SCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT The Journal of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee – All-Party Parliamentary SPRING 2020 Group sip 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 THE POWER OF Committees. All-Party Groups are informal groups of members of both Houses with a common interest in INNOVATION 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 (All-Party Parliamentary Group). CAN... STEM FOR BRITAIN 2020 SEE SPECIAL FEATURE ON PAGES 24-37 WINNERS ALL! Mathematical Sciences and Physical Sciences (Chemistry and Physics) Exhibitions Florence Gregson (Gold, Chemistry); Gemma Smith (Bronze, Chemistry); Fabienne Bachtiger (Silver, Chemistry); Damian Galante (Bronze, Maths); Maeve Madigan (Bronze, Physics); Luisa Mihaela Paun (Gold, Maths); Graham Bruce (Silver, Physics); Adrien Lefauve (Silver, Maths); Lui Terry (Gold, Physics), joined at the back by Stephen Metcalfe MP, Chairman, STEM for Britain and Dr Stephen Benn, Vice-President, Parliamentary & Scientific Committee, Biomedical and Biological Sciences and Engineering Exhibitions Sarah Houston (Gold, Biosciences and Westminster Medal Winner); Karolina Tuomela (Silver, Biosciences); Benjamin Fletcher (IEEE Communications Society Prize, Engineering); Ted Roberts (Bronze, Biosciences); Benjamin Cerfontaine (Bronze, Engineering); Stephen Metcalfe MP, Chairman, STEM for Britain; Tomas Ysehak Abay (Gold, Engineering); Dr Stephen Benn, Vice-President, Parliamentary & Scientific Committee; Elisa Roccia (Silver, Engineering); Egzona Morina (The Physiological Society Prize, Biosciences); Andres Rivero Bracho (The Dyson Award); and George Firth (The Nutrition Society Prize, Biosciences) aspects of the COVID-19 crisis As ever, STEM for Britain would that we will need to think not have been possible without SCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT through and learn from. the help of all the major Learned As we look forward we can take Societies involved in its heart from the fact that the organisation, and those who public and Parliamentary generously supported the event appreciation of science and including the Clay Mathematics technology has grown greatly Institute, Warwick Manufacturing sip over these past difficult weeks Group, UK Research and Innovation, Dyson Ltd, and we should take the The Journal of the Parliamentary and opportunity to breathe new life Biotherapy Services Ltd, the Scientific Committee (All-Party Parliamentary Group). Stephen Metcalfe MP into the work and activity of the Institute of Biomedical Science, Chairman, Parliamentary & Scientific P&SC. the Heilbronn Institute for Committee (All-Party Parliamentary Mathematical Research, The Group) If there is one lesson we can all Physiological Society, the agree on it is that science and Nutrition Society, the Biochemical technology has never been more Society, IEEE Communications vital to the life of the country and Society, the Comino Foundation Welcome to Spring 2020 the planet. and the Society for Chemical edition of Science in It seems quite some time ago Industry. I thank them all, Parliament now, but on the 9th March I was together with the competition It is a matter of great frustration delighted to once again host Judges and the STEM Organising that at the very time when STEM for Britain and welcome Team. Parliament is most interested in early career researchers from In addition to our feature on – and most needs – access to universities and research STEM for Britain, we have a scientific expertise, advice and institutions from around the Science in Parliament has two main wonderful series of articles for objectives: discussion the Coronavirus Crisis country to Westminster. This you in this issue, and I am very 1. to inform the scientific and has closed down normal annual competition is an grateful to each of our industrial communities of activities Parliamentary life and hence important date in the distinguished contributors for within Parliament of a scientific parliamentary calendar as it gives nature and of the progress of prevented the Parliamentary & sparing the time, particularly in relevant legislation; MPs an opportunity to speak Scientific Committee from the current situation, to bring us 2. to keep Members of Parliament meeting. directly to a wide range of the the benefit of their expertise and abreast of scientific affairs. UK’s best young researchers. This is a matter of great regret to experience on a variety of topics, These early career engineers, including COVID-19, smart me as Chair not least because mathematicians and scientists energy, acoustics, mathematical our recent meetings over the are the architects of our future data, cancer research, and past few months have been and STEM for Britain is the best innovation. packed to the hilt and we have opportunity for politicians meet had some excellent them and understand their work. Stay safe and well. presentations and discussions. I am pleased to say that over 70 We have many more planned – parliamentary colleagues were and that will undoubtedly feature present at this year’s event. CONTENTS The Journal of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee (All-Party Parliamentary Group). CORONAVIRUS 2 UNLOCKING A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE OF Professor Arne Akbar WITH AI 14 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (POST) 41 Maria McKavanagh THE POWER OF INNOVATION CAN… 4 HOUSE OF COMMONS SELECT COMMITTEES 42 Professor Sa’ad Sam Medhat CAN THE OFFSHORE ENERGY SECTOR BE TRANSFORMED TO HELP THE UK BECOME A HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARY 43 SCIENCE IS CHALLENGING CANCER USING THE NET-ZERO NATION? 16 SCIENCE DIRECTORY 44 UK’S SYNCHROTRON 6 Gioia Falcone Lorna Campbell SCIENCE DIARY 53 THE SKILLS GAP – RECRUITMENT INTO THE MATHEMATICS, NUMBERS AND DATA IN DAILY ACOUSTICAL ENGINEERING INDUSTRY 21 LIFE: A HIDDEN CRISIS AT THE BASE OF THE Professor Chris Barlow PYRAMID 9 Professor Chris Linton STEM FOR BRITAIN 2020 24 SMART ENERGY: THINKING ABOUT OUTCOMES, NOISE, SOUND AND ACOUSTICS DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE, AND PEOPLE 11 AN OVERVIEW AND CURRENT POLICY Rebecca Ford CHALLENGES 38 Stephen Turner Science in Parliament | Vol 76 No 1 | Spring 2020 1 CORONAVIRUS It is impossible today to be unaware of the Coronavirus pandemic that has swept across the world since the beginning of 2020. Just over one hundred years on from the ‘Spanish flu’ of 1918-1920, the world faces similar challenges from the COVID-19 disease at a time when we enjoy much more advanced medical treatments and practices but have also enabled the spread of the disease through greater global connectivity. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that samples from hospitalised disease, preventing its causes the disease, COVID-19. patients were analysed at the transmission through that Professor Arne Akbar The coronavirus family includes Wuhan Institute of Virology population. This can be achieved President of the British Society for Immunology and Professor of a number of viruses which cause where the virus was later either through vaccination or Immunology at UCL a range of illnesses from the isolated and identified as a novel when enough people in the common cold to the Severe coronavirus. China officially population have built up Acute Respiratory Syndrome notified the WHO of cases of antibodies by fighting the (SARS) epidemic in 2002. There pneumonia with an unknown pathogen directly. However, this are also hundreds of other aetiology on 31 December. latter strategy only works to strains of Coronaviruses which reduce serious disease if, when Spread of the virus has been infect non-human species, building that immunity, rapid. The first COVID-19 case notably bats. Like humans, bats vulnerable individuals are outside China was announced in live in close quarters, so easily protected from contracting the South Korea on 8 January. By 31 spread pathogens between each virus. If not, the consequences January, the first UK case was other, and as humans begin to could be severe. As SARS-CoV-2 confirmed. Four weeks later, on encroach on their habitats, this is a novel virus in humans, it is makes cross-species 28 February, we documented not yet known how long the transmission a particular risk. the first case of infection immunity built up would last for. Whilst the genetic makeup of transmitted within the UK; all Some other viruses in the SARS-CoV-2 points towards the previous cases had been Coronavirus family that cause original virus being bat-borne, infected abroad. Within one common colds build immunity evidence suggests that it may month, there had been over that only lasts for a few months, have been transmitted to 22,000 cases and 1,408 deaths but this may be related to their 2 humans via an intermediate in the UK . During this time, co-evolution with the human species 1. In 2016, following the other regional epicentres of immune system. Given the Ebola epidemic, the World disease have emerged, uncertainty of the characteristics Health Organization (WHO) noticeably Italy, Spain and the of this novel virus and how it identified the SARSr-COV virus USA. In mid-March, the UK would interact with the human family as having potential for a Government began to shepherd immune system, the current future epidemic and the largest expansion of state strategy which will allow herd recommended research into power outside of wartime immunity to be built up slowly diagnostic tests, vaccines and through Parliament, legislating to together with avoiding exposure medicines. restrict the movement of the UK of overly vulnerable parts of the population and ensure they population, such as the elderly The origin of the novel remained at home except for or the immunocompromised, is Coronavirus is Wuhan in China, essential work, exercise, or to be welcomed. with a population of over 11 shopping for food or medicine. million people. The first This new strategy includes a confirmed case was recorded on This came as the Government ‘delay’ phase to slow the spread 1 December 2019, but it is moved away from a policy of of COVID-19 after containment speculated that the real first case building herd immunity.