Report published – Eighth Report of Session 2008–09 on Thursday 23 July 2009, Putting Science and Engineering at the Heart of Government Policy

SCIENCE REDUCED TO POLITICAL BARGAINING CHIP: MPS SAY GOVERNMENT MUST RAISE ITS GAME

The Government has reduced science to a political bargaining chip and must raise its game to produce an ambitious science and engineering strategy for the future, conclude MPs in a report published today.

Phil Willis MP, the Chairman of the Committee, said:
“My Committee does not underestimate how important the Government believes the role of science and engineering advice to be. We were impressed by evidence demonstrating that significant progress is being made, such as the increasing use of Chief Scientific Advisers.

“We ask that a tangible and ambitious strategy for UK science and engineering policy is developed. The Government has committed to placing science and engineering advice at the heart of policy formulation and now it is time to do so: scrutiny of policy must be strengthened and a clearer vision for the future must be developed.”

Announced here
Full report there
And here is the Royal Society’s comment, with a snippet below:

It is however very disappointing that the report does not refer to the important role that the Academies and Learned Societies have to play in influencing science policy. There is great value to their genuinely independent and authorative voice and to overlook this would be a mistake."