ROYAL SOCIETY PAIRING SCHEME Every year the Royal Society arranges partners between parliamentarians and civil servants with scientists. Its annual Pairing Scheme starts with the ‘Week in Westminster’ in late November, a programme of activities for the scientists including seminars, workshops, shadowing opportunities and a tour of Westminster. The week gives the scientists a taste, not only of the approach to science policy, but of Parliament and the Civil Service in general. Professor Ruth Aylett Professor of Computer Science, As a researcher in artificial I was paired with Ian Murray, politician’s timescales. Ian gets Heriot-Watt University intelligence and robotics, and a the Labour MP for Edinburgh 700 emails a day, and though Professor of Computer Science South, who went into Parliament he now has a clerical assistant at Heriot-Watt University in at the last election after working helping him to deal with them, it Edinburgh, I am often frustrated in a variety of small businesses. is clear he doesn’t have very by public perceptions of my He is part of the shadow BIS much time for mastering new area. These seem often driven team, the new name for what I materials. Moreover there is zero by wildly sensationalist media remember being the DTI at one training for MPs, so picking publicity for ideas such as point, and thus the department things up as they go along ‘robots will take over the world’ responsible among other things seems very much the rule. or The Singularity, after which for research funding, higher Ian was very committed to the artificial intelligences will keep education, and technology- pairing exercise and took me humans as pets, if we are lucky. transfer programmes. everywhere he went, though understandably there were a ... Westminster makes you think of couple of private meetings I a museum ... couldn't attend. I did however witness an informal meeting This was one motivation for I met Ian on the Tuesday of with a couple of managers from applying to the Royal Society my week in Westminster outside the Post Office in the Portcullis Pairing Scheme, in which the Millbank Tower, where he House canteen. Ian is concerned scientists are linked to MPs or was deputising for a colleague at that the Royal Mail sell-off could civil servants. What if policy was a technology transfer event. This result in total destabilisation of made on the back of such was a conference run by a the Post Office, which was not inaccurate ideas? What if real North-East-based tech transfer part of that sell-off, and along issues of privacy and security company called CPI (Centre for with the managers, was already visible in the use of AI Process Innovation), who as examining new activities that technologies on the web were might help Post Offices succeed. to be ignored in favour of these their name suggests, specialise improbable fantasies? And so in in process industry technology. Prime Minister’s question time November 2014 I watched the Ian took this on at short notice was just as much a circus from Northumbrian coast go by as my ... there is zero training for MPs ... train took me to London for a week in Westminster. and as a result was presenting a the Visitor’s Gallery as it looks on If you are used to the Scottish speech written by his colleague, television. Ian felt that, oddly, all parliament in its nice new who’d been called away from the MPs know how bad this building with electronic voting London unexpectedly. looks to the general public, but it and high-tech desks for MSPs to This need to react and perform goes on anyway. He was down sit at in the debating chamber, off-the-top–of-the-head seems to ask a question in the session, Westminster makes you think of not untypical of an MP’s life, and which moved with bewildering a museum. Of course it is also a underlines how hard it is to speed, like much parliamentary workplace. mesh the academic’s and the activity. 22 Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 1 Spring 2015 The Commons Select maybe one has to follow some A fascinating week, and a lot out that their Board meeting Committee on Science was page on the Government learned. Whether I can put any early next year will indeed more tractable an event for an website to see them. of this to practical use remains consider such a POST Note as to be seen: for an individual one of various possibilities. We academic, as MPs interviewed On our final day, GO Science – had a long chat about what witnesses in some depth, in this the Government Office for scientist to have much effect on such a Note might cover, and if case on biometric technologies. I Science – presented their the political dramas of it does happen then I would be wondered how they managed mechanisms for scientific advice Westminster seems about as able to feel I had some small to ask sensible questions – in crisis situations. We worked easy as jumping through a door effect on the process. My pair remember, no training – but the through a group-based exercise in a fast moving train. Still, one Ian Murray will come and see MPs at this session seemed very around the floods of early this of the things I learned was that our Robotics Labs in February, conscientious and did a year, and with my IT hat on I as well as GO Science, and the and hopefully this will build a reasonable job. Acting as an was astonished – and not in a select committees of the two longer-term relationship: Houses, there is also a assuming that is, he is re-elected ... they had been using photocopied maps ... Parliamentary Office of Science in May. Time horizons look very and Technology – POST – that expert at a select committee is different for an MP than for a good way – that they had been serves the parliamentarians at certainly one way of bringing using photocopied maps as a scientist – and that is the large. They produce POST Notes science into the decision-making way of representing key data. challenge for more lasting on specific topics, and so I processes, though it was less But lessons can be learned just meetings of minds. emailed them suggesting one clear how one would get to be as quickly as everything else it on AI and Robotics. called as an expert. seems, since now there is a Opportunities are apparently quite reasonable GIS system for A few weeks later one of their advertised somewhere, but use in the next such crisis. team gave me a ring – it turns Professor of Computer Science shocking realities of geopolitical We both have the responsibility at Heriot Watt University in realities of the time to break the to promote dialogue, Edinburgh. I have to admit that I “unbreakable” enigma code. It is engagement and – hopefully – didn’t know much about Ruth’s said that their work contributed respect and understanding area of expertise prior to to the shortening of the war by between politicians and meeting her. The extent of my two years, possibly saving scientists. engagement with robots and millions of lives. A As an MP who represents the artificial intelligence was only on mathematician, logician, University of Edinburgh King’s the cinema screen so it was computer scientist and Royal Buildings and the Research excellent to be able to learn Society fellow whose influence Centres at Little France I take a more about her area. came to bear far beyond the close interest in the Pairing Ian Murray realm of his fellow scientists. Scheme. It is thoroughly Member of Parliament for Science usually meanders low Edinburgh South and Labour’s under the national politics radar. Just think – where would be enjoyable and increased my Shadow Minister for Trade and We must recognise that it today without ‘Turing’s Machines’ knowledge of key scientific areas Investment should be placed at the centre This is the third year I have of our debates. We need to ... Science usually meanders low under the participated in the Royal understand that the decisions national politics radar ... Society’s Pairing Scheme and, government and elected yet again, it was a hugely representatives make in the or the field of artificial in the last three years from rewarding experience. It’s a lobbies of the House of intelligence? The debt of Carbon Capture and Storage to very important scheme and Commons have a direct impact gratitude he is owed makes it all artificial intelligence. As a one that I would encourage on the development of our the more horrifying that he was Shadow Business Minister it has my colleagues to take up in science sector, and in turn the treated so inhumanely. also been very useful to see the things those scientists and contribution science makes to the future. Indeed, it’s My involvement in the scheme researchers can contribute to the the UK economy and why it incumbent on all elected over recent years has made me lives of our constituents. should be supported by representative to be better value the link between science Government. informed about science issues Nothing encaptures that more and politics. But we need to and to encourage scientists to than the story of Alan Turing and make it stronger. MPs and I hope to visit Ruth at Heriot understand how they can his team, and the pivotal part scientists have a responsibility to Watt in the near future so that I influence science policy.