In a special report the IUSS committee has called on the Leader of the House, Harriet Harman, to resuscitate the old Science and Technology Committee.

Past experience of the IUSS shows how difficult it can be to balance the scrutiny of the expenditure, administration and policy of the now defunct DIUS with the demands of examining the use of science across government. The report states that this will only become more difficult with the need to cover business, enterprise and regulation.

Despite all that is being said about the importance of science in todays economy it would seem like the wrong time to downgrade or reduce the scrutiny of cross-cutting science issues within Parliament. The hope is that by resurrecting the ST committee this can be avoided.