Stephen Metcalfe MP and Chi Onwurah MP Carol Monaghan MP and Layla Moran MP welcome you to Parliamentary Links Day 2021 Science and Climate Change Organised by the Royal Society of Biology on behalf of the science and engineering community #LinksDay21 Programme Hosting Members Stephen Metcalfe MP, House of Commons Chi Onwurah MP, Shadow Minister for Science, Research & Digital Carol Monaghan MP, House of Commons Science & Technology Select Committee Layla Moran MP, House of Commons Parliamentary Welcome Rt Hon Dame Eleanor Laing MP, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Speakers Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, COP26 President Designate Katherine Fletcher MP, Parliamentary Private Secretary to the COP26 President Designate Chi Onwurah MP, Shadow Minister for Science, Research & Digital Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Chair, House of Commons Science & Technology Select Committee Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser Panellists Professor Sir Adrian Smith, President, Royal Society Monica Dean, Senior Expert Advisor, United States Department of State Sunan Jiang, Minister Counsellor for Science & Technology, Chinese Embassy in the UK #LinksDay21 Stephen Metcalfe MP Former Chair of the Commons Science & Technology Select Committee Constituency: South Basildon and East Thurrock Party: Conservative Stephen has been Member of Parliament for South Basildon and East Thurrock since 2010. He is Chair of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, which is Parliament’s oldest and longest-serving All Party Parliamentary Group and is a major focus for the discussion and debate of scientific and technological issues. Stephen is the immediate past Chair of the Science and Technology Select Committee and is passionate about promoting science, technology and engineering in his constituency. He has also campaigned for many years to protect green spaces from over-development. A former local councillor, Stephen is a trustee of Age Concern Basildon, President of Northlands Park Community Association, Patron of the Basildon Education Services Trust and local Karate club, Maru Karate Kai. You can follow Stephen on Twitter @Metcalfe_SBE Chi Onwurah MP Shadow Minister for Science, Research & Digital Constituency: Newcastle upon Tyne Central Party: Labour Chi was elected as the Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central in 2010. After a degree in electrical engineering in 1987, Chi worked in hardware and software development, product management, market development and strategy for a variety of predominately private sector companies in a number of different countries. During this time Chi also studied for an MBA and gained Chartered Engineering status. Chi has previously been a shadow minister in the cabinet office and for business, innovation and skills. Since October 2016 Chi is a Shadow Minister for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and since April 2020 Chi has also been Shadow Minister for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. You can follow Chi on Twitter @ChiOnwurah #LinksDay21 Carol Monaghan MP Member of the House of Commons Constituency: Glasgow North West Party: Scottish National Carol was elected as a Member of Parliament in the general election in 2015. She has been on the Science and Technology committee since July 2015. Carol is currently Shadow SNP Westminster Group Leader (Public Services and Education), an opposition position she has held since May 2015. Carol studied at Strathclyde University, graduating with a BSc (Hons) in laser physics and optoelectronics in 1993. She trained as a teacher, gaining a PGCE in physics and maths and has worked in many Glasgow comprehensive schools, including 14 years at Hyndland Secondary School as head of physics and head of science. Carol has been a member of the SNP since 2007 and said the Scottish referendum result gave her the drive to pursue politics. Follow Carol on Twitter @CMonaghanMP Layla Moran MP Liberal Democrats’ Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Constituency: Oxford West and Abingdon Party: Liberal Democrats Layla has been the MP for Oxford West and Abingdon since 2017 and was re-elected two years later in 2019. She is also the Liberal Democrats’ Foreign Affairs Spokesperson. Layla was previously Education Spokesperson an issue that she is deeply passionate about as a former teacher. She read physics at Imperial College London and holds an MA in comparative education. Before entering Parliament, Layla was a physics and maths teacher by profession with over 10 years’ experience, and was the youngest Head of Year in her school’s history and went on to lead curriculum development. She advocates evidence-based solutions to environmental issues like flooding and is a strong supporter of science innovation and investment. You can follow Layla on Twitter @LaylaMoran #LinksDay21 Rt Hon Dame Eleanor Laing MP Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Constituency: Epping Forest Party: Conservative Dame Eleanor has been the Member of Parliament for Epping Forest since 1997. Eleanor graduated BA LLB from Edinburgh University. She was the first woman to be elected President of Edinburgh University Union. She has practised law in Edinburgh, in the City of London and in industry. Having been the Conservative candidate in the safe Labour seat of Paisley North in the 1987 General Election, she became Special Adviser to the Rt Hon John MacGregor MP in 1989 when he was Secretary of State for Education and remained his Special Adviser when he was Leader of the House of Commons (1990-92) and Secretary of State for Transport (1992-94). Her particular political interests are education, transport, the economy and the constitution. In February 1999, she was promoted to the post of Opposition Whip and in July 2000 she became a Frontbench Spokesman for Constitutional Affairs. After the 2001 General Election, she was appointed as Frontbench Spokesman for Education and Skills and in 2003 was made Shadow Minister for Children. In March 2004, she became Shadow Minister for Women. After successfully increasing her majority at the 2005 General Election, she was promoted to be Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and also remained Shadow Minister for Women and Equality. From 2007 - 2010 she was Shadow Minister for Justice. In 2013 she was elected Deputy Speaker and in January 2020 was elected Chairman of Ways and Means. The constituency of Epping Forest comprises Loughton, Epping, Waltham Abbey, Chigwell, Buckhurst Hill, Theydon Bois, North Weald, the surrounding villages and the ancient Forest itself. Eleanor became a Privy Counsellor in 2017 and was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours on 9th June 2018. You can follow Eleanor on Twitter @eleanor4epping #LinksDay21 Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP COP26 President Designate Constituency: Reading West Party: Conservative Alok was elected as the Conservative MP for Reading West in May 2010. He has served as a member of the Commons Treasury select committee, a member of the Commons Science and Technology select committee, a Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Treasury and at the Cabinet Office. From 2012 to 2015 he served as a Conservative Party Vice Chairman. Alok was appointed in 2016 as the Prime Minister's Infrastructure Envoy to India and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from July 2016 to June 2017. In June 2017, Alok was appointed as Minister of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government with responsibility for housing. In January 2018, he was promoted to Minister of State for Employment, and in July 2019 he was promoted to Secretary of State for International Development. In February 2020, he was again promoted to Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. In January 2021, Alok was appointed full-time President for COP26, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference. Prior to entering Parliament, Alok qualified as a chartered accountant with Coopers & Lybrand Deloitte, and then worked for 16 years within banking, first with the Japanese firm Nikko Securities and then Enskilda Securities (the investment banking arm of SE Banken), where he held senior roles based out of London, Stockholm and Frankfurt, including serving as a member of the bank's Corporate Finance Global Management Committee. You can follow Alok on Twitter @AlokSharma_RDG #LinksDay21 Katherine Fletcher MP Parliamentary Private Secretary to the COP26 President Designate Constituency: South Ribble Party: Conservative Born and raised in Manchester’s Wythenshawe, Katherine was the first in her family to go to university, graduating from University of Nottingham with a biology BSc Hons degree. Before becoming an MP Katherine was running her own small manufacturing business in the Northwest, exporting around the world. Previously she worked in Management and IT Consultancy as well as undertaking several operational, change & strategy leadership roles with LTSB, LBG, the Credit Union Movement, and for a short period she helped with the setup of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership. Away from the political and business world, Katherine is a qualified field guide (safari ranger), who has lived and worked in Mpumalanga and Limpopo in South Africa & Mozambique. Her favourite animal is the giraffe and she is most scared of honey badgers. With a background in science and a deep interest in the environment, Katherine is passionate about nature and improving existing habitats to benefit wildlife, and us all. When time allows, she can be found in either the Lakes, Peak District