons Select Committees were elected by a secret ballot of the House of Commons on Thursday 18th June.

BUSINESS INNOVATION AND SKILLS Dudley N); Michelle Donelan (Conservative, COMMITTEE Chippenham); Marion Fellows (Scottish National The Business, Innovation and Skills Committee is Party, Motherwell and Wishaw); Suella Fernandes appointed by the House of Commons to examine (Conservative, Fareham); Lucy Frazer the administration, expenditure and policy of the (Conservative, SE Cambridgeshire); Kate Hollern Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Labour, Blackburn); Ian Mearns (Labour, (BIS) and its associated public bodies, including Gateshead); Caroline Nokes (Conservative, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). Romsey and Southampton N); Kate Osamor (Labour Co-op, Edmonton). Mr Iain Wright (Labour, Hartlepool) was elected Chair. Other members of the Committee, formally INQUIRIES appointed on Wednesday 8 July, are: Paul The work of Ofsted Blomfield (Labour, Sheffield Central); Richard On 16 July the Committee announced an inquiry Fuller (Conservative, Bedford); Peter Kyle (Labour, into the work of Ofsted and called for written Hove); Amanda Milling (Conservative, Cannock evidence (to be submitted by Tuesday Chase); Amanda Solloway (Conservative, Derby 1 September) ahead of a one-off evidence North); Jo Stevens (Labour, Cardiff Central); session with Sir Michael Wilshaw, Her Majesty's Michelle Thomson (Scottish National Party, Chief Inspector, to be held on Wednesday 16 Edinburgh West); Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative, September. Rochester and Strood); Craig Tracey (Conservative, North Warwickshire); Chris White Regional Schools Commissioners (Conservative, Warwick and Leamington). On 20 July the Committee announced an inquiry into The role of Regional Schools Commissioners. INQUIRY The Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) On 20 July the Committee announced an Inquiry were appointed in 2014 to work with school into the Government’s Productivity Plan, exploring leaders to promote and monitor academies and whether the Productivity Plan addresses the main free schools. This inquiry explores the expanding causes of low productivity in the UK and whether role of RSCs, their resources, impact and it is likely to achieve its desired results. The accountability. Productivity Plan covers a wide range of areas, including the tax regime for businesses, skills, Contact: Education Committee, House of science and innovation, digital infrastructure, Commons, London SW1A 0AA. investment and trade. Written evidence was sought, to be submitted by 10 September. Telephone: 020 7219 1376; Email: [email protected] Contact: Business, Innovation and Skills ...... Committee, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. Telephone: 020 7219 5777; ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE Email: [email protected] COMMITTEE

...... The Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, EDUCATION COMMITTEE administration and policy of the Department of The Education Committee monitors the policy, Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and its administration and spending of the Department associated public bodies. for Education and its associated arms’ length bodies, including Ofsted. Angus Brendan MacNeil (Scottish National Party, Na h-Eileanan an Iar) was elected Chair. Other Mr Neil Carmichael (Conservative, Stroud) was members, appointed 8 July, are: Rt Hon Alistair elected Chair. Other members of the Committee, Carmichael (Liberal Democrats, Orkney and formally appointed on Thursday 6 July, are: Lucy Shetland); Glyn Davies (Conservative, Allan (Conservative, Telford); Ian Austin (Labour, Montgomeryshire); James Heappey

40 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 (Conservative, Wells); Ian Lavery (Labour, Wansbeck); Melanie Onn ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT COMMITTEE (Labour, Great Grimsby); Matthew Pennycook (Labour, Greenwich The remit of the Environmental Audit Committee is to consider the and Woolwich); Dr Poulter (Conservative, Central Suffolk and North extent to which the policies and programmes of government Ipswich): Antoinette Sandbach (Conservative, Eddisbury); Julian departments and non-departmental public bodies contribute to Sturdy (Conservative, York Outer); Dr Alan Whitehead (Labour, environmental protection and sustainable development, and to Southampton Test). audit their performance against sustainable development and environmental protection targets. INQUIRIES DECC priorities 2015 Huw Irranca-Davies (Labour, Ogmore) was elected Chair. The remaining members of the Committee were appointed on Monday On 15 July the Committee announced an inquiry into DECC 20 July 2015: Peter Aldous (Conservative, Waveney); Caroline priorities 2015 and on Tuesday 21 July held a one-off evidence Ansell (Conservative, Eastbourne); Jo Churchill (Conservative, Bury session with the Secretary of State looking at the Department's St Edmunds) Zac Goldsmith (Conservative, Richmond Park); priorities and objectives for 2015 and for this Parliament. The Margaret Greenwood (Labour, Wirral West); Luke Hall evidence is published on the website. (Conservative, Thornbury and Yate); Carolyn Harris (Labour, ECC priorities for holding Government to account Swansea East); Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative, North Devon); On 16 July the Committee announced an enquiry looking to gather Mr Peter Lilley (Conservative, Hitchin and Harpenden); Caroline views on which areas of DECC’s policies will require particular Lucas (Green Party, Brighton Pavilion): Holly Lynch (Labour, Halifax): scrutiny over the years to come to inform the Committee’s future John Mc Nally (Scottish National Party, Falkirk); Rebecca Pow work programme and its priorities for holding Government to (Conservative, Taunton Deane); Jeff Smith (Labour, Manchester account. Withington); Rory Stewart (Conservative, Penrith and The Border). Contact: Energy and Climate Change Committee, House of INQUIRIES Commons, London SW1A 0AA The Government’s approach to sustainable development Telephone: 020 7219 2158; Email: [email protected] On 21 July the Committee announced an inquiry into the

...... Government’s approach to sustainable development. The Committee will be exploring what impact the new Government’s ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS fiscal and legislative agenda will have on sustainable development. COMMITTEE It will be looking to establish themes for its work during the The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) is Parliament and measures against which the Government’s success appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, can be judged. administration and policy of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and its associated public bodies. The Airports Commission report: Carbon emissions, air quality and noise Mr Neil Parish (Conservative, Tiverton and Honiton) was elected On 23 July the Committee announced an inquiry into the Airports Chair. Other members (appointed on 8 July) are: Sarah Champion Commission report and the implications for Government (Labour, Rotherham); Chris Davies (Conservative, Brecon and commitments on carbon emissions, air quality and noise should the Radnorshire); Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour, Poplar and Limehouse); Harry Airport Commission's recommendation of a third runway at Harpham (Labour, Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough); Simon Heathrow Airport be adopted. Hart (Conservative, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire); Dr Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party, Caithness, Sutherland Contact: Environmental Audit Committee, House of Commons, and Easter Ross); Rebecca Pow (Conservative, Taunton Deane); London SW1A 0AA. Margaret Ritchie (Social Democratic & Labour Party, South Down); Telephone: 020 7219 6150; Email: [email protected] David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party, Upper Bann); Rishi Sunak (Conservative, Richmond)...... HEALTH COMMITTEE INQUIRIES The Health Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to The 2015 EFRA Committee is appealing to the public to tell it what examine the policy, administration and expenditure of key issues should be addressed this Parliament. theDepartment of Health and its associated bodies

Tweet them @CommonsEFRA using #EFRAtopics – or send 100 Dr Sarah Wollaston was elected Chair. The remaining members of words via email to [email protected] with the subject line: the Committee, who were elected by the House on Wednesday 8 EFRA Topics. July, are: Dr James Davies (Conservative, Vale of Clwyd); Andrea Contact: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, Jenkyns (Conservative, Morley and Outwood); Liz McInnes (Labour, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. Telephone: 020 7219 Heywood and Middleton); Rachael Maskell (Labour Co-op, York 5774/3262; Email: [email protected] Central); Andrew Percy (Conservative, Brigg and Goole); Paula Sherriff (Labour, Dewsbury); Emily Thornberry (Labour, Islington ...... South and Finsbury); Maggie Throup (Conservative, Erewash); Helen Whately (Conservative, Faversham and Mid Kent); Dr Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party, Central Ayrshire).

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 41 INQUIRIES Innovation and Skills; Sir Paul Nurse, President, The Royal Society, Current issues in NHS England Professor Richard Parker, Chair, Research and Secondments Committee, Royal Academy of Engineering, Lord Stern of Brentford, On 14 July the Committee announced an inquiry into Current President, British Academy, and Professor Sir John Tooke, President, issues in NHS England. It will review the current performance of the Academy of Medical Sciences. The oral evidence is published on NHS and examine how NHS England is planning to implement the the Committee’s website. vision outlined in the Five Year Forward view. Science in emergencies On 21 July the Committee took evidence from NHS England’s Chief Executive Simon Stevens, Sir Bruce Keogh, Medical Director On 20 July the Science and Technology Committee announced an and Jane Cummings, the Chief Nursing Officer for England. The inquiry into science in emergencies after the Ebola outbreak, evidence is published on the Committee’s website. examining what lessons have been drawn concerning the use of scientific advice in the UK for similar disease outbreak emergencies Primary care in future. On 30 July the Committee announced an inquiry into challenges The Big Data Dilemma affecting primary care services in England. It will consider whether the Department of Health and its arms' length bodies have the On 24 July the Committee announced an inquiry into opportunities plans and policies in place now to ensure that high quality care is and risks of big data. The committee will look at whether the consistently available to patients at the point of need. Government is doing enough to ensure that UK entrepreneurs can benefit from the data revolution, and at data protection and privacy Contact: Health Committee, House of Commons, issues. London SW1A 0AA Contact: Science and Technology Committee, House of Commons, Telephone: 020 7219 6182; Email: [email protected] London SW1A 0AA ...... Telephone: 020 7219 2793; Fax: 020 7219 0896; SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Email: [email protected] The Science and Technology Committee exists to ensure that ...... Government policy and decision-making are based on good scientific and engineering advice and evidence. The Science and TRANSPORT COMMITTEE Technology Committee is unusual amongst departmental select The Transport Committee examines the expenditure, administration committees in that it scrutinises the Government Office for Science and policy of the Department of Transport and its associated public (GO-Science), which is a “semi-autonomous organisation” based bodies. within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Mrs Louise Ellman (Labour, Liverpool, Riverside) was elected Chair. GO-Science “supports the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and The remaining members of the Committee, appointed on 8 July, works to ensure that Government policy and decision-making is are: Robert Flello (Labour, Stoke-on-Trent South); Mary Glindon underpinned by robust scientific evidence”. The committee (Labour, North Tyneside); Karl McCartney (Conservative, Lincoln); therefore has a similarly broad remit and can examine the activities Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party, Glasgow of departments where they have implications for, or made use of, South); Mark Menzies (Conservative, Fylde); Huw Merriman science, engineering, technology and research. (Conservative, Bexhill and Battle); Will Quince (Conservative, Nicola Blackwood (Conservative, Oxford West and Abingdon) was Colchester); Iain Stewart (Conservative, Milton Keynes South); elected as Chair. The other members, appointed on 13 July, are: Graham Stringer (Labour, Blackley and Broughton); Martin Vickers Victoria Borwick (Conservative, Kensington); Jim Dowd (Labour, (Conservative, Cleethorpes). Lewisham West and Penge); Chris Green (Conservative, Bolton West); Dr Tania Mathias (Conservative, Twickenham); Liz McInnes INQUIRY (Labour, Heywood and Middleton); Carol Monaghan (Scottish The Department for Transport and rail policy National Party, Glasgow North West); Graham Stringer (Labour, On 14 July the Committee announced an inquiry into the Blackley and Broughton); Derek Thomas (Conservative, St Ives); Department of Transport and rail policy, and took evidence from the Matt Warman (Conservative, Boston and Skegness); Daniel Secretary of State on Monday 20 July. The evidence is on the Zeichner (Labour, Cambridge). Committee’s website.

INQUIRIES Contact: Transport Committee, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA The Science Budget On 10 July the Committee announced an inquiry into the Science Telephone: 020 7219 3266; Email: [email protected]; Budget, ahead of the Spending Review. The deadline for written Twitter: @CommonsTrans submission was Wednesday 26 August 2015.

On 15 July the Committee took evidence from Jo Johnson MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science, Gareth Davies, Director General, Knowledge and Innovation, and Philippa Lloyd, Director General, People and Strategy, Department for Business,

42 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 HOUSE OF LORDS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SELECT COMMITTEE

The members of the Committee (appointed 8 June 2015) are: the Earl of Selborne (Chairman), Lord Cameron of Dillington, Lord Fox, Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield, Lord Hunt of Chesterton, Lord Kakkar, Baroness Manningham-Buller, Lord Maxton, the Duke of Montrose, Baroness Morgan of Huyton, Baroness Neville-Jones, Lord Peston, Viscount Ridley and Lord Vallance of Tummel.

GM Insects (CCFE) Fusion Association; Dr David Kingham, In July 2015, the Committee launched an Chief Executive Officer, Tokamak Energy; and Dr inquiry into GM Insects. Written submissions Sharon Ellis, Deputy Director, Research Councils were sought by 18 September and oral Unit, Department for Business, Innovation and evidence will be taken in the autumn. The Skills. The transcript is available on the Committee intends to report before the end of Committee’s website. the year. The Resilience of the Electricity System The Relationship between EU Membership In July 2014, the Committee launched an and the effectiveness of Science, Research inquiry into the resilience of electricity and Innovation in the UK infrastructure. Responses to the Call for Evidence In July 2015, the Committee agreed to conduct were invited by late September 2014. The an inquiry into the relationship between EU inquiry focused on the resilience of the UK’s Membership and the effectiveness of science, electricity infrastructure to peaks in demand and research and innovation in the UK. A Call for sudden shocks. It was interested in the resilience Evidence will be issued in September and oral of the system both in the short term (to 2020) evidence will proceed later this year. and in the medium term (to 2030) as electricity generation is decarbonised. Oral evidence was The Dowling Review taken across the autumn and concluded in late On 7 July 2015, the Committee held an oral January 2015. The Committee reported on 12 evidence session on the Dowling Review, March 2015. A Government response was hearing from Professor Dame Ann Dowling DBE, published in June 2015. A debate in the FRS, FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Chamber on the report and the Government Engineering and Dr Hayaatun Sillem, Director of response is being sought. Programmes and Fellowship, the Royal Academy of Engineering. The transcript is available on the FURTHER INFORMATION Committee’s website. The reports, Government responses, written and oral evidence to the Committee’s inquiries Nuclear Fusion mentioned above, as well as the Calls for On 21 July 2015, the Committee held an oral Evidence and other documents can be found on evidence session on the topic of nuclear fusion. the Committee’s website. Further information The Committee heard from: Professor Steven about the work of the Committee can be Cowley FRS, FREng, Chief Executive Officer, UK obtained from Chris Clarke, Committee Clerk, Atomic Energy Authority, Professor of Physics at [email protected] or 020 7219 4963. Imperial College London and Head of the The Committee Office email address is EURATOM/Culham Centre for Fusion Energy [email protected].

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 43 PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (POST)

RECENT POST PUBLICATIONS parts, devices and systems or the redesign of Sugar and Health existing biological systems. It may deliver May 2015 POSTnote 493 potential benefits across a wide range of applications. However, some future applications Sugars can be added to food and drinks or may raise social and ethical issues and occur naturally in fruit, vegetables and milk. A challenge current regulatory systems. This high sugar diet increases the risk of tooth decay POSTnote examines the potential benefits and and weight gain, and high consumption of challenges. sugar-sweetened drinks is associated with type 2 diabetes. This paper describes trends in sugar Trends in Political Participation consumption in the UK, the public health June 2015 POSTnote 498 implications and outlines policy options. Over the last fifty years in the UK, some aspects UK Broadband Infrastructure of participation in formal politics have May 2015 POSTnote 494 decreased, such as political party membership. But new forms of participation, such as online The growing use of smart phones and data activism, have emerged, which may become intensive services (such as video streaming), increasingly important, especially for younger has increased demand for both fixed and people. This POSTnote discusses trends in mobile internet. This POSTnote looks at patterns political participation, with a focus on new in broadband access and use, and the technical forms, drivers of these trends and how UK and policy challenges of enhancing UK democratic institutions are responding. broadband infrastructure to meet future needs. Novel Food Production Obesity Treatments June 2015 POSTnote 499 June 2015 POSTnote 495 Food production systems worldwide may have A quarter of adults in the UK are clinically obese to adapt radically to meet the rising global and therefore at an increased risk of developing demand for food. Emerging approaches in the chronic diseases. NHS advice is to eat fewer food sector include controlled-environment calories and take more exercise to lose weight. farming, alternative animal feeds, edible insects, Increasingly, drug treatments and surgery are and lab-cultured meat. This POSTnote considers being considered as a means to lose weight for these new technologies and summarises their extremely obese people who have had difficulty respective advantages and limitations. in adhering to lifestyle changes. This briefing discusses the current methods used to manage Towards 2020 and Beyond and treat obesity. June 2015 POSTnote 500

Trends in Transport This note focuses on policy drivers leading June 2015 POSTnote 496 towards 2020 and beyond. It looks at the relationship between UK policy and the Transport is a key driver of economic growth. It following drivers: people (demographics), links people to their workplaces and connects technological change, climate change, resource businesses. It also affects health, the security and sustainability, inequality, and environment and societal wellbeing. This governance issues. POSTnote looks at why transport is changing, outlines current trends across and within CURRENT WORK transport sectors and considers the planning of Biological Sciences – Minimum Age of Criminal transport networks. Responsibility, Health of Military Personnel, Anti- Regulation of Synthetic Biology Ebola Treatments, Trends in Crime and Justice, Forensic Linguistics and Phonetics, Cognitive June 2015 POSTnote 497 Biases in Court, 100,000 Genomes Synthetic biology can be defined as the design and engineering of novel biologically-based

44 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 Environment and Energy – Herbicide Resistance, Soils, Ecosystem Rothschild Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of Services & Food Security, Managing the UK Plutonium Stockpile, Cambridge; and, Dr Ruth Waters, Head of Profession for the Offshore Mining, Trends in the Environment, Future of Natural Ecosystem Approach in Natural England. Gas, Precision Agriculture, Trends in Energy, Trends in Agriculture Vegetative and Minimally Conscious States Physical sciences and IT – Commercial Space Activities, Trends in On 30th June, POST, in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust, ICT, Automation in Military Operations hosted a seminar exploring the medical, legal and ethical Social Sciences – Preventing extremism, Trends in Education challenges associated with the care of patients in vegetative and minimally conscious states. Medical advances mean that CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS increasing numbers of people survive trauma, stroke, periods of What Went Wrong With the Polls? low oxygenation and severe brain infections. Some, however, are On June 10th, POST hosted a working breakfast for MPs, Peers left with substantially reduced consciousness in either a vegetative and their staff on what may have gone wrong with pre-election or minimally conscious state. It was chaired by Dr Sarah Bunn polls, why the exit polls succeeded where other polls failed, and and the speakers were: Paul Woodgate, Humanities & Social where election polling goes from here. We also asked whether Science Research Funding at the Wellcome Trust; Judy Taylor, Co- polling data affected the way the campaigns were run, or even Founder and Trustee of Brain Injury is BIG; Professor Lynne the result itself. The speakers included: Lord Finkelstein, Times Turner-Stokes, Professor of Rehabilitation at King’s College London journalist and peer; Professor John Curtice, Professor of Politics at and Chair of the Royal College of Physicians’ Guidelines the University of Strathclyde and President of the British Polling development Group for prolonged Disorders of Consciousness; Council; Professor David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor of the Professor David Menon, Head of Division of Anaesthesia, Public Understanding of Risk, University of Cambridge; Penny University of Cambridge and Honorary Consultant, Neurosciences Young, Librarian and Director General of Information Services at Critical Care Unit, Addenbrooke’s Hospital; and the Honourable the House of Commons; Professor David Firth, Professor at the Mr Justice Baker, Family Division Liaison Judge for the Western University of Warwick’s Department of Statistics and exit pollster; Circuit, Royal Courts of Justice. and Ben Page, Chief Executive of Ipsos MORI. Future of Natural Gas Waking Up to UK Futures On 16th July POST hosted a working breakfast for MPs, Peers and On 23rd June, POST hosted a working breakfast for MPs, Peers their staff to discuss the future of UK natural gas production, gas and their staff to discuss five areas that are the focus of the UK use in the electricity, heat and transport sectors and the gas Government’s futures work, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, distribution network. It was chaired by Lord Oxburgh. The Internet of Things, Financial Technologies, Cities and the Future of speakers included: Peter Mather, Vice President Europe and Head Ageing. It was chaired by Lord Peter Hennessy. The speakers of UK, BP; Francis Egan, CEO, Cuadrilla; Ben Caldecott, Director of included: Professor David Lane, Professor of Autonomous Stranded Assets Programme, Oxford University; Prof Jim Watson, Systems Engineering at the Ocean Systems Laboratory Heriot- Research Director, UK Energy Research Centre; Amy Clemitshaw, Watt University; Mr Stephen Pattison, Head of Government Head of Fossil Fuel and CCS Policy, Department of Energy and Relations, ARM Holdings; Dr Louise Beaumont, Head of Public Climate Change; Jo Coleman, Strategy Development Director, Affairs and Marketing for GLI Finance; Professor Sir Alan Wilson, Energy Technologies Institute; Mark Lewis, Low Carbon Economy Professor of Urban and Regional Systems in the Centre for Manager, Tees Valley Unlimited and Dr Paul Dodds, Lecturer, Advanced Spatial Analysis at University College London; Professor University College London. Sarah Harper, Professor of Gerontology at the University of STAFF, FELLOWS AND INTERNS AT POST Oxford, Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing and Fellows Senior Research Fellow at Nuffield College, University of Oxford; Jessica Bland, Principal Researcher in the Policy and Research Klara Wanelik, University of Oxford, Natural Environment Research team, NESTA; and Josef Hargrave, Head of coordination and Council delivery of global and regional foresight activities, ARUP. Helen Snell, University of Aberdeen, Natural Environment Research Council Valuing our Life Support Systems Report Launch Jonathan Carruthers, Rothamsted Research, Biotechnology and On 25th June, POST hosted a seminar to launch the Natural Biological Sciences Research Council Capital Initiative’s ‘Valuing our Life Support Systems’ summit Claire Mawditt, Epidemiology and Public Health, University College report summarising the findings of the 2014 meeting and its London, Economic and Social Research Council recommendations for future activity. It was chaired by Barry Samuel Murison, Social Science, Health and Medicine, King's Gardiner MP. The speakers included: Professor Rosie Hails, Chair College London, Masters intern of the Natural Capital Initiative, Science Director for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Science at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Daniel Slade, Geography and Planning, University of Liverpool, (CEH); Professor Mike Acreman, Science Area Lead on Natural Economic and Social Research Council Capital at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and visiting Elo Luik, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Professor at University College London; Will Evison, Assistant Oxford, Economic and Social Research Council Director and Environmental Economist, PwC; Professor Bill Claire Louise Carter, Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sutherland, President of the British Ecological Society and Miriam Sussex, Economic and Social Research Council

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 45 David Neale, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, Ruth Nottingham, University of Nottingham, Biotechnology and Economic and Social Research Council Biological Sciences Research Council Wybo Wiersma, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, Lorna Christie, University of Glasgow, Engineering and Physical Economic and Social Research Council Sciences Research Council Leila Jameel, Department of Experimental Biology, University Harry Beeson, University of Cambridge, Engineering and Physical College London, Economic and Social Research Council Sciences Research Council Sarah Foxen, Department of Modern Languages, University of Karla-Luise Herpoldt, Imperial College London, Royal Society of Exeter, Arts and Humanities Research Council Chemistry Sophie Stammers, Department of Philosophy, King’s College Joshua Rogers, University of Durham, Nuffield Foundation London, Arts and Humanities Research Council Abby Casey, Imperial College London, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARY SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT SECTION

RECENT PUBLICATIONS background to these substances, policies to target them, the current legislative framework and the Reforming the Electronic Communications New Psychoactive Substances Bill, recently Code announced in the Queen's Speech. 26.5.15 | CBP-7203 New psychoactive substances (NPS) are The Electronic Communications Code, which designed to mimic the effects of a range of facilitates the installation and maintenance of traditional controlled drugs and, in contrast to electronic communications networks, has long traditional illicit drug use, their use is increasing. been considered in need of reform. They can be a challenge to control under existing Scientists and other staff in the In early 2015 the Coalition Government tabled an drugs legislation and new versions of substances Science and Environment Section amendment to the Infrastructure Bill (now the develop at a swift rate to attempt to avoid the provide confidential, bespoke briefing to Members and their Infrastructure Act 2015) which would have current controls. As a result of this, new policies offices on a daily basis. They also substantially reformed the Code along the lines of to target them have been introduced. These provide support to Commons Select Committees, and produce the Law Commission’s recommendations. The include Temporary class drug orders and the use longer notes and research papers amendment was later dropped amid criticism of alternative legislation. which can be accessed on line at from stakeholders. A nine-week consultation on http://www.parliament.uk/topics/ This Briefing paper provides a background to reforms to the Code then followed, and closed topical-issues.htm NPS, including problems of definition, speed of on 30 April 2015. Summaries of new and recently development and prevalence of use and their updated briefings are opposite. In the Productivity Plan published after the associated harms. It provides an overview of For further information contact: summer 2015 Budget, the Conservative current legislation in this area, the considerations Sarah Hartwell-Naguib Government announced that it planned to of a Government appointed expert panel review Head of Section introduce legislation in the first session of the and the new Bill. Tel: 020 7219 1665 (2015-20) Parliament to reform the Electronic email: Food Waste [email protected] Communications Code. This briefing paper looks 10.6.15 | SN07045 at attempts to reform the Electronic Communications Code, including the Coalition Food poverty, and a rise in food bank use, has Government's withdrawn amendment to the recently brought the issue of food waste to Infrastructure Bill in early 2015, and the Parliament’s attention. subsequent consultation on Code reforms. The House of Commons Environment, Food and New Psychoactive Substances Rural Affairs Committee’s report, Food security: 4.6.15 | CBP-7215 demand, consumption and waste (January 2015) called for Defra to appoint a Food Security Co- New Psychoactive substances (commonly ordinator to spur a step change in the referred to as 'legal highs') are a relatively new redistribution of surplus food to those in need. challenge in drugs policy. This briefing covers the

46 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hunger and Food Poverty they made several recommendations including calling for more suggested in its December 2014 Feeding Britain report that re- research on the carbon footprint of shale gas extraction. In the distributing and using surplus food would be the ‘next big UK, drilling for shale gas is at only the exploratory phase. But the breakthrough’ in eliminating hunger in the UK. It also called for rapid development of shale gas resources in North America has the creation of a new, national network of the food industry, food transformed the world gas-market outlook. banks and government working to match food needs to The regulatory regime for fracking in the UK is covered in this resources at local level. note along with comment on environmental concerns. It also The House of Lords EU Committee report on EU food waste, covers the new access provisions and debate on fracking during Counting the Cost of Food Waste (April 2014) highlighted a need the Infrastructure Bill’s passage through Parliament. to maintain momentum on EU food waste reduction and obtain The UK 4G spectrum auction and mobile coverage more accurate data. 20.7.15 | SN06383 It is estimated that the UK produces 15 million tonnes of food Ofcom auctioned radio spectrum needed for 4G mobile devices waste annually – UK households produce almost half of this. in 2013, raising £2.34 billion (less than Treasury forecasts). This Avoidable household food waste has reduced by 21% since briefing summarises the details of the auction, potential 2007 but the average UK household still throws away the interference with digital television and future plans for the 700 equivalent of six meals per week. MHz lot of spectrum. This note describes further the scale and implications of food waste, and sets out industry and other responses to tackle it. ACTIVITIES In addition to providing bespoke briefings for MPs, and publishing Support for Science briefing papers such as those highlighted above, the section has 19.6.15 | CBP-7237 prepared debate packs, containing briefing and supporting press Public funding for research comes from a mix of devolved (eg and parliamentary material, for debates on: Air pollution in Higher Education Funding Council for England) and UK (eg London; Effect of Gypsies and Travellers on local communities; Research Councils) institutions. Bodies like Innovate UK have a Opposition Day debate on Climate Change; Food Waste; Access specific focus on industrial research. Within these broad to drugs for ultra-rare diseases; Superfast Broadband Rollout; frameworks, grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Science and research in the UK and regional economies; Shale gas; Coastal flood risk; and Sentencing for cruelty to domestic Successive governments have sought to protect the science pets. budget – both in terms of recurring and capital costs. The latter are increasingly being linked to earmarked projects, a recent one The Section bid farewell to Michael Everett who competed a six being the Alan Turing Institute based at the British Library. The month secondment to the section, and welcomed a new non-capital science budget, held by the Department for Business, member of the team, Sara Priestley, formerly a specialist working Innovation and Skills, currently stands at £4.6 billion per annum. for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. The Conservative Party Manifesto 2015 provides an outline of the During the election dissolution the whole SES team visited the new Government’s general policy commitments in this area. RSPB reserve in Sandy, Bedfordshire, and had a series of briefings Planning for Onshore wind with policy advisers there. Some of the team took up the chance 22.6.15 | SN04370 to visit businesses as part of a placement scheme run by the Industry and Parliament Trust. David Hough, Sara Priestley and Ed In England the planning process for onshore wind developments White visited the University of Lancaster and heard about the varies according to size. The former Government temporarily latest developments in research into energy, environment and expanded the planning appeals recovery criteria to allow the climate change policies and issues being undertaken by the Secretary of State to take the final decision on onshore wind University. appeals. This expired in April 2015. The new Government has not yet said whether it plans to renew this power. A number of the team have participated in stakeholder engagements arranged by committee staff with Imperial College, This note sets out planning policy for onshore wind development, University of London, the Environment Agency and the National controls in place, rules on separation distances, possible Farmers Union. David Hough and Grahame Danby took part in community benefits and new Government proposals for change. outreach events designed to help academic institutions to It applies to England only. understand the workings of Parliament and how to communicate Shale Gas and Fracking research findings to MPs through engagement with the Library 25.6.15 | SN06073 and Select Committees. Shale gas is extracted from solid rock using a process called hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’. The Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering have reviewed the risks associated with fracking. They concluded that the health, safety and environmental risks can be managed effectively in the UK by implementing and enforcing best operational practice. However,

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 47 SCIENCE DIRECTORY

Research Councils UK Contact: Alexandra Saxon Head of RCUK Strategy Unit Research Councils UK Polaris House North Star Avenue Swindon SN2 1ET

Tel: 01793 444592 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.rcuk.ac.uk

Each year the Research Councils invest around £3 billion in research covering the full spectrum of academic disciplines from the medical and biological sciences to astronomy, physics, chemistry and engineering, social sciences, economics, environmental sciences and the arts and humanities. Research Councils UK is the strategic partnerships of the seven Research Councils. It aims to: • increase the collective visibility, leadership and influence of the Research Councils for the benefit of the UK; • lead in shaping the overall portfolio of research funded by the Research Councils to maximise the excellence and impact of UK research, and help to ensure that the UK gets the best value for money from its investment; • ensure joined-up operations between the Research Councils to achieve its goals and improve services to the communities it sponsors and works with.

Biotechnology Economic and and Biological Social Research Sciences Research Council Council (BBSRC) Contact: Jacky Clake, Head of Communications, Contact: Sarah Crew, Economic and Social Research Council, Parliamentary Relations Manager, Contact: Matt Goode Polaris House, North Star Avenue, EPSRC, Polaris House, Associate Director, Communications & Swindon SN2 1UJ North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1ET External Relations Tel: 01793 413117 Tel: 01793 444570 BBSRC, Polaris House, North Star Avenue E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Swindon SN2 1UH. Tel: 01793 413299 Website: www.esrc.ac.uk Website:www.epsrc.ac.uk E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.bbsrc.ac.uk The ESRC is the UK’s largest organisation for EPSRC is the UK’s main agency for funding research funding research on economic and social issues and and training in engineering and physical sciences, BBSRC invests in world-class bioscience research, is committed to supporting the very best research investing around £800m a year in research and innovation and training on behalf of the UK public. with wide-ranging impact. Social science postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the Our aim is to further scientific knowledge to contributes to greater knowledge and next generation of technological change. promote economic growth, wealth and job creation understanding of the many challenges our society The areas covered range from information and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond. faces today and by ensuring that ESRC-funded technology to structural engineering, and BBSRC research is helping society to meet major research makes the biggest possible impact, our mathematics to materials science. This research challenges, including food security, green energy research shapes public policies and makes business, forms the basis for future economic development in and healthier lifespans and underpins important UK the UK and improvements for everyone’s health, voluntary bodies and other organisations more lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside other economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial effective, as well as shaping wider society. We also Research Councils with responsibility for other areas biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. develop and train the UK’s future social scientists. of research.

Medical Natural Research Environment Council Research Council Contact: Sophie Broster-James Contact: Andy Jones Contact: Natalie Bealing Public Affairs Manager Government and Parliament Head of Stakeholder Engagement One Kemble Street, London WC2B 4AN. Communications Manager STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory NERC, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Tel: 020 7395 2275 Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX Swindon, SN2 1EU Tel: 01235 445484 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 01793 444238 Website: www.mrc.ac.uk Mobile: 07867553053 E-mail: [email protected] www.stfc.ac.uk Over the past century, the MRC has been at the forefront Email: [email protected] Website: www.nerc.ac.uk of scientific discovery to improve human health. Founded The Science and Technology Facilities Council is one in 1913 to tackle tuberculosis, the MRC now invests NERC is the UK’s leading public funder of environmental of Europe’s largest multidisciplinary research taxpayers’ money in the highest quality medical research science. We invest £330 million each year in cutting-edge organisations undertaking and supporting a broad across every area of health. Thirty-one MRC-funded research, postgraduate training and innovation in range of research across the physical, life and researchers have won Nobel prizes in a wide range of universities and research centres. computational sciences. We operate world class, disciplines, and MRC scientists have been behind such Our scientists study the physical, chemical and biological large-scale research facilities in the UK and Europe diverse discoveries as vitamins, the structure of DNA and processes on which our planet and life itself depends – and provide strategic advice to the UK Government the link between smoking and cancer, as well as from pole to pole, from the deep Earth and oceans to the achievements such as pioneering the use of randomised atmosphere and space. on their development. We partner in two of the UK’s controlled trials, the invention of MRI scanning, and the We partner with business, government, the public and the Science and Innovation Campuses. We also manage development of therapeutic antibodies. We also work international research projects in support of a broad closely with the UK’s Health Departments, the NHS, wider research community to shape the environmental cross-section of the UK research community, medical research charities and industry to ensure our research and innovation agenda. Our science provides research achieves maximum impact as well as being of knowledge, skills and technology that deliver sustainable particularly in the fields of astronomy, nuclear physics excellent scientific quality. economic growth and public wellbeing. and particle physics.

48 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 SCIENCE DIRECTORY

Association AIRTO of the British Pharmaceutical Contact: Professor Richard Brook OBE FREng Contact: Dr Matt Norton AIRTO Ltd: Association of Innovation 3 Riverside, Granta Park Industry Research & Technology Organisations Limited Cambridge, CB21 6AD c/o National Physical Laboratory Tel: 01223 824575 Contact: Audrey Yvernault Hampton Road, Teddington E-mail: [email protected] Head of Policy and Public Affairs Middlesex TW11 0LW Website: 7th Floor, Southside, 105 Victoria Street, Tel: 020 8943 6600 http://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/ London SW1E 6QT E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 020 7747 7136 Twitter: @airtoinnovation Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading Email: [email protected] Website: www.airto.co.uk dementia research charity. Currently, we support Website: www.abpi.org.uk AIRTO – Association of Innovation, Research & Technology 132 projects worth over £26.4m and have The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) Organisations – is the foremost membership body for the committed over £60m to research since the charity represents innovative research-based biopharmaceutical UK’s innovation, research and technology sector, companies, large, medium and small, leading an exciting new era began. As research specialists, we fund pioneering of biosciences in the UK. Our industry, a major contributor to the representing 80% of organisations in the sector. research at leading universities across the UK and economy of the UK, brings life-saving and life-enhancing AIRTO’s members deliver vital innovation and knowledge medicines to patients. Our members are researching and the globe with the goal of defeating dementia. Our developing over two-thirds of the current medicines pipeline, transfer services which include applied and collaborative expertise brings together leading dementia ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of helping patients R&D, (frequently in conjunction with universities), prevent and overcome diseases. Topics we focus on include: consultancy, technology validation and testing, incubation scientists to share ideas and understanding. We • All aspects of the research and development of medicines of commercialisation opportunities and early stage work with people with dementia to reflect their including clinical research and licensing financing. AIRTO members have a combined turnover of concerns and firmly believe that science holds the • Stratified medicine over £5.5bn from clients both at home and outside the UK, and employ over 47,000 scientists, technologists and key to defeating dementia. • Vaccines, biosimilars, small and large molecules, cell therapy and regenerative medicine engineers.

AMPS The British Ecological Contact: Tony Harding Contact: Gabriele Butkute Society Science Policy Assistant 07895 162 896 for all queries whether for Biochemical Society Contact: Jackie Caine, Policy Manager membership or assistance. Charles Darwin House British Ecological Society Branch Office Address: 12 Roger Street, London WC1N 2JU 12 Roger Street, London WC1N 2JU Merchant Quay, Tel: +44 (0)20 7685 2401 Email: [email protected] Salford Quays, Salford Email: [email protected] Tel: 020 7685 2510 M50 3SG. Website: www.biochemistry.org Website: www.BritishEcologicalSociety.org Ecology & Policy Blog The Biochemical Society works to support the advancement http://britishecologicalsociety.org/blog/ Website: www.amps-tradeunion.com of the molecular biosciences; facilitating the circulation of Twitter: @BESPolicy We are a Trades Union for Management and knowledge and supporting innovation, raising awareness of the importance of our discipline in addressing societal grand Professional Staff working in the pharmaceutical, challenges. The British Ecological Society’s mission is to generate, communicate and promote ecological solutions. The chemical and allied industries. We achieve our mission by: Society has over 5,000 members worldwide, publishes five We have produced a training programme funded by • Supporting the next generation of biochemists internationally renowned scientific journals and organises the EU on diversity and helping women managers • Bringing together molecular bioscientists; fostering the largest scientific meeting for ecologists in Europe. remain in the workplace after a career break. This connections and providing a platform for collaboration Through its grants, the BES supports ecologists in training programme is aimed at both men and women and networking developing countries, public engagement and research. and is intended to address the shortfall in qualified • Promoting and sharing knowledge through meetings, The BES informs and advises Parliament and Government personnel in the chemical and allied industries. publications and public engagement on ecological issues and is committed to ensuring that • Highlighting the role of molecular biosciences in We are experts in performance based and field related interdisciplinary and translational research, while policy-makers have access to the best available evidence. issues and are affiliated to our counterparts in EU supporting the fundamental science that underpins The BES welcomes requests for assistance from Professional Management Unions. applied studies parliamentarians.

British British In Vitro Nutrition Diagnostics Association Foundation

(BIVDA) Contact: Professor Judy Buttriss, Contact: Jonathan Brüün Director General Chief Executive Contact: Doris-Ann Williams MBE Imperial House 6th Floor British Pharmacological Society Chief Executive 15-19 Kingsway The Schild Plot, 16 Angel Gate, British In Vitro Diagnostics Association London WC2B 6UN City Road, London EC1V 2PT Devonshire House Tel: +44(0) 20 7557 7930 Tel: : 020 7239 0171 164 – 168 Westminster Bridge Road Email: [email protected] Fax: 020 7417 0114 London SE1 7RW Email: [email protected] Websites: www.nutrition.org.uk Website: www.bps.ac.uk Tel: 0845 6188224 www.foodafactoflife.org.uk Email: [email protected] The British Pharmacological Society is a charity with a www.bivda.co.uk The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), a mission to promote and advance the whole spectrum of registered charity, delivers impartial, authoritative pharmacology. It is the primary UK learned society BIVDA is the UK industry association representing concerned with drugs and the way they work, and leads the companies who manufacture and/or distribute the and evidence-based information on food and way in the research and application of pharmacology diagnostics tests and equipment to diagnose, nutrition. Its core purpose is to make nutrition around the world. monitor and manage disease largely through the NHS science accessible to all, working with an Founded in 1931, the Society champions pharmacology in pathology services. Increasingly diagnostics are used extensive network of contacts across academia, all its forms, across academia, industry, regulatory agencies outside the laboratory in community settings and also education and the food chain, and through BNF and the health service. With over 3,500 members from over 60 countries worldwide, the Society is a friendly and to identify those patients who would benefit from work programmes focussing on education in collaborative community. Enquiries about the discovery, specific drug treatment particularly for cancer. schools and nutrition science communication. development and application of drugs are welcome.

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 49 SCIENCE DIRECTORY

The British Psychological Mrs Tracey Guise Contact: Jo Revill, CEO Society Chief Executive Officer Vintage House British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 37 Albert Embankment Contact: Tanja Siggs Griffin House | 53 Regent Place | Birmingham Policy Advisor - Legislation London SE1 7TL. B1 3NJ Tel: 020 3031 9800 The British Psychological Society www.bsac.org.uk | www.antibiotic-action.com Fax: 020 7582 2882 St Andrews House www.e-opat.com | www.nas-pps.com E-mail: [email protected] 48 Princess Road East |www.appg-on-antibiotics.com Website: www.immunology.org Leicester LE1 7DR www.bsacsurv.org Tel: 0116 252 9526 The BSI is one of the oldest, largest and most active The BSAC is an inter-professional organisation with over Email: [email protected] forty years of experience and achievement in antibiotic immunology societies in the world. We have over Website: www.bps.org.uk education, research and leadership. The Society has an 5,000 members who work in all areas of active international membership and: immunology, including research and clinical • Is dedicated to saving lives through the effective use and The British Psychological Society is an organisation development of antibiotics, now and in the future. practice. of 50,000 members governed by Royal Charter. It • Communicates effectively about antibiotics and antibiotic The BSI runs major scientific meetings, education maintains the Register of Chartered Psychologists, usage via workshops, professional guidelines and its own programmes and events for all ages. We high impact international journal, the Journal of publishes books, 11 primary science Journals and Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. disseminate top quality scientific research through organises conferences. Requests for information • Is home to the UK-led global initiative Antibiotic Action our journals and meetings and we are committed to about psychology and psychologists from • Serves as secretariat to the All Party Parliamentary Group bringing the wonders and achievements of on Antibiotics immunology to as many audiences as possible. parliamentarians are very welcome.

British Society Brunel Cavendish of Soil Science University Laboratory London Contact: Departmental Administrator, Contact: Ian Brown The Cavendish Laboratory, Contact: Geoff Rodgers J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK. LR8, Vincent Building, Cranfield University, Brunel University London Kingston Lane E-mail: glw33.cam.ac.uk Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL Uxbridge UB8 3PH http://www.phy.cam.ac.uk Tel: 01895 265609 Tel: 01234 752983 Fax: 01895 269740 The Cavendish Laboratory houses the Department of Physics E-mail: [email protected] of the University of Cambridge. E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.brunel.ac.uk Brunel University London is an international research active university The research programme covers the breadth of Website: www.soils.org.uk with 3 leading research institutes: contemporary physics Institute of Energy Futures: Led by Professor Savvas Tassou, the main themes of the Institute are Advanced Engines and Biofuels, Energy Extreme Universe: Astrophysics, cosmology and high Efficient and Sustainable Technologies, Smart Power Networks, and The British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) or "BS Resource Efficient Future Cities. energy physics Institute of Materials and Manufacturing: The main themes of research Quantum Universe: Cold atoms, condensed matter theory, cubed" as it is fondly known was founded in are Design for Sustainable Manufacturing, Liquid Metal Engineering, 1947 by a number of eminent British soil Materials Characterisation and Processing, Micro-Nano Manufacturing, scientific computing, quantum matter and semiconductor and Structural Integrity. The Institute is led by Professor Luiz Wrobel. physics scientists. It was formed with the aims: to Institute of Environment, Health and Societies: Professor Susan Materials Universe: Optoelectronics, nanophotonics, advance the study of soil; to be open to Jobling leads this pioneering research institute whose themes are Health and Environment, Healthy Ageing, Health Economics Synthetic Biology, detector physics, thin film magnetism, surface physics and membership from all those with an interest in Biomedical Engineering and Healthcare Technologies, and Social Sciences and Health. the Winton programme for the physics of sustainability the study and uses of soil; and to issue an Brunel University London offers a wide range of expertise and Biological Universe: Physics of medicine, biological knowledge, and prides itself on having academic excellence at the core annual publication. of its offer, and was ranked in the recent REF as 33rd in the UK for systems and soft matter Research Power (average quality rating by number of submissions) and The Laboratory has world-wide collaborations with other described by The Times Higher Education as one of the real winners of the REF 2014. universities and industry

Clifton The Council Scientific for the Trust Mathematical Sciences Contact: Dr Christopher Flower Contact: Dr Eric Albone MBE Contact: Lindsay Walsh Josaron House Clifton Scientific Trust De Morgan House 5-7 John Princes Street 49 Northumberland Road, Bristol BS6 7BA 57-58 Russell Square London W1G 0JN Tel: 0117 924 7664 Fax: 0117 924 7664 London WC1B 4HS Tel: 020 7491 8891 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 020 7637 3686 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.clifton-scientific.org Fax: 020 7323 3655 Website: www.ctpa.org.uk & Email: [email protected] Science for Citizenship and Employability, Website: www.cms.ac.uk www.thefactsabout.co.uk Science for Life, Science for Real

We build grass-roots partnerships between school and The Council for the Mathematical Sciences is an CTPA is the UK trade association representing the wider world of professional science and its authoritative and objective body that works to develop, applications manufacturers of cosmetic products and influence and respond to UK policy issues affecting • for young people of all ages and abilities mathematical sciences in higher education and suppliers to the cosmetic products industry. research, and therefore the UK economy and society by: • experiencing science as a creative, questioning, • providing expert advice; ‘Cosmetic products’ are legally defined and human activity subject to stringent EU safety laws. CTPA is the • engaging with government, funding agencies and • bringing school science added meaning and other decision makers; authoritative public voice of a vibrant and notivation, from primary to post-16 • raising public awareness; and responsible UK industry trusted to act for the • locally, nationally, internationally (currently • facilitating communication between the consumer; ensuring the science behind between Britain and Japan; also the Ukraine) mathematical sciences community and other cosmetics is fully understood. Clifton Scientific Trust Ltd is registered charity 1086933 stakeholders

50 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 SCIENCE DIRECTORY Eli Lilly and Energy Company Institute

Ltd Contact: Louise Kingham OBE FEI Chief Executive Contact: Thom Thorp, Senior Director, 61 New Cavendish Street Tamzin Caffrey Corporate Affairs London W1G 7AR Head of Communications Tel: 01256 315000 Tel: 020 7467 7100 EngineeringUK Fax: 01256 775858 Email: [email protected] 5th Floor, Woolgate Exchange Eli Lilly and Company Ltd, Lilly House 25 Basinghall Street, London EC2V 5HA Priestley Road, Basingstoke, Hants, Website: www.energyinst.org Tel: 020 3206 0444 RG24 9NL The Energy Institute (EI) is the chartered professional body Fax: 020 3206 0401 Email. [email protected] for the energy sector, supporting over 20,000 individuals E-mail: tcaffrey@engineeringuk.com Website: www.lilly.co.uk and 250 companies worldwide. The EI provides learning Website: www.EngineeringUK.com Lilly UK is the UK affiliate of a major American and networking opportunities, professional recognition pharmaceutical manufacturer, Eli Lilly and Company and technical and scientific knowledge resources on EngineeringUK is an independent organisation that of Indianapolis. This affiliate is one of the UK’s top energy in all its forms and applications. promotes the vital role of engineers, engineering pharmaceutical companies with significant The EI’s purpose is to develop and disseminate and technology in our society. EngineeringUK investment in science and technology including a knowledge, skills and good practice towards a safe, partners business and industry, Government and the secure and sustainable energy system. It addresses the neuroscience research and development centre and wider science and technology community: bulk biotechnology manufacturing operations. depth and breadth of the energy sector and informs policy by providing a platform for debate and producing evidence on the state of engineering; Lilly medicines treat schizophrenia, diabetes, cancer, scientifically-sound information. sharing knowledge within engineering, and osteoporosis, attention deficit hyperactivity A registered charity, the EI serves society with inspiring young people to choose a career in disorder, erectile dysfunction, depression, bipolar independence, professionalism and a wealth of expertise engineering, matching employers’ demand for disorder, heart disease and many other diseases. in all energy matters. skills. Fera First Group GAMBICA Association Ltd Contact: Mac Andrade Contact: Director of Science 50 Eastbourne Terrace Fera Science Ltd. (Fera) Paddington Contact: Dr Graeme Philp Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ London W2 6LG Broadwall House Tel: 01904 462000 Tel: 07715 038 436 21 Broadwall E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] London SE1 9PL Website: www.fera.co.uk Website: www.firstgroup.com Tel: 020 7642 8080 Fax: 020 7642 8096 Fera provides expert analytical and professional E-mail: [email protected] services to governments, agrichemical companies, FirstGroup is the leading transport operator in the Website: www.gambica.org.uk food retailers, manufacturers and farmers to UK and North America. facilitate safety, productivity and quality across the GAMBICA Association is the UK trade association agrifood supply chain in a sustainable and environmentally compatible way. for instrumentation, control, automation and Our services help create strong, vibrant and Fera uses its world leading scientific expertise to laboratory technology. The association seeks to provide robust evidence, rigorous analysis and sustainable local economies and our opportunity is promote the successful development of the industry professional advice to governments, international to be the provider of choice for our customers and and assist its member companies through a broad bodies and companies worldwide. Our food communities. During the last year around 2.5 billion integrity, plant health, agri-tech and agri- range of services, including technical policy and informatics services ensure that our customers have people relied on us to get to work, to education, to standards, commercial issues, market data and access to leading edge science, technology and visit family and friends and much more. export services. expertise.

The Glass and Geological Glazing Society Federation

Contact: Nic Bilham Contact: James Lee Contact: Sophia Griffiths Director of Policy and Communications 54 Ayres Street 5 Cambridge Court Burlington House London SE1 1EU 210 Shepherds Bush Road Piccadilly Tel: 020 7939 9100 London W6 7NJ London W1J 0BG Fax: 0870 042 4266 Tel: 020 7603 6316 Tel: 020 7434 9944 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Fax: 020 7439 8975 Website: www.ggf.org.uk Website: www.ifst.org E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.geolsoc.org.uk The GGF is the main representative organisation for IFST is the independent qualifying body for food companies involved in all aspects of the professionals in Europe. Membership is drawn from The Geological Society is the national learned and manufacture of flat glass and products and services all over the world from backgrounds including for all types of glazing, in commercial and domestic professional body for Earth sciences, with 11,500 industry, universities, government, research and Fellows (members) worldwide. The Fellowship sectors. development and food law enforcement. encompasses those working in industry, academia Members include companies that manufacture and and government, with a wide range of perspectives install energy efficient windows, in homes and IFST’s activities focus on disseminating knowledge and views on policy-relevant science, and the commercial buildings, the performance glass used relating to food science and technology and Society is a leading communicator of this science to in every type of building from houses to high-rise promoting its application. Another important government bodies and other non-technical tower blocks and the components that are used to element of our work is to promote and uphold audiences. manufacture every type of glazing. standards amongst food professionals.

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 51 SCIENCE DIRECTORY

Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Contact: Alex Connor Technology (IMarEST) 76 Portland Place, London W1B 1NT Tel: 020 7470 4819 Contact: Bev Mackenzie Contact: Mr Peter Martindale, CEO and Secretary E-mail: [email protected] Institute of Marine Engineering, Science Website: www.iop.org and Technology (IMarEST), Aldgate House, The Institute of Measurement and Control 33 Aldgate High Street, London, EC3N 1EN 87 Gower Street, London WC1E 6AF Tel: +44 (0) 20 73874949 The Institute of Physics is a leading scientific society. Tel: +44(0) 20 7382 2600 Fax: +44 (0) 20 73888431 We are a charitable organisation with a worldwide membership of more than 50,000, working Fax: +44(0) 20 7382 2667 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] together to advance physics education, research Website: www.instmc.org.uk and application. Website: www.imarest.org Reg Charity number: 269815 We engage with policymakers and the general Established in London in 1889, the IMarEST is a The Institute of Measurement and Control provides a public to develop awareness and understanding of leading international membership body and learned forum for personal contact amongst practiioners, the value of physics and, through IOP Publishing, society for marine professionals, with over 15,000 publishes learned papers and is a professional we are world leaders in professional scientific communications. members worldwide. The IMarEST has an extensive examining and qualifying organisation able to confer marine network of 50 international branches, the titles EurIng, CEng, IEng, EngTech; Companies and In September 2013, we launched our first affiliations with major marine societies around the Universities may apply to become Companions. fundraising campaign. Our campaign, Opportunity Physics, offers you the chance to support the work world, representation on the key marine technical Headquartered in London, the Institute has a strong that we do. committees and non-governmental status at the regional base with 15 UK, 1 Hong Kong and 1 Malaysia International Maritime Organization (IMO) as well Local Section, a bilateral agreement with the China Visit us at www.iop.org, follow us as other intergovernmental organisations. @physicsnews Instrument Society and other major international links.

Institute of Institution Physics and of Civil

Engineering The Institution of Chemical Engineers Engineers in Medicine Contact: Alex Green-Wilkes, With over 42,000 members in 120 Public Affairs Manager, Contact: Rosemary Cook CBE (CEO) countries, IChemE is the global One Great George Street, Westminster, Fairmount House, 230 Tadcaster Road, London SW1P 3AA, UK York, YO24 1ES membership organisation for Tel: 020 7665 2109 Tel: 01904 610821 Fax: 01904 612279 chemical engineers. A not for profit E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] organisation, we serve the public Website: www.ice.org.uk Website: www.ipem.ac.uk interest by building and sustaining IPEM is a registered, incorporated charity for the an active professional community Established in 1818 and with over 86,000 and promoting the development, advancement, in the public interest, of physics and members in 167 countries worldwide, ICE is a engineering applied to medicine and biology. Its understanding and application of leading source of expertise in infrastructure and members are medical physicists, clinical and bio- chemical engineering worldwide. engineers, and clinical technologists. It organises engineering policy and is widely seen as the training and CPD for them, and provides opportunities independent voice of infrastructure. ICE provides for the dissemination of knowledge through Alana Collis, Technical policy manager publications and scientific meetings. IPEM is licensed by +44 (0) 1788 534459 advice to all political parties and works with the Science Council to award CSci, RSci and RSciTech, [email protected] industry to ensure that civil engineering and and by the Engineering Council to award CEng, IEng www.icheme.org construction remain major contributors to the and EngTech. Kuala Lumpur | London | Melbourne | Rugby | Singapore | Wellington UK economy.

Institution of Institution of Engineering Mechanical Designers Engineers

Contact: Libby Meyrick Contact: Richard Campbell Contact: Paul Davies 1 Birdcage Walk Courtleigh IET, Westbury Leigh London SW1H 9JJ Michael Faraday House, Tel: 020 7973 1293 Westbury Six Hills Way, Wiltshire BA13 3TA E-mail: [email protected] Stevenage, Website: www.imeche.org Tel: 01373 822801 SG1 2AY Fax: 01373 858085 Tel: +44(0) 1438 765687 E-mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.ied.org.uk Web: www.theiet.org The Institution provides politicians and civil servants with information, expertise and advice on a diverse The only professional membership body solely for those working in engineering and technological The IET is a world leading professional organisation, range of subjects, focusing on manufacturing, product design. Engineering Council and Chartered sharing and advancing knowledge to promote energy, environment, transport and education Environmentalist registration for suitably qualified science, engineering and technology across the policy. We regularly publish policy statements and members. Membership includes experts on a wide world. Dating back to 1871, the IET has over host political briefings and policy events to establish range of engineering and product design 163,000 members in 127 countries with offices in disciplines, all of whom practise, manage or a working relationship between the engineering educate in design. New for 2015: Chartership for Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. profession and parliament. Product Designers (CTPD).

52 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 SCIENCE DIRECTORY

LGC

Queens Road, Teddington Middlesex, TW11 0LY Tel: +44 (0)20 8943 7000 Contact: Dr Elizabeth Rollinson, Contact: Anna Lucuk, Fax: +44 (0)20 8943 2767 Executive Secretary Director of Corporate Communication, E-mail: [email protected] The Linnean Society of London L’Oreal UK & Ireland Website: www.lgcgroup.com Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BF 255 Hammersmith Road, London W6 8AZ LGC is an international science-based company and Tel: 020 7434 4479 ext 12 Tel: 0208 762 4374 market leader in the provision of analytical, forensic E-mail: [email protected] and diagnostic services and reference standards to Website: www.linnean.org E-mail: [email protected] customers in the public and private sectors. Website: www.loreal.co.uk Under the Government Chemist function, LGC As the world’s oldest biological society, the Linnean fulfils specific statutory duties as the referee analyst Society of London is an essential forum and meeting and provides advice for Government and the wider point for those interested in natural history. The Society L’Oréal employs more than 3,800 researchers € analytical community on the implications of holds regular public events, publishes three peer- world-wide and dedicates over 850 million each analytical chemistry for matters of policy, standards reviewed journals, promotes the study of the natural year to research and innovation in the field of and regulation. LGC is also the UK’s designated world with several educational initiatives and is home to healthy skin and hair. The company supports National Measurement Institute for chemical and a world famous library and collection of natural history women in science research through the L’Oréal biochemical analysis. specimens. The Society’s Fellows have a considerable UNESCO For Women In Science Programme and With headquarters in Teddington, South West range of biological expertise that can be harnessed to engages young people with science through the London, LGC has 36 laboratories and centres across inform and advise on scientific and public policy issues. L’Oréal Young Scientist Centre at the Royal Institution. L’Oréal also collaborates with a vast Europe and at sites in China, Brazil, India, South A Forum for Natural History Africa and the US. number of institutions in the UK and globally.

Marine Biological Met Office National Association Physical Laboratory Contact: Dr Matthew Frost Contact: Dr Matt Huddleston Marine Biological Association, Met Office Contact: Fiona Auty The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB 127 Clerkenwell Road National Physical Laboratory Tel: 07848028388 London EC1R 5LP. Hampton Road, Teddington Fax: 01752 633102 Tel: 020 7204 7469 Middlesex TW11 0LW E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 020 8977 3222 Website: mba.ac.uk Website: www.metoffice.gov.uk Website: www.npl.co.uk/contact-us Since 1884 the Marine Biological Association has The Met Office doesn’t just forecast the weather on The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is the United been delivering its mission ‘to promote scientific television. Our forecasts and warnings protect UK Kingdom’s national measurement institute, an research into all aspects of life in the sea, including communities and infrastructure from severe internationally respected and independent centre of the environment on which it depends, and to weather and environmental hazards every day – excellence in research, development and disseminate to the public the knowledge gained.’ they save lives and money. Our Climate Programme knowledge transfer in measurement and materials The MBA represents its members in providing a delivers evidence to underpin Government policy science. For more than a century, NPL has clear independent voice to government on behalf through the Met Office Hadley Centre. Our Mobile developed and maintained the nation’s primary of the marine biological community. It also has an Meteorological Unit supports the Armed Forces measurement standards - the heart of an extensive research programme and a long history as around the world. We build capacity overseas in infrastructure designed to ensure accuracy, an expert provider of advice for the benefit of policy support of international development. All of this consistency and innovation in physical makers and wider society. built on world-class environmental science. measurement.

Natural NEF: The History Innovation

Museum Advancing the science of nature Institute Boughton Green Road, Contact: John Jackson Contact: Vicki Chen Northampton, NN2 7AL Head of Science Policy and Communication 29 Harley Street Tel: 01604 735500 Natural History Museum London W1G 9QR Fax: 01604 716502 Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD Tel: 0208 786 3677 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5257 Fax: 0208 271 3620 Website: www.northampton.ac.uk E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.nhm.ac.uk Website: www.thenef.org.uk The University of Northampton is a Top 50 UK The Innovation Institute aims to drive innovation and growth We challenge the way people think about the natural world in science, technology and engineering to achieve growth, University*. We are committed to science education – its past, present and future prosperity and wellbeing in the UK. Our partners, clients and through initial teacher training, a STEM We use our unique collection and unrivalled expertise to stakeholders include: tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. I Businesses Ambassador network which works within the I We are leaders in the scientific understanding of the origin Education providers community and teaching and research to doctoral of our planet, life on it and can predict the impact of future I Government bodies change. New Engineering Foundation, our charitable arm, focusses on level. We are an Ashoka U ‘Changemaker Campus’ We study the diversity of life and the delicate balance of SciTech skills development. NEF work in vocational training status university recognising our commitment to ecosystems to ensure the survival of our planet. and further education is supported by a Panel drawn from key industries. social innovation and entrepreneurship. We help enable food security, eradicate disease and manage Our Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange is a resource scarcity. professional body and a “do tank”, led by the Innovation (*Guardian University Guide 2015) We inspire people to engage with science to solve major Council to support the role of innovation in society. societal challenges.

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 53 SCIENCE DIRECTORY

PHARMAQ Ltd

Contact: Saranjit Sihota Contact: Alex Miles Contact: Dr Benjamin P North Director of External Affairs PHARMAQ Ltd Deputy Director, External Relations Hodgkin Huxley House (Public Affairs) Unit 15 Sandleheath Industrial Estate 30 Farringdon Lane University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD Fordingbridge London EC1R 3AW E-mail: [email protected] Hants SP6 1PA. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7269 5728 Mobile: 07917115197 Tel: 01425 656081 E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @AlextoMiles E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.physoc.org www.nottingham.ac.uk Website: www.pharmaq.no Physiology is the science of how molecules, cells and With 43,000 students and campuses in PHARMAQ is the only global pharmaceutical company organs work in the body. Representing over 3000 with a primary focus on aquaculture. Our mission is to Nottingham, China and Malaysia, The University of provide environmentally sound, safe and efficacious health life scientists, The Physiological Society supports Nottingham is ‘the nearest Britain has to a truly products to the global aquaculture industry through scientific research through its grants schemes, global university’. With more than 97 per cent of targeted research and the commitment of dedicated conferences and its three open access journals. people. We have a product portfolio that includes over 20 research at the University recognised internationally fish vaccines along with specialist feed additives, The Society also supports the teaching of physiology according to the Research Excellence Framework anaesthetics, antibiotics, sea lice treatments and biocide in schools and universities, and works to promote an 2014, the University is ranked in the top 1% of the disinfectants. Through our sister company, PHARMAQ understanding of physiology amongst policy-makers world’s universities by the QS World University Analytiq, we also offer a range of diagnostics services that can be used to help safeguard fish welfare and improve and the general public. Rankings. productivity.

Prospect

Contact: Dr Andrew Muir Contact: Sue Ferns, c/o STFC Innovations Ltd Contact: Helen Wilkinson Director of Communications and Research, Harwell Campus Oxford OX11 0QX Dallam Court, Dallam Lane New Prospect House Tel: 0121 710 1990 Warrington, WA2 7LT 8 Leake St, London SE1 7NN E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 01925 41 3984 Website: www.rainbowseedfund.com Tel: 020 7902 6639 Fax: 020 7902 6637 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] The Rainbow Seed Fund is a £24m, early-stage Website: www.risksol.co.uk www.prospect.org.uk venture capital fund dedicated to kick-starting Risk Solutions helps our clients make better decisions in Prospect is an independent, thriving and forward- promising technology companies emerging from a complex and uncertain world. looking trade union with 117,000 members across the UK science base. The Fund is backed by ten UK Using traditional qualitative and quantitative methods, the private and public sectors and a diverse range of publicly-funded research organisations and the combined with cutting-edge participative approaches, occupations. We represent scientists, technologists Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and we work with clients from across the public and private sectors, their stakeholders and customers, to bring a and other professions in the civil service, research holds investments in some of the UK’s most depth of understanding of the issues and to develop councils and private sector. innovative companies in areas as diverse as novel consensus about how to tackle them. Prospect’s collective voice champions the interests of antibiotics, research into Alzheimer’s disease, Our small, highly motivated and client focused team the engineering and scientific community to key “green” chemicals and airport security. The Fund is delivers: opinion-formers and policy makers. With managed by Midven, a specialist venture capital • policy design, appraisal and decision support negotiating rights with over 300 employers, we seek company. We are prepared to invest early and help • risk assessment and risk based strategies and plans to secure a better life at work by putting members’ build a proposition to attract additional investment • evaluation, assurance and organisational review, and pay, conditions and careers first. and get to market. • training, coaching and guidance.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Contact: Office of the Science Directorate Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Contact: Dr Gail Cardew Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB Director of Science and Education Tel: 020 8332 5050/5248 Email: [email protected] The Royal Institution Website: www.kew.org 21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BS Contact: Juniour Blake RBG Kew is a centre of global scientific expertise in plant and Tel: 020 7409 2992 Fax: 020 7670 2920 External Relations Manager fungal diversity, conservation, and sustainable use, housed in E-mail: [email protected] Royal Academy of Engineering two world-class gardens. Our scientific vision is to document Websites: www.rigb.org, and understand global plant and fungal diversity and its uses, 3 Carlton House Terrace www.richannel.org London SW1Y 5DG bringing authoritative expertise to bear on the critical challenges facing humanity today. Twitter: ri_science Tel: 020 7766 0600 Kew’s strategic priorities for science are: E-mail: [email protected] 1. To document and conduct research into global plant and The Royal Institution (Ri) has been at the forefront of Website: www.raeng.org.uk fungal diversity and its uses for humanity. public engagement with science for over 200 years 2. To curate and provide data-rich evidence from Kew’s and our purpose is to encourage people to think As the UK’s national academy for engineering, we unrivalled collections as a global asset for scientific further about the wonders of science. We run public bring together the most successful and talented research. events and the famous CHRISTMAS LECTURES®, a engineers for a shared purpose: to advance and 3. To disseminate our scientific knowledge of plants and national programme of Masterclasses for young promote excellence in engineering. We have four fungi, maximising its impact in science, education, people in mathematics, engineering and computer conservation policy and management. strategic challenges: drive faster and more balanced science, educational activities at the L’Oréal Young These priorities enable us to curate, use, enhance, explore Scientist Centre and policy discussions with science economic growth; foster better education and skills; and share Kew’s global resource, providing robust data and a students. And through the Ri Channel we share the lead the profession; and promote engineering at the strong evidence base for our UK and global stakeholders. stories behind cutting-edge science with people heart of society. Kew is a non-departmental government body with exempt charitable status, partially funded by Defra. around the world.

54 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 SCIENCE DIRECTORY

The Royal Royal Society Society of Contact: Becky Purvis Biology Head of Public Affairs The Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace Contact: Dr Stephen Benn London SW1Y 5AG. Director of Parliamentary Affairs Contact: Clare Viney Tel: 020 7451 2261 Society of Biology Charles Darwin House Executive Director, Communications, Email: [email protected] Policy and Campaigns Website: www.royalsociety.org 12 Roger Street Royal Society of Chemistry, Thomas Graham London WC1N 2JU House (290), Science Park, Milton Road, Tel: 020 7685 2550 Cambridge, CB4 0WF The Royal Society is the UK academy of science E-mail: [email protected] Tel 020 7440 2267 comprising 1400 outstanding individuals Website: www.rsb.org.uk Email [email protected] representing the sciences, engineering and Website: www.rsc.org The Royal Society of Biology is a single unified voice, The Royal Society of Chemistry is the world’s leading medicine. It has had a hand in some of the most representing a diverse membership of individuals, chemistry community, advancing excellence in the innovative and life-changing discoveries in scientific learned societies and other organisations. We are committed to ensuring that we provide Government chemical sciences. With over 50,000 members and a history. Through its Fellowship and permanent staff, and other policy makers – including funders of knowledge business that spans the globe, we are the it seeks to ensure that its contribution to shaping biological education and research – with a distinct point UK’s professional body for chemical scientists; a not- for-profit organisation with 170 years of history and the future of science in the UK and beyond has a of access to authoritative, independent, and evidence- based opinion, representative of the widest range of an international vision of the future. We promote, deep and enduring impact. bioscience disciplines. Our vision is of a world that support and celebrate chemistry. We work to shape understands the true value of biology and how it can the future of the chemical sciences – for the benefit contribute to improving life for all. of science and humanity.

Society for Society for Applied Underwater

Microbiology Contact: Dariel Burdass Technology Deputy Chief Executive Contact: Lucy Harper Society for General Microbiology Society for Applied Microbiology Society for Underwater Technology Charles Darwin House Bedford Heights, Brickhill Drive Contact: David Liddle, Business 12 Roger Street, London Bedford MK41 7PH Development Executive Tel: 01234 326661 WC1N 2JU 1 Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1 BR Fax: 01234 326678 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.sgm.ac.uk Tel: 020 3440 5535 Website: www.sfam.org.uk Fax: 020 3440 5980 The Society for General Microbiology is the largest E-mail: [email protected] learned microbiological society in Europe with a SfAM is a UK organization, serving microbiologists worldwide membership based in universities, industry, Website: www.sut.org internationally. It works to advance, for the benefit of hospitals, research institutes and schools. The Society The SUT is a multidisciplinary learned society that the public, the science of microbiology in its application publishes key academic journals, organises to the environment, human and animal health, international scientific conferences and provides an brings together individuals and organisations with a agriculture, and industry. With Wiley-Blackwell, SfAM international forum for communication among common interest in underwater technology, ocean publishes five internationally acclaimed journals. Value microbiologists. The Society promotes the science, and offshore/subsea engineering. The for money and a modern, innovative and progressive understanding of microbiology to a diverse range of society was founded in 1966 and has members outlook are its core principles. A friendly society, SfAM stakeholders, including policy-makers, students, from over 40 countries, including engineers, values integrity, honesty, and respect, and seeks to teachers, journalists and the wider public, through a scientists, other professionals and students working promote excellence and professionalism and to inspire comprehensive framework of communication activities in these areas. young microbiologists. and resources.

SCI Society of Society of Cosmetic Maritime Scientists Industries Contact: John Murray Contact: Reshna Radiven Contact: Gem Bektas, Society of Maritime Industries SCI Secretary General 28-29 Threadneedle Street, 14-15 Belgrave Square Society of Cosmetic Scientists London EC2R 8AY London SW1X 8PS Suite 109 Christchurch House Tel: 020 7628 2555 Fax: 020 7638 4376 40 Upper George Street E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 020 7598 1500 Luton Bedfordshire LU1 2RS Website: www.maritimeindustries.org E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 01582 726661 Website: www.soci.org Fax: 01582 405217 The Society of Maritime Industries is the voice of the E-mail: [email protected] UK’s maritime engineering and business sector Website: www.scs.org.uk SCI is an inclusive, multi-disciplinary forum promoting and supporting companies which connecting scientists and business people to Advancing the science of cosmetics is the primary design, build, refit and modernise ships, and supply advance the commercial application of chemistry objective of the SCS. Cosmetic science covers a wide equipment and services for all types of commercial and related sciences for public benefit. SCI is open range of disciplines from organic and physical chemistry to biology and photo-biology, dermatology, and naval ships, ports and terminals infrastructure, to all to join and share information, ideas, microbiology, physical sciences and psychology. offshore oil & gas, maritime security & safety, innovations and research. Members can network Members are scientists and the SCS helps them marine science and technology and marine with specialists from sectors as diverse as food and progress their careers and the science of cosmetics bio-renewables, water, waste and environment, ethically and responsibly. Services include publications, renewable energy. energy, materials, manufacturing and health. educational courses and scientific meetings.

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 55 SCIENCE DIRECTORY STEMNET Universities Federation for Animal Welfare Contact: Kirsten Bodley, Chief Executive Contact: Dr Robert Hubrecht Contact: Chris Eady 5th Floor, Woolgate Exchange Chief Executive and Scientific Director The Welding Institute, Granta Park, Great 25 Basinghall Street The Old School, Brewhouse Hill Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AL Wheathampstead, Herts. AL4 8AN. London EC2V 5HA Tel: 01223 899614 Tel: 01582 831818. Fax: 01582 831414. Tel: 020 3206 0450 Fax:01223 894219 Email: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ufaw.org.uk Website: www.stemnet.org.uk Website: www.twi-global.com Registered in England Charity No: 207996 STEMNET is an independent charity which enables young The Welding Institute is the leading institution providing people to meet inspiring role models, understand real world UFAW, the international animal welfare science engineering solutions and knowledge transfer in all applications of STEM and experience practical activities that society, is an independent scientific and educational aspects of manufacturing, fabrication and whole-life bring learning and career opportunities to life. We do this charity. It works to improve animal lives by: integrity management. through three core programmes: Industrial membership provides access to innovative • supporting animal welfare research • STEM Ambassadors - We run the UK network of STEM problem-solving from one of the world’s foremost Ambassadors: over 30,000 inspiring volunteers • educating and raising awareness of welfare independent research and technology organisations. • STEM Clubs Programme - We provide free, expert advice issues in the UK and overseas Non-Corporate services include membership and and support to all schools which have set up or plan to registration, education, training and certification for • producing the quarterly scientific journal Animal internationally recognised professional development develop a STEM Club Welfare and other high-quality publications on and personnel competence assurance. • Schools’ STEM Advisory Network (SSAN) - We deliver free animal care and welfare TWI provides Members and stakeholders with impartial advice to teachers and use our business links and authoritative and impartial expert advice, knowhow partnerships to enhance the STEM curriculum in secondary • providing advice to government departments and safety assurance through engineering, materials schools in the UK and other concerned bodies. and joining technologies. SCIENCE DIARY THE PARLIAMENTARY AND Tuesday 8 December THE ROYAL INSTITUTION SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Drones Details of future events can be found at Breakfast meeting (Invitation only) www.rigb.org Tel: 020 7222 7085 [email protected] Royal Society of Biology Booking is essential. For more information www.scienceinparliament.org.uk Biology Week 2015 and to book visit www.rigb.org There is a charge for tickets. Tuesday 13 October 17.30 Parliamentary Launch Members go free. Patient Safety Wednesday 14 October 2015 ______Discussion meeting 7pm Churchill Room THE INSTITUTION OF Tuesday 3 November 17.30 House of Commons ______MECHANICAL ENGINEERS Soil For details of events visit: Discussion meeting THE ROYAL SOCIETY www.imeche.org/events Details of all events can be found at ______Tuesday 17 November www.royalsociety.org/events Annual Lunch (invitation only) ______THE LINNEAN SOCIETY OF Guest of Honour: Sir Paul Nurse PRS LONDON President, Royal Society PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE OF For details visit: www.linnean.org SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ______Wednesday 18 November For details of events organised by POST visit More information on P&SC members’ Breakfast meeting (invitation only) http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and- events can be found at: www.sciencein offices/offices/bicameral/post/post-events/ parliament.org.uk/members-news

SCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT OFFICERS OF THE PARLIAMENTARY 3 Birdcage Walk & SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE London SW1H 9JJ sip T: 020 7222 7085 F: 020 7222 7189 President: The Lord Oxburgh KBE FRS Dr Guy Hembury Chairman: Mr Stephen Metcalfe MP Professor Colin Seabrook MBE www.scienceinparliament.org.uk Deputy Chairman: Mr Tom Blenkinsop MP Ms Doris-Ann Williams MBE Hon Treasurer: The Lord Willis of Knaresborough Professor Francesca Medda Editor: Professor Alan Malcolm Vice-Presidents: Mr Paul Ridout Advisory Panel: Mr David Youdan Editorial Assistant: Annabel Lloyd Mr Philip Greenish CBE Dr David Dent Dr Stephen Benn Dr Rebecca Purvis Mr Atti Emecz Secretariat: Professor Alan Malcolm Professor Ian Haines Mrs Karen Smith

Published by the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, 3 Birdcage Walk, London SW1H 9JJ. Published four times a year. The 2015 subscripton rate is £80. Single numbers £20. ISSN 0263-6271 All enquiries, including those from members wishing to take the front or back covers, advertise in the journal or appear in the directory to Mrs Annabel Lloyd, Tel 020 7222 7085. Copyright ©2014 by Parliamentary and Scientific Committee. All rights reserved. None of the articles in this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Type/layout by VAL Design Services and printed by Premier Print Group.

56 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 Aerospace research with industrial impact

The Institute for Aerospace Technology delivers world-leading aerospace research with translational impact.

In partnership with global industry leaders including Rolls-Royce and Airbus, the Institute’s 350 researchers are developing cutting-edge technologies that will transform all aspects of air travel.

Inside: IAT Director Professor Hervé Morvan on the University’s role in supporting the development of the UK aerospace sector.

nottingham.ac.uk/aerospace @UoNAerospace Stephen Metcalfe MP and Chi Onwurah MP

invite you to attend the Parliamentary Reception to celebrate

Wednesday 14 October 2015 19:00 - 22:00 Churchill Room House of Commons RSVP to [email protected]