Parl MAGAZINE Spring 05 8/3/05 9:02 am Page 1 Spring 2005 SCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT Lib Dem Science 65th Birthday Animal Research Risk Assessment International Year of Physics 2005 Institute of Physics BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN 0 40% 50% 80% 40% 50% 80% 40% 50% 80% 40% 50% Parl MAGAZINE Spring 05 8/3/05 9:02 am Page 2 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. Contents Spring 2005 Volume 62 Number 1 Liberal Democrat Science Policy 1 Opinion by Sandra Gidley MP Vision and Strategy for the Medical Research Council 2 Opinion by Professor Colin Blakemore How We Can Save the Planet 3 Opinion by Colin Challen MP Risk Perception & Risk Assessment versus Hazard Reduction 4 Addresses to the P&SC by Alastair Evans, Professor Philip Dale and Dr Chris Elliott In this issue which celebrates Einstein Year as is Standing on the Shoulders of Giants 10 obvious from our front cover sponsored by the Institute of Physics, appropriately Sandra Gidley Addresses to the P&SC by Professor George Smith, launches the Liberal Democrat science policy by Professor Sir David King and Dr Julia King reviewing fundamental problems. She emphasises Animal Contributions to Science and Society 16 the importance of teaching in schools where it is Addresses to the P&SC by Sir John Sulston, claimed girls no longer study A level science. Professor Tipu Aziz and Dr Robert Hubrecht Colin Blakemore translates research outcomes Einstein Year gets off the ground 22 from the MRC for patient benefit. Colin Challen rations carbon emissions to save the planet, Engineering and Physical Sciences for the 21st century 24 followed by the contraction and convergence John O’Reilly proposed by Mayer Hillman. At the Risk meeting, The Innovation Challenge: Lessons from America and the UK 26 Alastair Evans proclaims London as the insurance Dr Charles Wessner and Alan Hughes capital of the world, Philip Dale describes how the biotechnology community handles risk and its Bees on their Knees? 28 perception and Chris Elliott discusses Pamela A Hunter management of system risk. The Committee’s Towards One Institution of Engineers 29 65th Birthday is celebrated with George Smith’s Robert Freer insights on the management of scientific research, David King’s account of climatic impacts on House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology 30 government policy and Julia King’s engineered House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee 32 future, where people, especially women, will be Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology 33 featured. At the meeting on animals, John Sulston ranges from Darwin to DNA, Tipu Aziz rejects the House of Commons Library 34 Early Day Motion banning primate research, Letters to the Editor 34 which benefits humans afflicted by Parkinson’s Reports on Meetings 36 and Alzheimer’s disease, and Robert Hubrecht who emphasises the three Rs, especially Debates and Selected Parliamentary Questions and Answers 38 Refinement relating to animal husbandry. John Digest of Parliamentary Debates, Questions and Answers 43 O’Reilly moves to reverse the decline in numbers Euro-News 51 of undergraduates in engineering and physical sciences. Charles Wessner and Alan Hughes European Union Digest 52 compare and contrast UK versus US styles of Science Directory 55 university and industry interaction, and there is Science Diary 64 more, much more. Dr Douglas Naysmith MP Chairman, Editorial Board, Science in Parliament ISSN 0263-6271 Parl MAGAZINE Spring 05 8/3/05 9:02 am Page 3 OPINION Liberal Democrat Science Policy Sandra Gidley MP urrent Liberal Democrat science we will lose further ground. Liberal sector are sensible, since they are policy stems from concerns Democrats believe that the badly targeted and will often simply Cthat over the past hundred Government’s current proposals for replace private sector investment in years Britain has fallen behind tuition fees and top up fees run science, at the taxpayer’s expense. international competitors in some counter to this aim. Many scientists The structure of British R&D is areas of the scientific and industrial are not well paid and the prospect of different from that of our Continental fields. It would be easy to make a future debt means that future careers trading partners. We share a desire to case for more Government investment are chosen with earning power in raise research and development but there are some more fundamental mind. expenditure as a part of GDP but problems which have to be tackled if In the near future Universities will believe that full account should be Science is to become more prominent have to devote a lot of time and taken of the contribution from the in public thinking and regard. attention to the problem of how they private sector, UK multinational The National Curriculum was will fund bursaries. If this burden is companies and our investments introduced in the eighties and for the lifted from them then they will be able overseas especially in the USA. to devote that time and energy to first time ever there was a guarantee In addition to this we need to attracting more funding for research that all children would study science consider whether our current research projects. at school. In a perfect world this priorities are the right ones. Do we should have meant that more children If we are to provide the scientists and have the right balance between would become enthused by science the teachers for the next generation military R&D or should more money and seek a career in one of the science we have to reverse the diminishing be diverted towards civil science and based areas. Sadly, this does not science base in our Universities. It is research? One thing is sure, in line appear to have been the case. of great concern that 79 science and with our “green” credentials we would There needs to be an urgent review of engineering departments have closed want to prioritise research into climate science teaching in schools so that we down over the past six years, at a time change mitigations and cleaner understand why children, particularly when the higher education sector is production and consumption girls, decide not to study science at expanding. techniques. Advanced level. For some children The Liberal Democrats will disband Scientific developments create ethical the reason could be as simple as the DTI but this does not mean challenges for any Government. In choosing “an easier option” but, abolishing all of its functions. Science recent years there have been a number fundamentally, we need to answer the would transfer to a newly reformed of highly emotive issues such as stem basic question, “Is our science Department of Education and Science. cell research and GM crops. There will teaching good enough?” More importantly, the Liberal be more in the future. The media There is some evidence that science Democrats will not cut the existing delights in scaremongering and teaching may not be good enough as level of the science budget. The politicians of all parties have jumped there is a shortage of science teachers contribution made by the DTI will on these bandwagons. The Liberal and a large number of children are grow in real terms by 0.5% each year Democrats would like to see reasoned taught by someone without over the next Parliament. This will debate but on a private level I would appropriate qualifications. The Liberal allow targeted public and private contend that the lack of understanding Democrats have set aside funding to science and innovation spending to be of science in politics and the media ensure that teachers receive regularly and thoroughly monitored fuels this anti-science feeling. I return appropriate training in the subject for best practice. to where I started in this article. There they are teaching. We do not believe that existing are so many reasons why improving Unless our brightest and best young Government plans for large increases science education will reap dividends people opt for science as a career then in science subsidies to the private in the long run. Science in Parliament Vol 62 No 1 Spring 2005 1 Parl MAGAZINE Spring 05 8/3/05 9:02 am Page 4 OPINION Vision and Strategy for the Medical Research Council Professor Colin Blakemore took over as Chief Executive of will be immense. There is now HIV/AIDS, TB), cancer, mental the MRC in October 2003. At widespread recognition, around the health and understanding health Ithat time, following extensive world, that the coming decade behaviours. consultation, the MRC had recently should see rapid payback to the published a long-term “Vision for public in benefits in health care. How will we know if we are being the Future” (available on the MRC This may be expensive initially – successful? We expect there to be: website). This focused on seven new drugs and treatments often are ● more personalised, safe, effective key drivers: Health priorities; – but costs will come down, and prevention and treatment of disease; Discovery science for health; From health benefits translate into science to health care and public economic benefits longer-term, ● rapid responses to emerging and policy – translational approaches; through less use of services and a unpredictable infectious diseases; Developing the workforce; Public healthier workforce.