Autumn 2007 SCIENCE in PARLIAMENT
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Autumn 2007 SCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT Imperial College Centenary Dual Funding Clinical Trials Elephant Survival Earth Observation from the Iridium Satellite Constellation, 2013-2030 Science in Parliament Vol 64 No 3 Summer 2007 The Journal of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee http://www.scienceinparliament.org.uk SCIENCE IN Science in Parliament has two main objectives: a) to inform the scientific and industrial communities PARLIAMENT of activities within Parliament of a scientific nature The Journal of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee. and of the progress of relevant legislation; The Committee is an Associate Parliamentary Group b) to keep Members of Parliament abreast of members of both Houses of Parliament and British members of the European Parliament, representatives of scientific affairs. of scientific and technical institutions, industrial organisations and universities. Government’s re- organisation of the DfES and DTI was done with the best of intentions, but had Contents they thought through Autumn 2007 Volume 64 Number 4 the knock-on impact on the existence of Government IT failures – fact or fiction? 1 the Science & Opinion by Andrew Miller MP Technology (S&T) Select Committee? The Linnean Tercentenary in London 2 The new Department The New Royal Institution 3 of Innovation, Baroness Greenfield and Kristen Dodd Universities and Skills (DIUS), with John Falling on DEFRA ears 5 Denham as its Secretary of State, will give a Alan D B Malcolm greater focus on STEM and ensure that the work The forensic use of bioinformation: ethical issues 6 of our scientists and engineers results in more Professor Sir Bob Hepple new products and better use of the knowledge that they gain. Science in Scotland – Making a Difference 8 Much of the work of the existing S&T Professor Anne Glover Committee will be covered by the new DIUS UK Biobank 10 Departmental Select Committee, which begins its Professor Rory Collins work after the Queen’s Speech, scheduled for 6 Science City York 12 November. The plan is to build a DIUS Paul Taylor Committee of 14 MPs, rather than the usual 11, Global Climate Change – Plans for a 15-year Space Odyssey so that a S&T Sub-Committee can be created. Dr Bill Simpson The current S&T Committee’s Chairman, Liberal Democrat Phil Willis, will chair the new DIUS “A cross-disciplinary think tank, very cool!” 16 Committee. Toppling the ivory towers 18 But, will the new S&T Sub-Committee have the Sir Richard Sykes clout to carry out the powerful cross-cutting More than Samba: UK and Brazil as Partners in Science 20 investigations of all Government departments Elephants – Will they survive the next 100 years in the wild? 21 and agencies that have been a feature of the Addresses to the P&SC by Dr Ian Whyte and Prof Twink Allen current S&T Committee? It will have fewer Members on it, probably about 6, and less Elephant survival needs good science and clear thinking 24 resources in terms of travel allowances and Dr Keith Lindsay administrative staff. In the end, it will probably Is Dual Funding of our Universities fit for purpose in the 21st Century? 26 depend on the commitment of its Members and Addresses to the P&SC by Rana Thirunamachandran, Sir Keith O’Nions and their new Chairman. Dr Peter Cotgreave Otherwise, despite all the conference season The Design and Regulation of Modern Clinical Trials 32 speculation about a snap Autumn General Addresses to the P&SC by Sir Gordon Duff, Prof Janet Darbyshire and Dr Julia Dunne Election, we coast towards the next Queen’s Chinese visitors review UK progress on energy generation 38 Speech with the same personalities in place. A Anthony Darbyshire major debate should then ensue on the proposed Human Tissues and Embryology Bill. I hope that Earth Air Fire Water 40 the debate on revising the 1990 Human Fertility RSC Parliamentary Links Day and Embryology Act will not be completely The man who fed the world 42 hijacked by the inevitable abortion debate. Book review by Dr David Dent In this edition of SiP we include coverage of a House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology 43 visit by a Chinese delegation to study energy House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee 45 generation in the UK. Whilst their focus was on renewable resources, the P&SC took the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology 46 opportunity to discuss clean coal technologies. Debates and Selected Parliamentary Questions and Answers 47 It’s a pity though that BP has decided not to go Parliamentary and Scientific Committee News 52 ahead with its carbon capture and storage Euro-News 53 generation plant in Scotland. 2007 Volume Index 54 Dr Brian Iddon MP Science Directory 55 Chairman, Editorial Board Science Diary 64 Science in Parliament Cover graphic supplied courtesy of Iridium Satellite LLC, USA. ISSN 0263-6271 Science in Parliament Vol 64 No 4 Autumn 2007 OPINION Government IT failures – fact or fiction? Andrew Miller MP ow many times do we hear in challenge of any large-scale project as the media of another something to fear. In 2006 in New Hgovernment computer failure? Zealand where Dunedin academics A new industry has grown bringing Robin Gauld and Shaun Goldfinch together those who are opposed to published “Dangerous Enthusiasms – new systems because of employment E-Government, Computer Failure issues and those who have a vested and Information System interest in failure. Development”, the central theme of which is information technology estimated that £4.4 billion is being Examples of the first can be seen in projects – especially big ones – saved through central procurement of classic HR stories such as: generally exceed their budgets and IT systems by NHS CFH compared “Double Government Computer timeframes, or fail to deliver the with what could have been achieved Failure Shows Plans to Axe all desired results, and it pays to be by individual NHS organisations Emergency Fire Control Rooms Will pessimistic. Similar pessimism can be purchasing the same systems Cost Lives.” (PR Newswire Europe seen in many other places. Indeed separately. November 27, 2004 ) some have joked that Computer Weekly Patients’ lives have been put at risk couldn’t exist without its diet of by systems going down: There is no The article said, “The latest Government computer failure stories! Government computer crash at the such evidence. In any case what self- Department of Work and Pensions The latest and perhaps the biggest ever respecting designer would put shows the folly of the Government is Connecting for Health, the together such a complex system plans to axe all existing emergency fire Government’s ambitious multi-billion without safety being paramount and control rooms. The move will make pound project that is revolutionising there are always tried and trusted the fire brigade 999 service far more the NHS. Is this a challenging manual systems to fall back on in an prone to catastrophic failure the union programme – yes, is it expensive – yes, emergency. (FBU) says, putting lives at risk.” but is it broken – no! It has been the Technical architecture is flawed: The victim of concerted efforts by people National Programme for IT is a Similarly a story in the South who should know better than to Yorkshire Star of 26 November 2004 platform that will ensure that all undermine the tremendous progress systems within the NHS can work was headed: “Computer failure threat and the successful roll-out of parts of to benefits payments” together. It is not one enormous IT the system. system. There is a robust technical It argued benefit payments to Lord Warner, who, as a previous architecture designed to cope with thousands of people in South Health Minister, has followed this enormous volumes of traffic. The new Yorkshire could be delayed after what project over some years, named names applications are also being delivered is thought to be the biggest-ever and questioned the role of Professor gradually – there will be no “big government computer failure. And it Ross Anderson of Cambridge bang”. This will ensure that the new went on to say, “Trade unions are now University, by quoting from a series of systems continually evolve and there is calling on the Government to drop e-mails that have got into the public a resolution of any problems that arise. plans to cut 40,000 jobs in the DWP.” domain, apparently linking a group of And it is even a myth that Scotland The common link is not that they are academics, the “Big Opt Out” and Wales won’t be able to talk to each IT stories but they are about people campaign and parts of the other! issues. Whilst it is perfectly Conservative Party 1. You have to judge understandable for Trade Unions to yourself the motives of the various We are a nation that has enormous use all tools at their disposal to people described in these exchanges success in “big science” and represent their members’ needs, and in the House of Commons on 6th engineering projects, why on earth examples like these cause an June, where I set out similar should we allow misguided people impression that the underlying arguments. 2 and sensationalist journalism to put us technology is itself prone to failure. off our stride? Connecting for Health There is room for some political will be good for the Nation’s health. These examples date back before the debate in all of that but let us return to last election and one simply asks the substantive issue: Can the system whether the doom mongers’ meet the needs of a 21st Century REFERENCES predictions have come to pass.