Report calls for science strategy

The government views science and engineering advice as ‘a peripheral policy concern’, according to a report by the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills (IUSS) committee.

The ‘Putting Science and Engineering at the Heart of Government Policy’ report has called for far-reaching Whitehall reforms to ensure that independent scientific advice is given a key role in policy formation.

It recommends that the Government for Science (GO-Science) should have a permanent home in the cabinet in order to increase its influence across government departments.

The committee said that the shifting of GO-Science between three different departments over the past two years has reduced its status to that of a ‘political bargaining chip’ and stated its influence should be strengthened alongside independent scientific advisory bodies.

The MPs also called for increased clarity in allocating funding and developing an over-arching science strategy.