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The Journal of theParliamentary andScientific Committee

www.scienceinparliament.org.uk

This is not an officialpublication of the House ofCommons or the House ofLords. It has not been approvedby either House or its Committees.All-Party Groups are informal groups ofmembers of both Houses with a commoninterest in particular issues. The views expressedin this Journal are those of the Group. This Journal isfunded by the members of the Parliamentary and ScientificCommittee.

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I am writing this in

November because it has

been a momentous week

Very few scientific

experiments take ten years.

But today we learned that a

300 million mile journey of an

object the size of my fridge

had successfully landed on a

meteor travelling at more than

30,000 mph, ten years after it

left Earth.

I have always had a sneaking

admiration for darts players

who can hit the target, or

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 1 Spring 2015 1

HOOKING UP HULL 2Mac Andrade

75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 3

FRANCE BANS USAGE OF PESTICIDES 6Dr Claire Mouchot

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THEINTERNATIONAL YEAR OF SOIL 2015? 8Matt Aitkenhead, Willie Towers, Helaina Black and Liz Baggs

PUTTING UK PHARMACOLOGY ON THE MAP 10Katharine Richardson

MEDICAL PHYSICISTS AND BIOMEDICALENGINEERS 12Dr Anna Barnes and Dr Elspeth Bartlett

POWERING HUMAN PROGRESS – PAST,PRESENT AND FUTURE 14Ian Marchant

ANNUAL LUNCHEON OF THEPARLIAMENTARY AND SCIENTIFICCOMMITTEE 16

CAN CONSISTENT APPRENTICESHIPEXPERIENCE BE ACHIEVED TO DRIVEPERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE? 18Professor Sa’ad Medhat

CLIMATE CHANGE, FOOD SECURITYAND BIG DATA 19Irina Calos, SIN Officer, Los Angeles

UK & BRAZIL: PARTNERS IN SCIENCE, SPACE & INNOVATION 20Dr Julia Knights, SIN Director, Brazil

ROYAL SOCIETY PAIRING SCHEME 22Professor Ruth Aylett and Ian Murray MP

DOES THE UK HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IT NEEDS? 24Address to the P&SC by Nick Baveystock

EBOLA VIRUS – AN UPDATE 26

ENERGY STORAGE 28Addresses to the P&SC by Dr Jonathan Radcliffe andProfessor Toby Peters

DEMENTIA 32Addresses to the P&SC by Professor Alistair Burns, Dr Simon Ridley and Professor Martin Knapp

HOUSE OF LORDS SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY SELECT COMMITTEE 38

HOUSE OF COMMONS SELECT COMMITTEEON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 39

PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 42

HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARY SCIENCEAND ENVIRONMENT SECTION 45

SELECTED DEBATES 47

SCIENCE DIRECTORY 47

SCIENCE DIARY 56

Andrew Miller MPChairman, Parliamentary andScientific Committee

CONTENTS

The Journal of the Parliamentary andScientific Committee.The Committee is an AssociateParliamentary Group of members ofboth Houses of Parliament and Britishmembers of the European Parliament,representatives of scientific andtechnical institutions, industrialorganisations and universities.


Science in Parliament has two mainobjectives:1. to inform the scientific and industrial

communities of activities withinParliament of a scientific nature andof the progress of relevantlegislation;

2. to keep Members of Parliamentabreast of scientific affairs.

The covers of this issue are sponsored by the British Society of Soil Science, the Energy Institute, the New Engineering Foundation and the British Pharmacological Society.

snooker players who can skimthe black into the pocket, butthis is something else.Somebody likened it tothrowing a hammer in the airin London and hitting a nail inBeijing!

By the time you are readingthis we may have started tounderstand what has beenuncovered about the history ofthe solar system, but what astory it will be.

At the same time, wediscovered that the EU isdispensing with scientificadvice as a basis for decisionmaking. Anne Glover will bereturning to the UK (sinceScotland remains part of it!).

Anne, like all balancedscientists, has taken a positiveapproach to GM crops, andthe Select Committee, which Ichair, will be producing areport on this topic. It is littleshort of disgraceful that the EU

is giving in to lobbying byvested interests and I hope thescience community protestsloudly. Sadly, it remains thecase that some politicians(including in the UK) putpersonal prejudice ahead ofevidence based policy.

I will finish on a positive note.In 2014 we celebrated our75th anniversary. HRH TheDuke of Edinburgh has beenan Honorary Member for morethan 50 years, and served asour President in 1989. Wewere delighted that he agreedto host a reception atBuckingham Palace on 11thNovember to mark this. 150representatives of ourmembers were able to marvelat the works of art in thePicture Gallery, and to enjoywine, canapés, music andcompany.

The P&SC is in good shapefor its next quarter century.

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 1 Spring 20152

HOOKING UP HULL: THE HULLELECTRIFICATION PROJECT

Mac AndradeDirector of Infrastructure atFirstGroup

What makes the HullElectrification Project (HEP)stand out from almost all otherelectrification schemes is that itis intended that the initialdevelopment and constructioncosts will be almost entirelyprivately funded, with FirstGroupsecuring major funding frominfrastructure group Amey.

As well as delivering a betterservice to users of the railway –and the wider economicbenefits that it will bring to Hull– the HEP is therefore good forthe UK taxpayer, protected fromthe up-front capital expense andfinancial risk involved with sucha project.

WHY HULL?Until the conception of the

Hull Electrification Project, Hullwas the only major city in thenorth of England for which therewas no plan to electrify its mainrailway line. What made thismore significant was that thediesel services running to andfrom Hull would beincompatible with the linesbeing electrified across the widernorth, between Selby andLiverpool and York, viaManchester and Leeds. Far frombenefiting Hull, this inequality ofinfrastructure would have had anegative impact on the city’seconomy.

First Hull Trains, which currentlyoperates on the line betweenHull and London King’s Cross, isalready one of the highest-ranked operators in terms ofcustomer satisfaction. Theaddition of electrification willenable First Hull Trains to makemajor improvements on itsexcellent service.

WHAT ELECTRIFICATIONWILL BRING

Electrification will bring theopportunity to run more efficientelectric rolling stock with higherpassenger capacity. It will link upthe new line to other parts ofthe ‘electric spine’, improvingjourneys between Hull and thecapital, as well as to Leeds,Manchester and Liverpool – andeven more so once HS2 andTransPennine electrification comeinto force.

As well as the long termbenefits of both temporary(construction) workers andpermanent job creation thatwould come with an expandedHull to London service,electrification will also help attractinvestment, and can be animportant driver of growth to theHull and Humber Region.Already enjoying a greater profileas the host of the 2017 City ofCulture, Hull is undergoing aneconomic and culturalrenaissance, something thatFirstGroup – through First HullTrains and the HEP – is proud tobe a part of.

In order for the city to realise itspotential, modern railwayinfrastructure is needed. Thespeedy delivery of the HEP canonly further the ambitions of thecity and its businesses.

URGENCY: MAKINGELECTRIFICATIONHAPPEN

Patrick McLoughlin’sannouncement last Marchrepresented a milestone for theHEP.

With Government support, itmeant FirstGroup’s work tosecure nearly £100m of privatefunding can be released toprogress the Project through thefeasibility phases, construction

and, ultimately, the delivery ofservices.

It is essential that themomentum of the HullElectrification Project ismaintained so that it can bedelivered as soon as possible.

The HEP team is committed toan ambitious timetable and isworking with its stakeholders,including MPs along the route,and partners in Network Rail, tomeet this. But it is alsoincumbent upon theGovernment to agree aguaranteed price with the HEPbefore the end of thisParliament.

A commitment from theChancellor of the Exchequer toelectrify the Hull to Selby line inthe Budget on 18 March wouldensure the Project’s long-termprogress and help mitigateagainst political risks involvedwith any major infrastructurescheme that coincides with ageneral election and a change ingovernment.

WIN-WINThe electrification of the Hull to

Selby railway line is a win-win forthe tax-payer, the Government,the rail passenger, and the city ofHull; its residents andbusinesses, as well as those wholive and work throughout theHumber region.

It is essential that the Projectprogresses as swiftly as possibleto ensure benefits are deliveredwithout any unnecessary delay.

FirstGroup prides itself on theway it works with its partnersand stakeholders. Our HullElectrification Project team willcontinue to work in partnershipin order to make Hullelectrification a reality.

Last March theSecretary of Statefor Transport, Patrick McLoughlin,announcedGovernment support– by way of a £2.4mgrant – for theelectrification of 33miles of railwaybetween Hull andSelby. Welcomed byall, this wastestament to theDepartment forTransport’sprioritisation ofrailwayelectrification for2014 to 2019.


75TH ANNIVERSARYCELEBRATIONThe Parliamentary and Scientific Committee has often been described as the“doyen” of APPGs. It is certainly the oldest – having celebrated its 75thanniversary last year.

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

Dr Stephen Benn, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, Emily Benn andDaniel Benn

It is best known for its monthly discussion meetings on scientifictopics where leading exponents engage with Parliamentarians.

It is proud that its first report addressed “the Nutritive Value ofBread” – a vital topic throughout WWII. One of the members wasSir Jack Drummond, the man responsible for the absence ofbananas during the war. Their nutritional value was not greatenough to justify the hazard to the merchant navy of shippingthem to Britain.

It is probably the only APPG to have had a Nobel Laureate as aPresident. (Sandy) Lord Todd was probably also the tallestPresident!

Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, it is gratifying that ithas spawned more than 600 APPGs at the latest count.

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh has been an Honorary Member formore than 50 years, and has been Guest of Honour at theAnnual Lunch on no less than three occasions. He has alsoserved as our President.

The Committee was therefore delighted that he agreed to hosta reception in the glorious surroundings of the Picture Gallery in


Buckingham Palace. He personally greeted Chairman Andrew Miller,President Lord Oxburgh, Deputy Chairman Stephen Metcalfe, HonSecretary Stephen Mosley as well as one of our senior members,Dr Peter Jost CBE.

Looked upon by the Gallery’s Rembrandt, van Dyke, Titian andother greats, HRH mingled and talked with members. Morethan150 guests representing many of the member bodies, enjoyedcanapés and wine. Music being the food of everything, it wasaccompanied by Mozart, Haydn and Elgar played by a delightfulstring quartet.

For more than an hour His Royal Highness conversed with a widerange of scientists in a relaxed atmosphere. This was enjoyed by allpresent, including Prince Philip, we were told.

In his words of gratitude to His Royal Highness, the President LordOxburgh emphasised how appreciative the Committee was for hissupport, and reminded him that in addition to his own three visits,we had also received the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal.

Dr Stephen McGinness, Dr Stephen Benn, Stephen Metcalfe MP, Andrew Miller MP, Stephen Mosley MP

Lord Oxburgh, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, Andrew Miller MP, Dr PeterJost, Stephen Metcalfe MP and Stephen Mosley MP

Mrs Louise Kingham, Professor John Loughhead, Nigel Fine and Professor John Perkins

David Youdan, Paul Jackson and Sir Peter Williams


Chairman, Andrew Miller, MP for Ellesmere Port said:

“A glance at the guest list at this celebration shows the highesteem in which the P&SC is held amongst leading scientists,learned societies and industrialists.” He concluded that theCommittee was in fine fettle and looking forward to the nextquarter century.

Since the foundation of the P&SC much has changed, especiallythe effects of ever rapidly changing Science and Technology. Thisanniversary has therefore provided an opportune starting point forthe P&SC to review its activities. Its aim is to be of use to the nextParliamentarians. In areas of non party, non political and noncommercial activities, the P&SC will continue to excel.

The Earl of Cranbrook and Ms Katy Schneider

Dr Sue O’Hare, Dr Kirsten Pullen, Dr Linda Thomas

Dr Guy Hembury, John Slater and Dr Graham Clayton

Lord Waldegrave of North Hill andSir Peter Bottomley

Clare Campbell and Professor Lesley Yellowlees

Stephen Grinham, Alex Connor and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

Dr Tony Whitehead, Lord Oxburgh and Kirsten Bodley

Dr Matthew Frost, Dr Bev Mackenzie and Dr Ben North

All photos © John Deehan


A bill (known as No 2014-

1101) passed in Parliament in

January 2014 states that as of

2020, plant protection products

will be banned for use in French

local authority public gardens

and in private gardens two years

later.

The draft bill which was

proposed by the

environmentalist Senator Joël

Labbé was designed to establish

a better framework regarding the

use of plant protection products

within national borders. In

essence, the Act bans plant

protection products, commonly

called pesticides (insecticides,

fungicides, herbicides,

parasiticides, etc):

• from 1st January 2020 for

their use in maintenance of

green spaces, forests and

footpaths open to the public,

with the exception of specific

areas such as airports, rail

tracks, etc. (Article 1);

• from 1st January 2022 for

their sale, use and storage for

non professional usage with

the exception of fighting

against propagation of

harmful species. Non-

compliance with the law will

incur penalties (Article 2).

This second article targets

specifically the 45% of French

citizens who own a garden or an

allotment, which represent

approximately 5-10% of

pesticides usage in the country

– the remaining 90-95% being

used in the agricultural sector.

Many environmentalists

believe this is a small victory in

the fight against the blanket use

of pesticides with the new law

becoming the cornerstone that

will change people’s attitude and

behaviour towards these

products.

Having said that, approximately

40% of French towns and cities

haven’t waited for this new law

to start the “green revolution”

toward more environmentally

friendly maintenance of public

green spaces. In Versailles, for

instance, pesticides have been

entirely replaced by thermal,

mechanic and hand held cutters,

saving 130,000 litres of

pesticides and £25,500

annually. In Nantes and Rennes

(Brittany) usage of pesticides

has decreased in the last 10

years by 95% and 90%,

respectively.

The French Governmentpushes on several frontsto accelerate thedemise of pesticidesusage

The Secretary of State for

Agriculture, Mr Stéphane Le Foll,

has proposed amendments on

a draft bill on the future of

agriculture, food and forestry

which have been well received

by MPs in July 2014 and the

Senate in the Autumn. In its

current wording, the bill

proposes that spreading plant

protection products will only be

permitted in areas close to

schools, nurseries, nursing

homes, hospitals or health

centres when specific safety

measures have been put in

place to reduce drastically

exposure of vulnerable people.

FRANCE BANS USAGE OFPESTICIDES IN TAXPAYERS ANDLOCAL AUTHORITIES GARDENS

Dr Claire MouchotScience and TechnologyDepartmentFrench Embassy, London

A new Bill aiming at “creating a better framework for the use ofplant protection products within the National borders”

PESTICIDES, A HETEROGENEOUS “CLASS” OF PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS

Of approximately 1,000 products that have accessed the market, 309 are authorised for use inFrance. These vary according to their mode of action, target, chemistry and half-life period in theenvironment. They are to be found everywhere in the environment: in the air inside and outsideas dust; in underground, surface or littoral waters; in the ground and even in some food, includingdrinking waters. Professional exposure generally occurs via cutaneous way but can also take placevia the respiratory system in fumigation or usage in close environment. In the general populationhowever the most common route is oral exposure via food intake.


Among these measures were

existence (or new planting) of

hedges or spreading at specific

times and days. Failing this,

spreading will not be permitted

in a specific area surrounding

the location, the size of which

will be determined locally on a

case by case basis.

If the co-chair of the

Environment party, Barbara

Pompili, indicates that Mr Le

Foll’s amendments wording is a

“compromise” that represent “a

good start” she insists that the

use of pesticides is “a challenge

for public health issues that

affects all parties – farmers, their

families and the general public

that lives nearby”. Given that

arable land represents

approximately half of the French

territory, this accounts for a lot of

people.

In parallel three items of

another draft Bill, this one on

Biodiversity proposed by Mrs

Ségolène Royal, Secretary of

State for Ecology, were passed

in the Assemblée Nationale.

These concerned:

- the outright ban of aerial

application of pesticides from

the end of July 2014 for

crops such as sweet corn,

popping corn and banana... environmentalists believe this is a

small victory ...

and at the end of 2015 for

rice and some vineyards;

- the promotion of natural

products for plant treatment

and maintenance via their

acceleration of regulatory

approval for marketing

authorisation;

- extending the action «Terre

saine, communes sans

pesticide» (Healthy

ground/earth, pesticide-free

towns) and bringing forward

by 4 years the expected

starting date at which the law

should enter into force from

1st January 2020.

These new laws aresupported not only bythe French public butalso by new scientificevidence

All these measures come at a

time of growing discontent

among the French population

regarding the use of pesticides:

a petition asking for restriction of

their use in areas close to

schools and habitations has

registered nearly 100,000

signatures in less than a week

and an increasing number of

GPs voice their anxiety. In

addition, two meta-analysis of

scientific publications were

several pathologies including

cancers, neurological diseases,

reproductive effects. Experts

from different backgrounds

(epidemiologists in health-

environment or occupational

health, cellular and molecular

toxicologists) worked in

collaboration to produce a

thorough report which was

published in June 2013 2. The

results (in French), confirm the

possibility of a positive

association between

professional exposure to

pesticides and various adult

diseases such as Parkinson

disease, prostate and several

hematopoietic cancers. Similarly,

exposure to pesticides during

prenatal and perinatal periods

seems to show increased risks

for the infant’s development.

The second meta-analysis,

titled “systemic pesticides pose

global threat to biodiversity and

ecosystem services” was

published by The Task Force on

Systemic Pesticides3 on 24th

June 2014. The conclusions

confirmed that pesticides

neonicotinoids and fipronil

cause significant damage to a

wide range of invertebrate

species (including earthworms,

insect pollinators such as bees

and butterflies and fresh water

snails and water fleas) and are

measured in significant

concentrations in wider areas

due to spreading via natural

water systems.

References

1 http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000028571536&dateTexte=&categorieLien=id

2 http://presse-inserm.fr/pesticides-effets-sur-la-sante-une-expertise-collective-de-linserm/8463/

3 http://www.tfsp.info/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/WIA-PR-REL.pdf

Family garden in Versailles Credits: cc-BY-SA 3.0, Patrick.charpiat

Jardin des plantes in Nantes Credits: cc-BY-SA 3.0, Stefi123

published within a year.

In the first, the French

Government (Directorate

General for Health)

commissioned the French

National Institute for Health and

Medical Research (Inserm) for a

meta-analysis of scientific

publications of the last 30 years

in order to obtain more

evidence-based information

regarding the health hazard

posed by pesticides, in particular

on their suggested links with


WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OFSOIL 2015?

WHY DOES SOILMATTER?

The importance of soil topeople around the world shouldideally be obvious to the casualobserver, but is often ignored inpolitical and economic debates.We often take for granted thatsoil will be able to maintainfood production into the futurebut this narrow perception isbeing challenged as we strivefor food security alongsidepressing issues of water, energy,climate change and biodiversityconservation. We nowrecognise that soil has a centralrole in delivering water quality,flood regulation, climateregulation and habitats of high

conservation value. There aremajor management andrestoration challenges to betackled to ensure that wemaintain a soil capital that isadequate, both in terms ofstocks and in terms of quality, tomeet these multiple andcontrasting needs of people intothe future. At present the globalsoil capital is being eroded andlost rather than preserved andrestored. Over one-third of theworld’s agricultural soils aredegraded and requirerehabilitation or restoration whileexpanding urban and industrialdevelopment is reducing thestock of soil capital at analarming rate1. Assuming acontinuing trend, in the next100 years, we would lose soilover an area comparable to thesurface of Hungary.

its own characteristics with acapacity to support a range ofecosystem goods and services.Our highest value agriculturalsoil is typified by a balance ofmineral materials, organic matterand nutrients. Our best carbonstoring soil is peat which ispredominately made up ofdecomposing soil organicmatter, accumulated over many1000s of years and can bemany metres deep. All soilsretain carbon to some degreeand soil is the largest terrestrialstore of carbon. Soil has apivotal role in climate changemitigation as well as futureadaptation. How soils aroundthe world respond to a changingglobal climate will dictate theavailability of food and water inthe future.

importance of soils to life onEarth, and to raise awareness ofthe numerous ways in whichsoil impacts on our daily lives.Around the world, organisationsinvolved with soil education, soilresearch or soil use andmanagement will be showcasingtheir work to a variety of interestgroups. These events aroundthe world can be found at theGlobal Soil Partnership (GSP)website: http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership/iys-2015/en/. The Global SoilPartnership was founded in2012 with the support of theFAO (Food and AgricultureOrganisation of the UnitedNations) as an interactive,responsive and voluntarypartnership, open togovernments, regionalorganizations, institutions andother stakeholders. The first GSPPlenary Assembly in 2013endorsed the formation of theIntergovernmental TechnicalPanel on Soil which is nowworking to produce the firstWorld Soil Resources Report forpublication in 2015. The secondGSP Plenary in 2014, involvingthe FAO Member Countries aswell as non Governmentalorganisations and institutions,endorsed an updated World SoilCharter and Plans of Action to:

• Promote sustainablemanagement of soil resources.

• Encourage investment,technical cooperation, policy,education awareness andextension in soils.

• Enhance the quantity andquality of soil data andinformation.

Matt AitkenheadWillie TowersHelaina BlackLiz BaggsRepresentatives of theBritish Society of SoilScience

Not all soils are the same. Onlya relatively small proportion (ca 14%) of the world’s soilscan grow food without majorintervention. There areapproximately 32 groups of soilaround the world 2, and manythousands of subtle variationswithin these. Each of these has

THE INTERNATIONALYEAR OF SOIL 2015

It is for these reasons that theUnited Nations Assemblydeclared 3 2015 as theInternational Year of Soil and the5th December every year asWorld Soils Day. 2015 is anopportunity to celebrate the

Soil is fundamentalto life on Earth buthuman pressures onsoil resources arereaching criticallimits. Soil is asessential as air andwater but rarelyreceives the sameattention.


• Support harmonization ofmethods, measurements andindicators for sustainable soilmanagement across all terrestrialecosystems.

WHAT DO WE NEEDFROM SOIL SCIENCE?

Soil is one of the mostcomplex natural systems known.This complexity is one of thegreatest assets of soil since itconfers the ability to delivermultiple benefits and a degreeof resilience to disturbance.Many soils can continue tomaintain food production whilein a highly altered or evendegraded state. However thesocial, economic andenvironmental consequences forother ecosystem goods andservices are now becomingequally recognised as we striveto achieve water, energy, climateand conservation needsalongside food production. Soilis unique in being theinterconnection between thesedemands. Without successfulsoil use and management formultiple benefits we will notmeet the needs for futuregenerations.

Scientists have been studyingsoil for over a hundred years.Even Charles Darwin wasfascinated by the formation ofsoils 4. Today, soil scientistscome in many different guisesas soil science is truly a multi-disciplinary science. Researchersfrom natural sciences, socialscience and economics areworking to tackle soil challenges.Advances in molecular biologyand mathematical modelling arebeing applied to soils to uncoverand simulate how complexbiological, chemical and physicalinteractions enable soil tosupport diverse ecosystemgoods and services. A few ofthese soil challenges have beentaken up in the recent UKResearch Council fundedprogrammes and studentships 5,6.

a competency scheme toestablish professional standardsfor people in the UK andEurope. Working with Soil is nowendorsed by over 50organisations includingGovernment bodies,agribusiness, research,consultancies and NGOs. As partof its goals, the BSSS iscommitted to increasing theawareness of soils and inpromoting education across allsectors of society. As part of this,the BSSS supports twointernational journals. TheInternational Year of Soils is anideal platform for the BSSS todemonstrate the breadth anddepth of UK soils researchwhich is applied in UK and

The UK has a thriving soilsresearch community with astrong international reputationexemplified by the BritishSociety of Soil Science winningthe bid to host the WorldCongress of Soil Science in2022. The UK sciencecommunity needs the rightfunding opportunities to fostercollaborative transdisciplinaryresearch to match the advancesmade elsewhere such as theHuman Genome Project orClimate Modelling.

REPRESENTING SOILSCIENTISTS ANDPROMOTING SOILSCIENCE

The British Society of SoilScience (BSSS7), a learnedsociety, was formed in 1947and is now an establishedinternational membershiporganisation and charitycommitted to the study of soil inits widest aspects. Our broadmembership enables the BSSSnot only to represent the skillsand expertise of soil scientistswithin the UK, but also to delivertraining. In 2011, the BSSSlaunched “Working with Soil”8 as

... soil has a central role ...

around the world, and to raiseawareness of the importance ofsoils to the UK economy andSociety at large.

HOW CAN YOUCONTRIBUTE TO THEINTERNATIONAL YEAROF SOIL?

There are several high-levelconferences and meetings in2015. These include the 3rdGlobal Soil Week 9 in Berlin,which is a multi-stakeholderplatform for dialogue betweenpolicy-makers, scientists, NGOsand other stakeholders on soilmatters in relation to foodsecurity, rural development,

growth, energy production, andthe competition for soilresources. Soil science will bewell represented in Austria atthe European GeosciencesUnion General Assembly (April12-17, 2015). The EGU isattended by over 12,000scientists from all over the worldto one meeting covering alldisciplines of the Earth, planetaryand space sciences.

Within the UK, BSSS has abroad programme of eventsthrough the year in partnershipwith other learned Societies,organisations, Government andschools. We launched the yearwith a soil digging-tree plantingevent held at 30 schools across

the UK, and plan more of thisthroughout the year. We will bestrengthening our relationshipsand coordinating activities withother societies, both nationaland international, such as theNigerian Soil Science Society,and organising a series ofschool, public engagement andpolicy events. You can find outmore about these activities onthe BSSS website(http://www.soils.org.uk/), orfollow us on twitter(https://twitter.com/Soil_Science), and we look forwardto hearing from you in whatpromises to be agroundbreaking year for soil.

References

1 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/soil/pdf/guidelines/EN%20-%20Sealing%20Guidelines.pdf

2 World reference base for soil resources2014. International soil classificationsystem for naming soils and creatinglegends for soil mapsWorld ReferenceBase. FAO 2014.

3 The 68th UN General Assembly(A/RES/68/232).

4 Darwin, C.R., 1881, The formation ofvegetable mould, through the action ofworms, with observations on theirhabits. London: John Murray.

5 http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/news/food-security/2014/141013-pr-protect-soils-safeguard-food-security.aspx

6 http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/funded/programmes/soilsecurity/

7 http://www.soils.org.uk/

8 http://www.soils.org.uk/working-soil-professional-competency

9 http://globalsoilweek.org/global-soil-week/gsw-2015

pharmacology has beenrecognised with this award. Itcould be argued that, throughhis pioneering studies on thechemistry of drug action, Alfred JClark was both Chair ofPharmacology at Edinburgh andthe father of the modernsubject. That aside the groundbreaking work of Edinburghresearchers has been of highimpact across the decades. Thisis highlighted by the outstandingcontributions of Sir JohnGaddum and Marthe Vogt onneurotransmitters that continuesto aid our understanding andtreatment of mental illness.Work by Eric Horton onprostaglandins opened the door


PUTTING UK PHARMACOLOGYON THE MAP – FROM BENCH TO BEDSIDE

Katharine RichardsonHead of Communications andMembership,British Pharmacological Society

The British PharmacologicalSociety has, at its heart, thedevelopment and promotion ofpharmacology and of itsmembers who are training andworking in academia,government, industry and thehealth service. The Society takesgreat pleasure in celebratingthese achievements andcampaigns for pharmacologiststo continue to benefit the healthand wealth of the UK.

THE ACHIEVEMENTS OFUK PHARMACOLOGY

The British PharmacologicalSociety recognised theachievements of UKPharmacology with theannouncement of its annual‘Putting UK Pharmacology on theMap’ vote in Parliament on 15December 2014.

The vote selected sites ofspecial scientific interest linked toachievements in pharmacologybased on a ballot of MPs, peersand senior members of thescientific community. For thesecond year Andrew Miller MPkindly took on the role ofReturning Officer and revealedthe names of the winning sites,judged to have madeoutstanding contributions to thediscovery and development ofmedicines:

• Marischal College, The University of Aberdeen

Heather Wallace, Professor ofBiochemical Pharmacology andToxicology at the University ofAberdeen, said: “The Universityof Aberdeen has been at theforefront of research andinnovation throughout its 500year history. Pharmacology hasbeen part of that history for over50 years and the University canclaim the rare distinction of twoBritish Pharmacological SocietyWellcome Gold Medal winners.This research on opioids andcannabinoids was carried out atMarischal College by ProfessorsKosterlitz and Pertwee and theirteams. We are delighted the

Pharmacologists haveimproved the lives ofmillions of people inthe UK and worldwide.Thanks to theirknowledge andexpertise, the over3,500 members of theBritishPharmacologicalSociety have a trackrecord of tackling themost pressingproblems facingsociety.

importance of that early, andindeed continuing, work hasbeen recognised in this way.Our research continues withvigour at the Institute of MedicalSciences on our Foresterhillhealth campus.”

• The Department ofPharmacology, the Universityof Edinburgh:

Mark Evans, Professor ofCellular Pharmacology at theUniversity of Edinburgh,explained: “The University ofEdinburgh has a long traditionof discovery and innovation inthe field pharmacology. I amdelighted that its contribution to

to advances in the treatment ofpain and inflammation thatcontinues to this day.”

• The Department ofMolecular & ClinicalPharmacology, the Universityof Liverpool

Professor Munir Pirmohamed,from the University of Liverpool’sInstitute of TranslationalMedicine, commented: “We aredelighted to have been chosenas one of the winning sites forPutting UK Pharmacology on theMap. The Department ofMolecular and ClinicalPharmacology in Liverpool hasmaintained its identity, and

... benefit the health and wealth of the UK ...


continues to promote leadingedge research with seamlessworking between basic andclinical scientists. Its multi-disciplinary approach withcollaborative working withacademia, healthcare andindustry is key to its success.”

• Sir William Dunn School ofPathology, the University ofOxford

Professor Christoph Tang of theSir William Dunn School ofPathology at Oxford Universitysaid: “In the 1940s, treatmentwith penicillin seemed nothingshort of miraculous. Thediscovery banished the threatposed by many infectiousdiseases that were leading killersof the time. The dedicated workat the Dunn School by the team

of Florey, Chain and Heatleyushered in the age of modernmedicine, and paved the wayfor drug discovery since then. Iam delighted that thisremarkable achievement hasbeen recognised with thisprestigious award, and I amproud to accept it on behalf ofthe scientists and staff at theDunn School.”

These winning sites joined foursites previously elected to theinitiative in 2013:

• AstraZeneca, Alderley Park

• The James Black Foundation,King’s College London

• The University of Strathclyde

• Wadham College, The University of Oxford

The back page of this issueincludes the Society’s membersand parliamentarians who wereable to join the celebrations:Stephen Metcalfe MP andAndrew Miller MP on behalf ofthe House of Commons Scienceand Technology Committee;Deputy Speaker Eleanor LaingMP; Dame Anne Begg MP and

Frank Doran MP congratulatingthe team from Aberdeen; andLouise Ellman MP congratulatingthe winners from Liverpool.

RECENT CAMPAIGNS1. Advancing pharmacology inthe UK

To coincide with the ‘PuttingUK Pharmacology on the Map’result, the Society identified whatit believes are the secrets ofsuccess for sites where cuttingedge research is nurtured in theUK.

“These sites of specialpharmacological interest havemade outstanding contributionsto the discovery anddevelopment of medicines, andalso to the health and economyof the UK. By learning from our

rich history, we can ensure thatthe UK remains at the cuttingedge of research,” explainedProfessor Humphrey Rang,President of the BritishPharmacological Society. “TheUK has been a world-leader inmedicines research anddevelopment, but recentchanges have put this positionunder threat. Where are the nextbreakthroughs going to comefrom? There are obvioussimilarities in the sites that havebeen successful in the PuttingUK Pharmacology on the Map

vote for the last two years. Ihope these will be encouragedby team leaders, employers,funders and policy-makers inorder to nurture futurebreakthroughs.”

The secrets of success identifiedby the Society were:

• Team identity: successful siteshave benefited from distinctidentities, whether asstandalone organisations or

working within much larger

universities or companies.

• Leadership: the achievements

of these sites can often be

traced to the effectiveness of

their charismatic, imaginative

and determined leaders.

faces increasing demand forservices and a decreasingbudget. Evidence shows thatclinical pharmacology is going tobe vital if we are to meet thischallenge, but the speciality hasperhaps been a little too shy incoming forward. I am thereforepleased to help draw attention

• Adequate resources: whilescientists have been able towork creatively withinlimitations, confidence in thelonger-term availability ofresources, including funding, isimportant.

• Championing talent:successful sites have attractedand developed skilledscientists.

The Society is a committedmember of the Drug DiscoveryPathways Group, which works todevelop solutions to the needsof the wider medicines researchcommunity in three main areas:industry-academia partnerships,knowledge and skills.

2. Advancing clinicalpharmacology in the NHS

The British PharmacologicalSociety launched a new report inNovember calling for an increasein the number of clinicalpharmacologists across the fourUK nations (available from:

to this under-recognised groupof doctors and the steps neededto increase their number.”

Clinical pharmacologists makea particularly valuablecontribution to the NHS in areasincluding:

• Providing specialist andgeneralist patient care

• Leading clinical toxicologyservices

• Advising on medicines policy

and management

• Providing education andtraining for undergraduatesand postgraduates

• Working with industry toenhance the development ofinnovative new medicines

• Bringing innovation to the NHSthrough experimentalmedicine

In 2012, there were only 77CPT consultants in the UK, withstartling inequalities in provisionacross different regions, andsignificantly fewer than the 440recommended by the RoyalCollege of Physicians.

The Society is calling for asubstantial increase in thenumber of registrar training postsand believes an increase in thenumber of consultants to 150over the next decade isachievable – and necessary ifthe NHS workforce is to meetcurrent and future demands.

bit.ly/NHSandCPT). The medicalspecialty of clinical pharmacologyand therapeutics (CPT) is theonly one focusing on the safe,effective and economic use ofmedicines, and is well placed tohelp the NHS surmount thebiggest financial challenge sinceits creation.

Lord Robert Winston kindlyhosted a reception to launch thereport and noted, “The NHS

... research on opioids and cannabinoids ...

... treatment of pain and inflammation ...

... help the NHS surmount the biggest financial challenge ...


The NHS has always been aworld leader in healthcareinnovation: constantlydeveloping or improvingtechnologies, treatments andways of working. Doctors areusually perceived to be theprime source of thisinnovation. Indeed, theMedical Innovation Bill putbefore Parliament in 2014focuses solely on the role ofthe doctor. Meanwhile, thecontribution of NHS physicistsand engineers continues to besubstantial. With this article,we celebrate the vital rolethey play in keeping the NHScreative, productive andforward-looking.

The NHS depends oninnovation to improveproductivity, keep down costsand deliver better outcomes forpatients. Knowledge andtechnology developed within the

NHS is exported, helping theUK’s economic growth. It isimportant to understand howthis innovation comes about, inorder to nurture and promote it.

The Institute of Physics andEngineering in Medicine (IPEM)represents about 4,000 peopleworking in medical physics andbiomedical engineering. Most ofour members work in the NHSalthough we also have membersin academia and industry.

creative thinkers and a drivingforce behind NHS innovation.Medical physics and biomedicalengineering have long beenmajor research strengths for theUK and many of the healthcaretechnologies now being used inthe NHS and worldwide havetheir origin in discoveries byIPEM members.

Clinical imaging has changedthe face of medicine andrevolutionised diagnosis and

MEDICAL PHYSICISTS ANDBIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS: Unsung Innovators of the NHS

Dr Anna Barnes Vice-President ExternalInstitute of Physics &Engineering in Medicine

Dr Elspeth BartlettFormerly External RelationsManagerInstitute of Physics &Engineering in Medicine

Dr Robin Holmes of University Hospitals Bristol Foundation Trust has been developing the use of 3D printers toproduce low cost, anatomically correct brain phantoms for testing Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and otherscanners.

Physicists and engineers haveimportant roles within the NHS.Our members help to ensurethat patients are correctlydiagnosed and safely treated forillnesses such as cancer andstroke. They maintain andmanage medical equipment andhelp ensure the safety of bothpatients and staff. However, theyare also trained scientists,

treatment. British physicists andengineers have beenresponsible for, or made majorcontributions to, the most widelyused medical imagingtechniques: ComputerisedTomography (CT), MagneticResonance Imaging (MRI),Positron Emission Tomography(PET), Single Photon EmissionComputed Tomography (SPECT)

... world’s first fully articulated bionic hand ...


and medical ultrasound. The CTand MRI pioneers GodfreyHounsfield and Peter Mansfieldreceived Nobel prizes for theirwork, while ultrasound pioneer(and former IPEM President)Peter Wells was recentlyawarded a Royal Medal by theQueen.

Intensity ModulatedRadiotherapy (IMRT) is anadvanced form of cancertreatment, which preciselytargets radiation at the tumour,while minimising the amountgoing to surrounding healthytissues. Medical physicist andIPEM Fellow, Professor SteveWebb, was one of the keyresearchers behind its invention.The use of IMRT is now rapidlyexpanding across the NHS, withthe help of the Government’sRadiotherapy Innovation Fund.

FOUR RESEARCH PROJECTS ASSISTED WITH IPEM FUNDING.

1. Quick and accurate mapping of skin cancer lesions

Megan Duffy is one of a team of scientists at St Thomas’s Hospital, London developing a new technique that could enable skincancer tumours to be mapped accurately, quickly and cheaply for the first time. They are using advanced non-invasive opticaltechniques to detect cancer-affected areas under the skin and accurately map them before surgery. The system will help surgeonsremove all the cancerous tissue from a patient whilst minimising skin damage and disfigurement. The new technique will be a hugeimprovement over existing practice, which requires taking repeated cuts of tissue from the patient’s skin for microscopic examination. Itis expected to cut operating times dramatically.

2. Better brain scans with the help of 3D printers

A wide range of illnesses and conditions are detected or assessed with the help of medical scanning. Medical physicists use testobjects called phantoms to check that the scanners are operating correctly. This is important, in order to ensure that any potentialabnormalities detected are real and not due to variations in scanner performance. Dr Robin Holmes of University Hospitals BristolFoundation Trust has been developing the use of 3D printers to produce low cost, anatomically correct brain phantoms for testingPositron Emission Tomography (PET) and other scanners. With better phantoms, scan reporting for conditions such asneurodegeneration will become more objective and accurate, reducing uncertainty and enabling earlier diagnoses.

3. Safer seatbelts for passengers with spinal deformity

There are currently no car passenger restraints on the market designed specifically for those with severe or complex spinaldeformities. Paul Harrington of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS trust has been developing car restraints for better protection ofwheelchair users. He has designed and tested a wheelchair-integrated system which incorporates both a lap belt and an upper torsorestraint. Recent crash tests have found that his new system provided better protection and met international safety standardsregarding the level of restraint provided. Paul is now developing a commercial product with a manufacturer.

4. Wider access to self-administered pain relief

When patients are allowed to administer their own pain relief, it has been found to reduce the requirement for costly nursing and tobe more effective at relieving pain. However, an estimated 20% of patients who would benefit from Patient Controlled Analgesia(PCA) are physically unable to operate the handsets. Dr Thomas Stone and Sonya Sireau of Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge,working with Ian Hosking of the Cambridge University Engineering Design Centre are developing several different PCA handsets fordisabled patients. They believe that, with the right devices, almost every patient should be able to access PCA. Their first prototypes arenow being tested with patients.

Medical physicists have beenvital to implementing this newtechnology safely and are nowdeveloping new and improvedtreatments, made possible byIMRT.

Biomedical and clinicalengineering is one of the fastestadvancing areas of healthcarescience, covering areas such asmedical implants, joint

commercialised, enablingthousands of users worldwide toperform delicate, individualfinger movements andcomplicated grips not possiblewith previous prostheses.

Medical innovation is not allabout ground-breakingdevelopments and Nobel prizes.NHS physicists and engineersare constantly finding creative

elsewhere. Four of our projectsare outlined in the box below.They provide a snapshot of thewide range of research anddevelopment undertaken by ourmembers and the considerableimprovements it can bring topatient outcomes, costeffectiveness and qualityassurance.

Physicists and engineersrepresent a rich scientificresource embedded within thehealth service. In theseincreasingly demanding times,the pioneering advances theydeliver, working with doctors andother healthcare staff, are vital tohelp the NHS keep its world-leading position.

replacements, robotic surgery,rehabilitation devices and telecare. The world’s first fullyarticulated bionic hand wasinvented by NHS clinicalengineer and IPEM Fellow,David Gow, who was recentlyappointed CBE for his work. Hisrevolutionary, modular design forthe i-Limb has been successfully

solutions and new approachesto deal with everyday challengesto effective patient care. Since2012, IPEM’s Research andInnovation awards have beenproviding small grants for suchfront-line work and especially forearly-stage, speculative or nicheresearch projects that wouldstruggle to find funding

... non-invasive optical techniques ...


POWERING HUMAN PROGRESS –PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Ian Marchant FEI, President, Energy Institute

Energy has always been a key

enabler of economic

development, but it has also

shaped today’s society. The

world looked very different in

1914 and energy has been at

the forefront of this change. It

has transformed our existences

and the towns, cities, countries

in which we live. It has been

fundamental to improving

comfort in the home, efficiency

in our work and diversity in our

leisure time. It has played a

major part in improving the

health of individuals and nations.

In 1914, in the UK alone, 63%

of people died before the age of

60. Now it is less than 12%.

Energy has also turned the

planet into a global village,

providing access both

used as the quickest means of

bringing news. Now we can

instantly contact people around

the globe, whilst the

development of the internet

enables us to share events on a

global scale and in real time.

politicians, regulators and the

business community grapple

with three objectives that

frequently pull in different

directions: energy costs need to

be low for both businesses and

families; energy supply needs to

be secure for the economy and

social wellbeing and it needs to

be sustainable to safeguard the

environment. These factors

frequently conflict and decisions

designed to achieve one can

cause adverse consequences on

the others. Reconciling these

needs for sustainability, security

and affordability is the “energy

trilemma” that the industry has

been tackling for some time

now and that all stakeholders

must resolve.

With climate change

considered to be one of the

greatest threats in human history,

extensive research must be

continuously undertaken and

technical developments

deployed to produce new and

cleaner energy – and there

should be enough of it to

provide uninterrupted supply for

decades to come. The cost of

generating this energy must also

be controlled to ensure that

people can comfortably integrate

its use into their daily lives.

But there is still another huge

challenge for the industry to

meet: that of providing for the

one billion people in the world

who still lack access to clean

energy, which has become an

essential commodity alongside

food, water and shelter. Back in

1914, the global population was

estimated at 1.8 billion. Today it

stands at 7 billion and the

forecast is for the world to hit

geographically and through

communications to every corner

of the world and beyond. It has

been instrumental in bringing

technological change on the

ground, in the air and into

space, enabling us to travel

faster and further, reaching new

frontiers well beyond our

grandparents’ wildest dreams.

When the EI was created, the

use of telephones was in its

infancy and telegrams were

None of this could have been

possible without the growth of

the energy sector to power it all.

POWER TO THE PEOPLEHowever, to continue this

progress for the benefit of

society, we will have to

overcome very complex

challenges. Barely a week goes

by without some aspect of

energy making headlines, as

In 2014, the Energy Institute (EI) celebrated its centenary as theprofessional body for anyone working in or studying energy, andthis milestone has provided us with an opportunity to reflect onhow energy has contributed to human progress over the pastcentury, as well as take a hard look at future challenges.

... Energy has always been a key enabler of economic development ...

... we can instantly contact people around the globe ...


11 billion inhabitants by 2100.

Not only must the energy

industry work tirelessly to help

create a more secure and

sustainable environment for

people to live in, it has to do so

for everyone.

POWER FROM THEPEOPLE

We generally think of energy

as a natural resource, but it

requires considerable human

ENERGY INSTITUTE CELEBRATES CENTENARY AT PGESSUMMER RECEPTION

ingenuity to find it, extract it,

distribute it, deploy it and

manage its use. Throughout the

last century, the development of

'human capital' has taken

central place in everything the

energy industry has done. Our

sector’s history is full of heroes:

the well-known such as James

Watt, Thomas Edison and William

Armstrong, but also many

unsung ones. Every day, a whole

range of energy professionals do

amazing things, from fitters on a

North Sea oil rig and linesmen

out in all weathers keeping the

lights on, to engineers solving

today's problems and scientists

working on tomorrow's.

Organisations such as the EI, as

(l-r) Ian Liddell-Grainger MP and Katrina Williams join EI President Ian Marchant FEI and EI Chief Executive LouiseKingham OBE FEI in celebrating the Energy Institute’s Centenary

Throughout last yearand until March 2015,the Energy Institute(EI) has beencelebrating 100 yearssince its foundingorganisation theInstitution ofPetroleumTechnologists wasformally launched byits first President SirBoverton Redwood.

Sir Boverton Redwood

To mark this milestone, the EI sponsored the 2014 Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies summerreception, hosted by Ian Liddell-Grainger MP and featuring Katrina Williams, Director General forInternational, Science and Resilience at the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change and EIPresident Ian Marchant FEI as keynote speakers.

well as governments, businesses

and academic bodies, have a

key role to play in helping,

encouraging and recognising

these energy heroes.

Much of the focus of any

professional institution is, rightly,

on people development,

providing the skills and

knowledge needed for

individuals to achieve the

highest level of competence in

their field. Access to energy and

the human progress that it

generates relies on these highly

skilled people whose dedication

to the task not only helps

sustain society but also inspire

new generations to join the

sector.

Professional bodies also play a

key part in encouraging debate

about the challenges facing

industries and society. Those

debates in the energy sector are

as fierce, relevant and difficult as

they have ever been. As an

independent organisation

bringing sound science and

evidence-based knowledge to

the table, as well as developing

operational good practice in

partnership with industry and

regulators, the EI acts as a

convening authority to stimulate

an open and informed debate

about trade-offs, conflicts and

technologies, and we can help

develop a better understanding

of the energy industry as a

single integrated system. If our

predecessors who gathered 100

years ago to start this work were

around now they would be

amazed at the way energy has

transformed so many aspects of

our lives for the greater good.

They would be impressed with

the technological advances that

have been achieved and the

wellbeing that these have

brought.

I hope the same can be said

in another 100 years.

www.energyinst.org.

... whole range of energy professionals do amazing things ...


Annual Luncheon of theParliamentary and ScientificCommitteeThe Guest of Honourat the Annual Lunchon Wednesday 26thNovember was thePrime Minister, theRt Hon DavidCameron MP.

Andrew Miller MP, Stephen Mosley MP, Rt Hon David Cameron MP, Lord Oxburgh and Dr Stephen Benn

“The first thing I want to say isto wish you a very HappyBirthday. You’ve done extremelywell to keep going in Parliamentfor this many years and you’vehad an extraordinary impact onParliament, so Happy Birthdayand thank you for what youhave done.

I should start with an apologybecause I am an Arts Graduateso I feel a bit of a fraud. Theonly science I did was one ofthe dismal sciences – readingPolitics Philosophy andEconomics at Oxford so I’m notsure I am really qualified.

I want to make a couple ofpoints. The heritage we have inthis country of science issomething we should be

incredibly proud of. Think of theinventions – everything from theworld wide web to penicillin, tothe jet engine, to the television,to the Higgs Boson, to theunravelling of DNA – we havean incredibly proud scienceheritage.

But the real reason I wanted tocome and say a few words isthat I think science is going tobe even more vital to our futurethan it has been to our past. Wehave to compete with otheircountries for our share ofsuccess in the world. The onlyway you win a race is to play toyour strengths. When you thinkwhat Britain’s strengths are – wecan all name a few, apart fromour weather and our ability tolose at sports we invented. Wehave the English language, wehave got our great Universities,our tradition of finance andtrading around the world but

one of our greatest strengths isour science base, and our abilityto go on pushing theboundaries, inventing andexploiting science.

I see this as a key part of ourfuture and the work that you doto connect Parliamentarians toscience is vital. That is the mostsignificant thing I want to say. Isee this as a very important partof what we do. That is why wehave not cut the ScienceBudget; we have increased it.That is why we are investing inscience in our schools andencouraging people to studySTEM subjects. That is why weare looking at how to improvethe teaching of science, not leastcomputer sciences. Teachingcoding in our schools is vitallyimportant. This is vital to ourfuture. Keep on doing what youare doing.

The second point is there issomething I want you to help uswith. There is a danger in ourcountry and across theEuropean Union. We cansometimes let an anti-scienceculture grow up. We see this inall sorts of different ways. Weare at the forefront of makingsure that we cure geneticdiseases by having a permissiveregime by looking at stem celland other sciences.

Nuclear power is a vitalscientific area of endeavour, avital industry for our country, butI sit at those European Councilmeetings and I see country aftercountry, including now, sadly,Germany, arguing againstnuclear power.

I don’t like the word fracking, Iprefer “unconventional gas”, butwe should be doing all we canto make sure we recoverLord Oxburgh and Andrew Miller MP


Ian Taylor and Rt Hon Lord Jenkin of Roding

Lord Kirkwood and Lord Walton of Detchant

Sir William Stewart and Dr Richard Worswick

unconventional gas as well asconventional gas. Again we facea slightly anti-science culture inEurope when we try to do it.

The fourth area I wouldmention would be GM. We havesome of the finest areas ofscientific endeavour in terms ofmaking sure that we can feed aplanet of what will one day be 9billion people. Again there is aslightly – very – anti-GM culturesometimes in Britain but a lot inEurope.

I’ve named four areas. You arescientists. You can name a lotmore where we need to take onthe doubters, and often somewho are actually quite ignorantabout these issues and reallymake a campaign and have afight about it.

Science is essential to ourfuture. Keep doing what you aredoing and help us win the battlein arguing for scientific advance.Politicians cannot do it on ourown. We need scientists,

universities, professors,researchers to step up to theplate and make the argumenttoo – otherwise the argumenton nuclear, on GM, onunconventional gas onembryology will all go the wrongway.

I hope you have a lovely lunch.I am sorry to tell you that assoon as you have finished your

Marijke Smith, Tony Harding and Andrew Furlong

Professor Peter Silley and Dr Lucy Harper

lunch you’ve got to get back towork. The point of Committeeslike this is to have a forward-looking agenda and I hope I’vegiven you an idea of what Ithink that agenda needs to be:take on the doubters, take onthe arguments, win for scienceand you’ll be winning for Britainas well. Thank you very muchindeed.”


Professor Sa’ad Medhat CEng FRSA FIKEProfessor Medhat is the founder &CEO of NEF with an establishedreputation for driving forwardinitiatives from policy through toimplementation.

Can consistent apprenticeshipexperience be achieved todrive performance excellence?

WHAT IS THE ISSUE?The Heseltine Report1 made it

clear: we need to achieve thehighest standards in education toraise our game on socio-economicprosperity. The message from theRichard Review 2 is thatapprenticeships are no exceptionto this. They need to set higherstandards so that they are held inhigh esteem by employers,apprentices and society at large.Major reforms have followed fromthe Richard’s Review. However, theissue that remains is that ofconsistency in the quality of theapprentice’s experience.Theoretically, it should make nodifference as to whether theapprentice has gone to a large orsmall company. The apprenticeshipprogramme should be designed insuch a way as to provide anexperience that is consistent andimpactful, irrespective of employersize or industry sector. In practice,the quality of the apprentice’sexperience is highly variable, andconsequently may have a negativeimpact on the individualapprentice, and also on the sectorand the economy as a whole. Inaddition, if the intention is to create

a robust educational alternativethrough a workplace route, thenthe apprenticeship standardsshould enable progression to firstdegree or postgraduate level thathave parity of esteem with theiracademic counterparts.

WHAT IS NEEDED?Beyond what the apprenticeship

frameworks prescribe at differentlevels, there is no instrument tobenchmark the consistency in thequality of the apprentice’sexperience. Research3 hasdemonstrated that the economiesof the future will need workforcesthat offer higher functioningcapabilities – digital, logic, designand interactions together withdexterity and sensory skills; abilityto operate in different sectors;adaptable to technological changeand possessing entrepreneurialmind-sets. By having thesecapabilities, employers will achievegreater productivity and increasedinnovation. There are manyexcellent apprenticeshipprogrammes that go a long way tomeet these qualities. However, toensure a strong foundation for thefuture economy, these exemplarsneed to become the norm andnot the exception. The only way toachieve this successfully is throughproviding a structured, coherentand consistent learning experiencefor the apprentice benchmarkedto the highest standards globally.

THE APPRENTICEASSURED

Building on NEF’s extensiveexperience in developing qualitystandards and conductingassurance in multiple sectors (egeducation, nuclear, construction,engineering, defence, energy, lifesciences), NEF has designed aunique, new standard that assuresthe consistent quality of theApprentice’s experience – theApprentice Assured.

The Apprentice Assured uses asix-category Framework to assessthe apprenticeship quality. TheAward is for the employer. Thefocus of the Framework is on thelearner experience: how far is theapprenticeship geared to qualifyingthe apprentice to be of real valueto an employer? Is the apprenticeof value not just to the employerbut to the wider industry? This is achance to avoid apprenticeshipsthat are an exercise in certifying –by box-ticking, taking the ‘routeone’ approach to obtaining fundingand hitting targets at least cost.

The Apprentice AssuredFramework categories areidentified in Figure 1:

A sample of the type ofquestions that the ApprenticeAssured Standard tests for include:

• Is the Apprenticeship designed todeliver the impacts?

• Does the Apprenticeshipprogramme plan the experience soas to maximise learning?

• Is the purpose of theApprenticeship clear to the learner?

• Does the training provider andthe employer understand theirroles and act on these?

• Are learning experiencesstructured to provide a coherentcurriculum of a consistent highstandard?

Fig. 1

• Do apprentices understand thedemands of their industry andcustomer needs?

• Do apprentices develop high-value transferable and cross-sectorskills?

• Does the apprenticeshipencourage innovation, creativeproblem solving and design?

• Does the apprenticeshipencourage commitment toprofessional recognition?

• Are the intended impactsachievable, add value and improveperformance?

The development of theApprentice Assured Standard issupported by the members of theInnovation Council of over 40 chiefofficers from different industrysectors of the economy. They actas members of the independentvalidation panel as part of theassurance process to enable notonly objectivity in the assessment,but also to encourage the transferof sector-to-sector best practice.

References:

1 No Stone Unturned in pursuit ofgrowth Oct 2012.

2 The future of apprenticeships,Nov2014.

3 Workforce 2020, Building a strategicworkforce for the future, OxfordEconomics 2014; Global Human CapitalTrends 2014, Deloitte 2014; Inventing theFuture: Transforming STEM Economies,NEF 2014.


Irina CalosScience and Innovation Officer, Los Angeles

CLIMATE CHANGE, FOODSECURITY, AND BIG DATA

Without significant advancesin agricultural technology, theAmerican agricultural sectorand associated jobs are at riskdue to threats presented byclimate change. However,recent advances in the use ofdata analytics for agricultureand research partnershipsspell promise for the sector.

More than 21 millionAmericans – 15 per cent of thetotal workforce – produce,process, and sell the nation’sagricultural goods, whichcontributed over £500 billion($776 billion) – 4.8 per cent ofthe nation’s GDP – to the USeconomy in 2012. According tothe US’ National ClimateAssessment released in May,climate disruptions to agriculturehave already begun. Forexample, higher night-timetemperatures have reducedmaize yields, and the number ofsuch hot nights in these regionsis projected to increase by afurther 30 per cent.Furthermore, climate change isalready reducing rainfall in muchof the country’s thirstyagricultural regions. In additionto the primary stress of warmingtemperatures, livestock and crop

production are particularlyvulnerable to climate changeand secondary impacts such aspathogens, pests, weeds,drought, and catastrophicweather. Given that agriculturaloperations often have very lowprofit margins and farmerscannot just pack up and move,both the public and privatesector have renewed their focuson helping the agricultural sectorto remain productive.

Securing funding for climatechange mitigation is notoriouslydifficult in the US, but Federaland private programs are finallyworking on empowering theagricultural sector to adapt toclimate change and ensurecontinued food and financialsecurity. By providing access toopen climatalogical andagricultural data, the Federalgovernment is encouragingpartnerships between thegovernment, private industry,and agriculturalists. Through itsOpen Government Partnership,the US Federal government isworking to connect independentstakeholders to harness opendata on www.data.gov to informagricultural production toincrease food security.

In July, the President unveiledthe Climate Data Initiative’s FoodResilience Theme, which isleveraging the government’sopen data resources to stimulateinnovation and entrepreneurshipthat can empower farmers andmake food systems moresecure. With the launch of theTheme, the White Houseannounced a number ofcommitments between USFederal agencies and the privatesector to support food resilienceusing public data.

Because climate changeincreases weather variability and

risk to farmers, industry areincreasingly interested in usingdata to aid farmers. In 2013,Monsanto, a large agrochemicaland agricultural biotechnologycompany, acquired ClimateCorporation for nearly $1 billion.Climate Corporation’s 200scientists work to improveweather analytics to helpfarmers avert weather-relatedlosses, providing weather, soil,and crop data at the field leveldirectly to farmers through asmart phone app. (The US iscertainly not alone in this field –the British Geological Survey’smySoil application similarly useslocation-based data to helpfarmers optimise theirproduction.) IBM and Intel alsohave weather analytics unitsworking on everything fromreducing water usage,maximising production, andminimising environmentalimpacts.

There are a number ofopportunities – and reasons –for UK stakeholders to engagewith the US to improve foodsecurity. The Global Alliance forClimate-Smart Agriculture, ofwhich the US and UK are bothfounding members, seeks topromote greater internationalengagement on reducingagriculture’s impacts on theclimate. The Agricultural ModelIntercomparison andImprovement Project works toimprove climate and economicmodelling with agricultural data.

The US is certainly not alone inits efforts to harness big data tocomprehend better agriculture’sevolving needs. This year theScience and Innovation Networkin the US launched a UK-UStask force in partnership with theResearch Council’s cross-councilinitiative on Global Food Security

to conduct in depth analysis ofplausible worst case scenarios ofdisruption to the global foodsystem caused by extremeweather events. In October, theMet Office committed £97million to developing a newsupercomputer for highlyaccurate weather forecastingand climate modelling academicresearch. The Food andEnvironment Research Agencyhas also paired with theUniversity of York’s YorkEnvironmental SustainabilityInstitute for Fera’s Initiative inAgrifood Resilience. Under theUK’s Strategy for AgriculturalTechnologies the UKGovernment committed £90million to establish a number ofCentres for AgriculturalInnovation, which will launch in2015. The first Centre will be a£10 million Centre forAgricultural Informatics and theMetrics of Sustainability. The UKGovernment committed afurther £70 million to establishan Agri-Tech Catalyst. TheCatalyst supports collaborativeresearch between scientists andbusinesses to springboard agri-tech projects from the lab to themarket place and driveagricultural innovation. To date,over 50 projects worth £43 million, which includes £13 million co-investment fromindustry, have been supported.

With the needs for adaptationto climate change growing evermore acute, the “big datarevolution”, as many call it, can’tcome too soon. However, recentadvances in computing andnascent partnerships betweennational and internationalstakeholders lend hope to theidea that the agriculture sectorwill continue to innovate.


Dr Julia KnightsDirector of Science and InnovationNetwork (SIN) – Brazil

If you would like to receive ourmonthly newsletters, producedjointly with SIN Mexico and SINChile, please don’t hesitate to get intouch at [email protected]

... opportunities for UK business and academiato offer expertise ...

Less than three degrees from

the equator, the Alcântara

Launch Center sits on Brazil’s

northern Atlantic coast. The

earth spins fastest here so less

fuel is required for launches,

making it an attractive prospect

for UK satellite launches for

communication.

In Rio de Janeiro,a vaccine

aimed at protecting against

Schistosomiasis – the most

devastating parasitic infection in

the world after malaria – is

being developed by scientists at

the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation.

These are just a few of the

exciting innovative projects of

the UK’s Science and Innovation

Network (SIN) in Brazil. Based in

the British Embassy in Brasilia

In 2013, Brazil published

46,306 articles in Elsevier

scientific journals, representing

more than two-thirds of South

America’s entire research output.

The impact and quality of

Brazilian research is world-class

in many areas, with citations

three times greater than the

world average in Agricultural

Sciences (8.8% of the world

scientific output), plant and

The Brazilian Government is

investing heavily in Brazilian

industrial development and

developing a skilled labour force.

President Dilma Rouseff has

increased the powers and

funding of FINEP, the Brazilian

equivalent to Innovate UK. In

June 2014 she launched the £5

billion “Knowledge Platform

National Program” over ten

years that will invest in research

on health, oil, basic engineering,

robotics, monitoring technology

for the Amazon rainforest,

genetics and biotechnology.

This rapidly developing

landscape provides significant

opportunities to further UK-Brazil

science and innovation co-

operation as well as commercial

opportunities for British

institutions and companies.

BRAZIL’S NEW SCIENCEMINISTER

Space and Innovation are the

new priorities for Brazil’s new

powerhouses. Federal and State

Government spending on

Science, Technology and

Innovation in 2013 was

estimated to be around $31

billion USD, amounting to

around 1.2 % of Brazil’s GDP.

... one of the world’s science powerhouses ...

animal science (6.6%),

environment and ecology (3%),

and biology and biochemistry

(2.6%). Pockets of excellence

are also emerging in avionics,

engineering and oil and gas.

However, the country still faces

a number of challenges

including a lack of research

scientists and engineers, a need

for expertise in innovation, and a

legal and commercial framework

to support it with IP law

enforcement. Links between

academia and industry are still in

the early stages of development.

These are all opportunities for

UK business and academia to

offer expertise.

Deep beneath the Andes an underground lab is being constructedto detect dark matter. Agua Negra Deep Experiment Site (ANDES)is a joint project between Brazil, Chile, Argentina & Mexico and isdue for completion by 2021.

and the British Consulate in Sao

Paulo, SIN Brazil fosters world-

class science partnerships with

Brazil whilst informing UK

stakeholders of new science

policies, funding mechanisms

and opportunities for research

and commercial partnerships

with Brazil.

BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENTINVESTMENT IN SCIENCE

Brazil is rapidly becoming one

of the world’s science

UK & BRAZIL: PARTNERS INSCIENCE, SPACE & INNOVATION


... creating five new launch pads ...

Science, Technology and

Innovation Minister, Aldo Rebelo,

who took office at the beginning

of this January. Rebelo, a long

standing member of the

Communist Party of Brazil, was

Sports Minister for the FIFA

World Cup 2014 in Dilma’s last

government. This brings the

Science Ministry greater political

importance as his party has

been loyal to the coalitions in

power since 2003.

OPPORTUNITIES INSPACE

Brazil is a key place to launch

satellites thanks to its main

launch facility, Alcântara Launch

Center. Several Space

superpowers are already

partnering with Brazil’s Space

programme. China launched a

$250 million Earth Resources

Satellite last November joint with

Brazil, with another launch due

2017. Russia and Brazil are

designing a family of next-

generation rockets and creating

five new launch pads as part of

their Southern Cross Project.

Their first rocket will launch in

2022.

The Science and Innovation

Network (SIN-Brazil) will create

new partnerships to increase

sales of small satellites and

launch satellites such as

Cubesat on existing missions

from Alcântara. We will do this

by encouraging UK companies

to apply for grants from the UK

Space Agency’s new £32m

International Partnership Space

Programme. Brazil is also due to

host the Disaster Charter

Organisation in Autumn 2015.

We will use this to showcase UK

expertise on disaster monitoring

with the UK’s Satellite

Applications Catapult and the

Space Agency.

OPPORTUNITIES ININNOVATION

In partnership with UKTI, SIN

has increased dialogue with

different levels of the Brazilian

government on innovation

policy, working on sharing best-

practice and increasing the

dialogue with key local partners

to influence policy-making. This

includes the Brazilian Innovation

Agency, the Brazilian Ministry of

UK BRAZIL £27MNEWTON FUND PROJECT

SIN Brazil is also developing

Innovation partnerships in

health, future cities, neglected

diseases, biodiversity and

climate through the UK’s £27m

Newton Fund (Overseas

Development Assistance

funding). Launched by the

Chancellor last year, we have

secured a further £27 million

from the Brazilian

government.To date, five new

innovation calls have been

successfully launched in 2014.

Exciting examples include

digitising the entire Brazil plant

collection held at the Royal

Botanical Gardens at Kew for

the benefit of Brazil. Partners

involved in digitising the

collections include the Rio

Development, Industry and

Foreign Trade, and State and

Municipal governments in Sao

Paulo. We have also used recent

recognitions such as the UK’s

second place in the Global

Innovation Index to foster

interest in large Brazilian

innovative companies looking to

carry out R&D in the UK.

In 2014 we have seen an

increased interest and

investment of UK universities

and research centres in Brazil.

The University of Edinburgh and

King’s College London opened

local offices in Brazil in 2014,

joining Universities of

Birmingham, Nottingham, De

Montfort and Cambridge

Assessment with a presence in

the country.

Strong opportunities in

biotechnology exist for UK

companies. The UK’s biotech

firm Oxitec of Oxford opened

the first factory producing

transgenic mosquitoes in

£3 million joint call on energy,

waste and water between

Innovate UK and the National

Service for Industrial Training in

Brazil. SIN-Brazil will continue to

help negotiate new calls

between Brazilian partners and

the UK’s Newton Fund delivery

partners (RCUK, British Council,

the Academies and Innovate

UK).

SCIENCE WITHOUTBORDERS

Further innovation partnerships

are being fostered through

Brazil’s Science without Borders

mobility programme. The UK

has also welcomed over 8,500

students under “Science Without

Borders”, Brazil’s education

mobility scheme. A third of

these students are already on a

research or industrial placement

... specimens collected by Charles Darwin ...

Botanic Garden, the Brazilian

National Research Council and

Brazilian universities. The Reflora

project, as it is known, includes

specimens collected by Charles

Darwin and will not just benefit

Brazil but also future generations

around the world.

A £6m joint research call

between the Research Councils

UK and the Brazilian Council of

State Funding Agencies attracted

four times the number of bids

in the UK, paving the way for

future innovation collaborations.

The Brazilian government is

keen to send more students on

courses that offer placements,

so the UK government and

Universities UK are working with

British companies to make this

possible.

... producing transgenic mosquitoes in Campinas ...

Campinas last year. The

mosquitoes are designed to

control against dengue fever and

the Chikunguna virus. Oxitec

began as a start-up at Oxford

University and SIN-Brazil

facilitated its internationalisation

and development in Brazil.

that could be funded, revealing

the strong interest on both

sides. Seventy projects on

health, future cities, biodiversity

and economic development and

welfare reform will be funded in

2015. Three further calls for

2015 are under way including a


As a researcher in artificialintelligence and robotics, and aProfessor of Computer Scienceat Heriot-Watt University inEdinburgh, I am often frustratedby public perceptions of myarea. These seem often drivenby wildly sensationalist mediapublicity for ideas such as‘robots will take over the world’or The Singularity, after whichartificial intelligences will keephumans as pets, if we are lucky.

I was paired with Ian Murray,the Labour MP for EdinburghSouth, who went into Parliamentat the last election after workingin a variety of small businesses.He is part of the shadow BISteam, the new name for what Iremember being the DTI at onepoint, and thus the departmentresponsible among other thingsfor research funding, highereducation, and technology-transfer programmes.

I met Ian on the Tuesday of

my week in Westminster outside

the Millbank Tower, where he

was deputising for a colleague at

a technology transfer event. This

was a conference run by a

North-East-based tech transfer

company called CPI (Centre for

Process Innovation), who as

their name suggests, specialise

in process industry technology.

Ian took this on at short notice

politician’s timescales. Ian gets700 emails a day, and thoughhe now has a clerical assistanthelping him to deal with them, itis clear he doesn’t have verymuch time for mastering newmaterials. Moreover there is zerotraining for MPs, so pickingthings up as they go alongseems very much the rule.

Ian was very committed to thepairing exercise and took meeverywhere he went, thoughunderstandably there were acouple of private meetings Icouldn't attend. I did howeverwitness an informal meetingwith a couple of managers fromthe Post Office in the PortcullisHouse canteen. Ian is concernedthat the Royal Mail sell-off couldresult in total destabilisation ofthe Post Office, which was notpart of that sell-off, and alongwith the managers, wasexamining new activities thatmight help Post Offices succeed.

Prime Minister’s question timewas just as much a circus from

Professor Ruth AylettProfessor of Computer Science,Heriot-Watt University

Every year the Royal Society arranges partners betweenparliamentarians and civil servants with scientists. Its annualPairing Scheme starts with the ‘Week in Westminster’ in lateNovember, a programme of activities for the scientists includingseminars, workshops, shadowing opportunities and a tour ofWestminster. The week gives the scientists a taste, not only of theapproach to science policy, but of Parliament and the Civil Servicein general.

... Westminster makes you think of a museum ...

... there is zero training for MPs ...

This was one motivation forapplying to the Royal SocietyPairing Scheme, in whichscientists are linked to MPs orcivil servants. What if policy wasmade on the back of suchinaccurate ideas? What if realissues of privacy and securityalready visible in the use of AItechnologies on the web wereto be ignored in favour of theseimprobable fantasies? And so inNovember 2014 I watched theNorthumbrian coast go by as mytrain took me to London for aweek in Westminster.

If you are used to the Scottishparliament in its nice newbuilding with electronic votingand high-tech desks for MSPs tosit at in the debating chamber,Westminster makes you think ofa museum. Of course it is also aworkplace.

and as a result was presenting aspeech written by his colleague,who’d been called away fromLondon unexpectedly.

This need to react and performoff-the-top–of-the-head seemsnot untypical of an MP’s life, andunderlines how hard it is tomesh the academic’s and the

the Visitor’s Gallery as it looks ontelevision. Ian felt that, oddly, allthe MPs know how bad thislooks to the general public, but itgoes on anyway. He was downto ask a question in the session,which moved with bewilderingspeed, like much parliamentaryactivity.

ROYAL SOCIETY PAIRING SCHEME


The Commons SelectCommittee on Science wasmore tractable an event for anacademic, as MPs interviewedwitnesses in some depth, in thiscase on biometric technologies. Iwondered how they managedto ask sensible questions –remember, no training – but theMPs at this session seemed veryconscientious and did areasonable job. Acting as an

expert at a select committee iscertainly one way of bringingscience into the decision-makingprocesses, though it was lessclear how one would get to becalled as an expert.Opportunities are apparentlyadvertised somewhere, but

maybe one has to follow somepage on the Governmentwebsite to see them.

On our final day, GO Science –the Government Office forScience – presented theirmechanisms for scientific advicein crisis situations. We workedthrough a group-based exercisearound the floods of early thisyear, and with my IT hat on Iwas astonished – and not in a

... Science usually meanders low under thenational politics radar ...

good way – that they had beenusing photocopied maps as away of representing key data.But lessons can be learned justas quickly as everything else itseems, since now there is aquite reasonable GIS system foruse in the next such crisis.

A fascinating week, and a lotlearned. Whether I can put anyof this to practical use remainsto be seen: for an individualscientist to have much effect onthe political dramas ofWestminster seems about aseasy as jumping through a doorin a fast moving train. Still, oneof the things I learned was thatas well as GO Science, and theselect committees of the twoHouses, there is also aParliamentary Office of Scienceand Technology – POST – thatserves the parliamentarians atlarge. They produce POST Noteson specific topics, and so Iemailed them suggesting oneon AI and Robotics.

A few weeks later one of theirteam gave me a ring – it turns

out that their Board meetingearly next year will indeedconsider such a POST Note asone of various possibilities. Wehad a long chat about whatsuch a Note might cover, and ifit does happen then I would beable to feel I had some smalleffect on the process. My pairIan Murray will come and seeour Robotics Labs in February,and hopefully this will build alonger-term relationship:assuming that is, he is re-electedin May. Time horizons look verydifferent for an MP than for ascientist – and that is thechallenge for more lastingmeetings of minds.

... they had been using photocopied maps ...

Ian MurrayMember of Parliament forEdinburgh South and Labour’sShadow Minister for Trade andInvestment

This is the third year I haveparticipated in the RoyalSociety’s Pairing Scheme and,yet again, it was a hugelyrewarding experience. It’s avery important scheme andone that I would encouragemy colleagues to take up inthe future. Indeed, it’sincumbent on all electedrepresentative to be betterinformed about science issuesand to encourage scientists tounderstand how they caninfluence science policy.

This time, I had the pleasure ofpairing with Ruth Aylett,

Professor of Computer Scienceat Heriot Watt University inEdinburgh. I have to admit that Ididn’t know much about Ruth’sarea of expertise prior tomeeting her. The extent of myengagement with robots andartificial intelligence was only onthe cinema screen so it wasexcellent to be able to learnmore about her area.

Science usually meanders lowunder the national politics radar.We must recognise that itshould be placed at the centreof our debates. We need tounderstand that the decisionsgovernment and electedrepresentatives make in thelobbies of the House ofCommons have a direct impacton the development of ourscience sector, and in turn thethings those scientists andresearchers can contribute to thelives of our constituents.

Nothing encaptures that morethan the story of Alan Turing andhis team, and the pivotal partthey played in the war effort.This saw the application ofscience hand in hand with the

or the field of artificialintelligence? The debt ofgratitude he is owed makes it allthe more horrifying that he wastreated so inhumanely.

My involvement in the schemeover recent years has made mevalue the link between scienceand politics. But we need tomake it stronger. MPs andscientists have a responsibility toengage with each other to getthe best possible scientificadvice into public policy making.

shocking realities of geopoliticalrealities of the time to break the“unbreakable” enigma code. It issaid that their work contributedto the shortening of the war bytwo years, possibly savingmillions of lives. Amathematician, logician,computer scientist and RoyalSociety fellow whose influencecame to bear far beyond therealm of his fellow scientists.Just think – where would betoday without ‘Turing’s Machines’

in the last three years fromCarbon Capture and Storage toartificial intelligence. As aShadow Business Minister it hasalso been very useful to see thecontribution science makes tothe UK economy and why itshould be supported byGovernment.

I hope to visit Ruth at HeriotWatt in the near future so that Ican get further insight into herwork – I’m sure there will be alot to learn.

We both have the responsibilityto promote dialogue,engagement and – hopefully –respect and understandingbetween politicians andscientists.

As an MP who represents theUniversity of Edinburgh King’sBuildings and the ResearchCentres at Little France I take aclose interest in the PairingScheme. It is thoroughlyenjoyable and increased myknowledge of key scientific areas


ICE launched its State of theNation: Infrastructure report inJune 2014, which assesses thecondition and capacity of theUK’s economic infrastructure, itslevel of resilience, thegovernance and regulatoryarrangements in place andinvestment and funding issues.Our report found that the UK’sinfrastructure requires attention– and raised the question ofwhether the UK can afford theinfrastructure we want, 24 hoursa day, 7 days a week, 365 daysa year.

FUNDING ANDFINANCING

We need to decide what wecan afford. Infrastructure is anenabler, not an end in itself. Toooften, policymakers are moreconcerned with specifying aninput, rather than an outcome: “Iwant a bridge”, rather than, “Iwant to get goods from A to B.”If we can create less, betterinfrastructure then we canprovide greater value for money.

We need to build moreefficient, smarter infrastructure,but we also need to fund itsomehow – either through taxor user charging. The balance isa choice for the Government ofthe day. Irrespective of where itcomes from, funding is limitedand decisions on whereresource is directed must bealigned to our strategicobjectives. Investment requires areturn. Without investment, wecan neither build infrastructure,nor maintain what we alreadyhave. Although investment ininfrastructure has slightly

increased recently, it remainslow compared with otherdeveloped countries.

The Autumn Statementhighlighted that the nextGovernment will have to reducepublic spending even further.This means less money forgovernment departments andlocal authorities, which meansless money for infrastructure.This will increase the need forprivate investment and enhancethe Government’s role inreducing risk for investorsthrough stable, long termlegislation and regulation.Otherwise investment will find ahome elsewhere.

SECTORAL CHALLENGESEnergy

Significant quantities of theUK’s existing electricitygeneration capacity will retiresoon, with major implications forsecurity of supply unless theconditions to attract investmentin new generation are provided.This is exacerbated as the use ofelectricity for transport andresidential heat increases.

The best way to meet demandis to reduce it through demandside management. With this inmind for the UK to meet itslegally binding targets fordecarbonisation beyond 2020, itmust transform the way that itgenerates and uses energy. TheUK is bound by domestic targetsto reduce greenhouse gasemissions and, by EU directives,to reduce energy consumptionand increase its share ofrenewables to 15% by 2020.

All of this has to be deliveredin a way that is affordable toconsumers. The National AuditOffice report in 2013 estimatesan increase of £221 in theaverage household energy billbetween 2013 and 2030 in realterms.

The key to achieving this aim isfor Parliament to continue tocreate the conditions toincentivise generation, maximiseinvestor confidence and ensuresufficient capacity to meet peakdemands. Thankfully we havenow seen some progressthrough implementation ofElectricity Market Reform.Policymakers also need toresolve political uncertaintiesaround the lack of a cleardecarbonisation target and thefuture of the carbon price floor.

Water

The pressures from climatechange and population growthmean that water availability willbe less predictable in the future.The manner in which water isabstracted and used will have tochange.

The changing nature ofweather patterns is alsoimpacting on water availability. Inthe south east, we have a waterscarcity issue while the area willsee an increased demand froma population that is set to growaround 23% over the next 20or so years. We also have anincreasing demand frommultiple users. Demand fromelectricity supply is the largestuser of water. Domestic usecomes second.

DOES THE UK HAVE THEINFRASTRUCTURE IT NEEDS?

Nationallysignificantinfrastructureprojects are, by theirnature, political andsubject to a decisionmaking process,with public andparliamentaryinvolvement. Thiswill becomeincreasingly difficultas we are faced withchallenges such asclimate change,which willnecessitate choicesover the resilienceof infrastructure,and populationgrowth, which willplace greaterdemand on our vitalnetworks.

Nick Baveystock, Director General, Institution of Civil Engineers

DOES THE UK HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IT NEEDS?Meeting of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee on Tuesday 21st October


Management of water and itsinterdependencies with food,energy and the environment(including flooding) is vital forfuture water security. TheScottish Hydro Nation conceptlinks the importance of water toeconomic and business growth.The Welsh government iscurrently developing a specificwater strategy to link economicgrowth to water resourcemanagement. ICE recommendsthat Defra adopts a similarapproach for England throughthe National Water ResourcesGroup.

We have been left an excellentinfrastructure legacy by theVictorians; however, leakage isstill too high and the type ofinfrastructure we need tomanage our water effectively ischanging.

What is needed now is a mixof supply side measures toimprove resilience in the watersector, includinginterconnections between watercompanies, extra storage, fromlarge scale reservoirs to smallscale community storage.

Flood management

One key area of concern forICE, and the one whichhighlights the vulnerability of allour physical infrastructurenetworks and assets, is in floodmanagement and the need tobuild resilience into ourinfrastructure networks.

The strategic approach to floodmanagement which has beenestablished over the last twodecades needs to be reinforced.This combines flood defenceswith management of fluvial andsurface water flood risk, andupstream catchment measuresto improve building andinfrastructure resilience to floods.

Managing at catchment scaleso that we can reduce and slowdown the water actually gettinginto our sewerage systems canhave a significant benefit. Wewelcome the EnvironmentAgency (EA)’s catchmentmanagement pilots and hopethat these continue to gaingovernment support.

Flood management requiresinvestment. This has been aparticular issue in maintenance,where maintenance grants from

the EA will be 22% lower in2014/15 than they were in2010/11. While we now have awelcome long term capitalcommitment to flood projects,maintenance is lagging in termsof vision and importance.

Transport

Our strategic road, rail and airnetworks are capacityconstrained at critical points,undermining their contributionto prosperity and quality of life.

The vast majority of UK travelis by road. England’s strategicroad network (SRN) constitutesless than 3% of total roadlength, but carries around one-

third of traffic and two-thirds offreight. More severe congestionis anticipated in the longer termas stronger economic growthreturns alongside populationgrowth.

Britain’s rail network has seen adoubling in passenger kilometresover the past two decades,resulting in capacity constraints.Track and signalling faultscontinue to be the main sourcesof infrastructure-related delay.

Severe weather incidents in thewinter of 2013/14 emphasisedthe need for greater resilience.

Local transport governance isoften weak and fragmented,with funding inadequate todeliver the system we need.Responsibility for most roadsremains with local highwaysauthorities, which in major urbanareas are often small withshrinking budgets. Bus servicesare deregulated in most of theUK, albeit with major publicsubsidy.

ICE believes that city-regionsare often the most appropriate‘larger than local’ scale forunderstanding and managingtravel behaviour, and the trendtowards devolution to Englishcity-regions should beaccelerated.

Waste and resourcemanagement

The transition to a ‘circulareconomy’ requires a shift in theway we think of our waste –from the ‘take-make-dispose’model to one that extends

Figure 1 – ICE’s State of the Nation: Infrastructure 2014 sector assessmentgrades

Figure 2 – The updated National Infrastructure Plan pipeline (December 2014)

products’ usage – extractingmaximum value, reducing wasteand increasing reuse.

This change requires politicalleadership and we already seethis in devolved countries;however, Government policy forwaste is currently spread acrossa number of departments inEngland. We believe theestablishment of an Office forResource Management, situatedwithin BIS, would show a clear

indication from Government thatwe need to reduce waste andsee it as a business resource.

CONCLUSIONIn answer to the question

‘Does the UK have theInfrastructure it Needs?,’ myanswer is ‘Not yet – butprogress is being made.’ Toughpolitical choices lie ahead.Policymakers now need toensure that the improved policyclimate will translate intotangible impacts oninfrastructure.

The second speaker at themeeting should have beenCharlotte Holloway, Head ofPolicy, techUK; unfortunately she

was taken ill andProfessor BrianCollins, Professorof EngineeringPolicy, Director,International

Centre for Infrastructure Futures,UCL, agreed to take her placetwo hours before the meeting.

Table ES.1: 2014 Infrastructure pipeline, by sector, 2014-15 onwardsSector No of No of Pipeline Value

Projects Programmes £bnCommunications 1 5 11.0Energy 77 70 274.9(of which Oil&Gas) 0 1 53.0Flood 5 21 3.7Science and Research 18 4 1.4Transport 141 129 142.3Waste 20 0 2.0Water 1 59 30.9Total 263 288 £466(excluding Oil&Gas) 263 287 £413


The situation in Africa (and the threat for the UK) persuaded us to organise abriefing meeting at very short notice. An early morning meeting was held onTuesday 4th November, summarised below by Professor Alan Malcolm.

EBOLA VIRUS – AN UPDATEMeeting of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee on Tuesday 4th November

We were delighted to welcome:

Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, England

Dr Christine McCartney (Director of Microbiology) Dr Andrew Simpson, Public Health England

Professor John Edmunds, Dean of Faculty, Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Dr Huw Taylor, Professor of Microbial Ecology, University of Brighton

WHERE HAS THE DISEASE EMERGED?

HOW WERE PAST EPIDEMICS ELIMINATED?

There is almost certainly an Animal reservoir.

This may be fruit bats or possibly monkeys.

Eating bush meat is a likely entry point into humans.

In the past such epidemics affected rural communities.

A combination of excellent public health, coupled with earlydiagnosis and isolation enabled the epidemics to be kept undercontrol.

The difference here was that it broke out in a new part of Africa.

It took time to identify, by which time disease had spread.

There was also significant transmission in hospital.

The Reproduction Number is the number of cases which eachpatient then infects. For the current outbreak this is currently 1.4.Anything above 1.0 is worrying.

Isolation is easy if there are only a few cases, but very difficult ifthere are many cases.

Transmission then takes over.

A large part of the daily work of the CMO is myth busting. Therehas been far too much scaremongering. There is no need to cancelflights to affected countries, and indeed this would deny themaccess to skilled help, thus aggravating the situation. The affectedcountries have excellent exit screening, and the UK has appropriate

entry screening, together with follow up and monitoring wherenecessary. However all such surveillance is kept under constantreview.

HOW DO YOU CATCH IT?

It can only be caught by intimate contact with bodily fluids,especially blood.

It is not airborne and as an RNA virus it will not mutate. It is not likeinfluenza which mutates all the time.

Bleeding from wounds is particularly dangerous, and many burialpractices are very “dodgy” to say the least.

For example, two burials in Sierra Leone infected a further 68people.

A lot of work had gone into working with the community to educatethem. Sadly hospital workers and burial workers are at greatest risk.

However the organism is very fragile, and will not survive longoutside the human body. While its survival will depend on preciseconditions, it will not live on hard surfaces.

Dealing with faeces is a very particular problem.

Corpses are buried in a double layer of tough polythene.

BRITAIN’S CONTRIBUTIONThe NHS does not recruit from West Africa and we hope that ourNHS staff will volunteer.

It is essential that recruits understand the culture as well as the

The following points were made in answer to questions from the audience:

One major issue in affected countries was the effect of diminishingother aspects of health care. Vaccination programmes were beingseriously affected. It could even give rise to other major epidemicsas a result.

We (and the WHO) were undoubtedly too slow torespond in the early days of the outbreak. We will bequicker next time.

The Congo has revised its funeral practices.

Modelling has now been done to anticipate outbreaksin major centres of population.

All the speakers were thanked for giving suchinformation and assurance in only 70 minutes.


disease. Volunteers undergo two weeks training at Porton Down.

We can be proud of the contribution which the UK is making –probably more than the rest of the EU put together, although othercountries are increasing their input significantly.

Britain has not only provided health care workers, but our militarycontribution has been huge. In addition to the provision ofhelicopters, our soldiers have been building hospitals and isolationunits.

We have also led in the modelling of the disease progression andtransmission.

Our Public Health Laboratory Service is unique in having two highcategory facilities to enable research to be undertaken.

In Liberia, it is the US which is the lead country.

One concern is social breakdown in UK communities. There havebeen suggestions of banning some children from school.

SCIENCE AND THE TRUTH

The CMO emphasised that the only way to deal with such incidentsis to emphasise the scientific truths.

Three potential vaccines are well under way in development andtesting.

However there is still a great shortage of hospital and isolationbeds. We may need hospital ships.

The safety of medical workers also gets in the way. Médecins SansFrontières will not allow intravenous rehydration, because of risk toworkers.

There is a shocking lack of research into support care for patients.Rehydration is vital, and not enough work hasbeen done on how to achieve this.

It is important to remember that otherhaemorrhagic fevers also need vaccines. TheUS is doing a lot of work in this area.

Previous outbreaks have been contained bypublic health measures.

Because they were mainly in rural areas,contact tracing was possible.

Now the disease is in urban areas, contacttracing is not usually possible.

Early diagnosis is essential, but such tests need to be sensitive andspecific.

A false positive could be a death sentence.

We need to perform such tests quickly and transmit the resultsrapidly.

Because few have survived the disease, it is too early to knowwhether sufferers can contract the disease again.

The CMO confirmed that tackling antibiotic resistance should beregarded as one of our millennium goals.

DEFENCE

Defence against Ebola requires soap, water and chlorine. It wouldbe a mistake to change a routine which is effective. Changes oftengive rise to new errors.

It was not necessary to provide immigration officers with protectiveclothing. The system deals with those who become ill on the plane.If the traveller is not showing symptoms then (s)he is not a hazard.Those returning are told to take their temperature twice a day, andreport any untoward symptoms.

Similarly, our knowledge of ship movement and arrivals enablesappropriate monitoring to be in place.

In November, 316 returning passengers were being followed up.


2030, and using that low carbonpower for heating and transportneeds, displacing fossil fuels, insubsequent decades.

We are now going through aperiod of rapidly increasinggeneration from renewables,especially wind. With costreductions, solar PV is likely tofar exceed previous predictions,and be placed on distributionnetworks, rather than under thecontrol of the system operator,National Grid. Early in the2020s, it could be common tohave variable renewable capacitycovering more than half of totaldemand.

Energy systems are comingunder pressure to be moreflexible, with greater reliabilityand to meet changing orincreasing demands, all withintight economic constraints andover short time periods. Energystorage is being viewed as oneof the key enabling technologiesthat will allow the infrastructureto meet these challenges.1 Inthe UK, as generation fromvariable renewables increases,and our use of energy changes,storage could allow a moreefficient system to bedeveloped. However, there areboth technical and non-technicalbarriers to be overcome if newtechnologies are to play a majorrole.

THE CURRENT ROLE OFSTORAGE

Energy storage is not a newconcept: we have long hadstocks of coal or reservoirs ofnatural gas serving powerstations or homes, reducingexposure to variations in thesupply chain and allowingresponses to varying demandover daily and annual cycles. Apile of coal next to a powerstation can exceed one milliontonnes, equivalent to about twomonths’ electrical output.

‘Rechargeable storage’ givesthe extra functionality ofabsorbing energy or power thatis instantaneously available, andbeing able to return it at a latertime (of course with an energycost). Pumped hydro was builtalongside the nuclearprogramme, as nuclear plant haslimited ability to change its

output. When excess electricity isavailable at times of lowdemand, such as during thenight, water is pumped from alower to higher reservoir. Later,the energy is recovered byletting it flow back down the hillthrough turbines, meeting thepeaks whilst the conventionalplant runs efficiently at aconstant output. For a fewhours, the output from pumpedstorage can be equal to that of apower station; though around20% of the initial energy willhave been lost.

Hot water tanks provideessentially the same service, but

... energy storage can reduce system costs ...

on a distributed basis andproviding thermal, rather thanelectrical, energy. Nearly 50% ofthe UK’s energy consumptiongoes on some form of heating.2

With 14 million tanks installed inhomes, the total stored energyis three times that from pumpedhydro.

For decades, the demand forenergy has been largelypredictable, generation has beenresponsive and mechanismshave evolved (driven by varyingcombinations of engineeringand politics) to ensure supplieshave been available at the righttimes.

THE FUTURE ENERGYSYSTEM

To meet climate changemitigation targets, mostscenarios for the UK favourreducing emissions from powergeneration to near zero by

At the same time, if heating isto be electrified, we need torecognise that with the changingweather, demand can quadruplebetween summer and winter;and by half over a period of aday or two. Transferringprovision from natural gas toelectricity generation capacitywould mean adding ten ormore large power stations withlow utilisation rates.

These changes in supply anddemand will have an impact onthe power network and widerenergy system across timescalesof seconds (and less) tomonths.

ENERGY STORAGE AS ASOLUTION

‘Energy storage’ encompassesa broad family of technologies,covering chemical,electrochemical, thermal,mechanical and electrical forms

ENERGY STORAGE: Technology and Policy Innovation

Dr Jonathan RadcliffeSenior Research Fellow, Universityof Birmingham

ENERGY STORAGEMeeting of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee on Tuesday 18th November


of energy. 3 Each hascharacteristics for delivering itsenergy or power, over differenttimescales, with varying physicalfeatures of the devicesthemselves.

The most obvious serviceswhich will avoid the need tobuild generation plant that wouldotherwise meet peak demand atlow utilisation rates are:

• Daily arbitrage: absorbingenergy in periods of lowdemand or excess supply(when prices are low), anddelivering back whendemand increases or supplydrops (when prices are high).

• Balancing: providing reservepower to balance supply anddemand, or maintain thesystem frequency, over shorttimescales. National Gridforecasts their Short TermOperating Reserve capacity toincrease from 3.5 to 6.5 GWin 2020, with market valueincreasing from £200m tonearly £1bn.

At a more local level, existinginfrastructure could bemaintained even if demand forelectricity increases, by ‘peaklopping’. This would push energythrough constrained networksand store it until required by theuser, reducing the size of thecapacity required.

Many energy storagetechnologies are able to operatesuch that they can meet morethan one of the challenges thatwill be experienced, but someare better-suited to certainapplications. Technologies suchas pumped hydro, liquid air,compressed air, flow batteriesand hydrogen can increase theamount of energy held atrelatively low cost, and is mostlydependent on availability ofphysical space. For more power-based technologies, such asflywheels, superconductingmagnetic energy storage orsupercapacitors, these discharge

rapidly.

Battery technologies sit in themiddle – they can deliver highpower and large quantities ofenergy. But increasing theamount of stored energy meanshaving more batteries, and so isan expensive option for largeapplications. In some cases costis less of a factor (including forthe demonstration of energystorage operation in principle),and given their availability (fromelectric vehicle production)batteries are often chosen.

As well as energy storage,there are other ways of meetingthe supply/demand challenges:installing more responsivegeneration supplies, increasingnetwork capacity (including toother markets), and makingdemand more responsive. Anydecision to deploy a technologymust consider the alternatives.However, studies have shownthat energy storage can reducesystem costs, compared to theother options. 4

Much analysis is now focusedon assessing which technologiescould fit different applications,give their costs andperformance, and – critically –what value can be gained fromtheir operation.

TECHNOLOGYINNOVATION

In 2012, energy storage wasselected as one theGovernment’s ‘Eight GreatTechnologies’. 5 Majorinvestments have since flowed,including from the ResearchCouncils, the Department ofEnergy and Climate Change(DECC) and the energyregulator, Ofgem. So whilstpublic funding for research,development and demonstrationactivities has increased in recentyears, it is still at relatively lowlevels – funding for energyinnovation overall in the UK isbehind that of other countries,and low given the scale of the

challenge.6

On top of this, the differentroles of each organisation canmake it hard to focus on theobjectives of support – whetherit is for the benefit of industry,the energy system or science.Coordination to achievecommon goals is essential,something the UK has struggledwith in the past.7

Excellence in some of theunderlying science andengineering behind energystorage technologies has meantthe UK has several companiesdeveloping new technologiesthat could be exported intoother markets.

POLICY INNOVATIONWhilst the benefits of energy

storage are being recognised,and the technologies areemerging, being able to accessthe system value and build abusiness case for deployment isnot yet viable. A report forGovernment has identifiedenergy storage as having thehighest occurrence of market andinnovation system failures fromacross a number of technologiesand business areas. 8

In part this is due to thecurrently low value of theflexibility offered by energystorage, but which will becomemore significant as generationfrom variable renewablesincreases over the next tenyears. Many technologies aretoo expensive and at pre-commercial stages ofdevelopment; but the aim is forthis to improve, with innovationsupport reducing costs and de-risking further investment.

At the same time, specificpolicy and regulatory issuesaffect how energy storage canoperate. Providing multipleservices, and gaining revenuefrom each market, is not alwayscompatible with existingregulatory frameworks. Classed

as both a generation asset andconsumer, energy storage canbe subject to double jeopardywhen it comes to a number ofenvironmental levies –effectively being charged twicefor ‘green’ tariffs. This is a ratherperverse consequence, as theaim is to improve the efficiencyof a system with more variablerenewable generation.

The risk is that energy storagewithers in the UK whilst other,more progressive, marketspromote its early adoption.Without mechanisms torecognise the potential,generation from gas or coal islikely to crowd out the market inthe short term, when energystorage may offer longer termcost, carbon and systembenefits.

FOOTNOTES

1 E.g. Energy Research Partnership(2011) The future role for energystorage in the UK. Technology Report,May 2011

2 Eames, P., Loveday, D., Haines, V. andRomanos, P. (2014) The Future Role ofThermal Energy Storage in the UKEnergy System: An Assessment of theTechnical Feasibility and FactorsInfluencing Adoption - Research Report(UKERC:London)

3 Jonathan Radcliffe (2013) Energystorage technologies. Ingenia, March2013

4 Goran Strbac et al (2012) StrategicAssessment of the Role and Value ofEnergy Storage Systems in the UK LowCarbon Energy Future. Report for theCarbon Trust, June 2012

5 David Willetts (2013) Eight GreatTechnologies. Policy Exchange report

6 Jim Skea (2013) Energy Research andTraining Prospectus. Report for theResearch Councils Energy Programme,November 213

7 House of Commons Energy andClimate Change Committee (2014)Innovate to accumulate: theGovernment's approach to low carboninnovation. Report, August 2014.

8 Department for Business, Innovationand Skills (2014), ‘The Case for PublicSupport of Innovation’


ENERGY STORAGE AND THE‘COLD ECONOMY’Professor Toby Peters

Toby Peters is Visiting Professor ofPower and Cold EconomyBirmingham Energy Institute, theFounder and Senior GroupManaging Director of DearmanEngine Company, and the founderof Highview Power Storage.

ENERGY STORAGE

Energy storage has long been recognised as vital to a decarbonised andsecure electricity grid and low carbon transport. But conventionaltechnologies – batteries, pumped storage, compressed air – all havetheir drawbacks. Now the idea of storing energy as cold and power –in the form of liquid air or nitrogen – is rapidly gaining support. This isnot a panacea but would allow ‘wrong time’ energy and waste cold tobe recycled into zero-emission peak power, cooling and even transportfuel. Liquid air technologies now being developed in Britain would helpbalance intermittent renewable generation, reduce emissions and cost,and could eventually form a joined-up ‘Cold Economy’.

Cold is the Cinderella of theenergy debate. Governmentshave developed policiesgoverning most sectors –electricity, heat, transport – butthe energy consumed forcooling gets much less attention.Yet cooling underpins many vitalaspects of modern life: airconditioning; data centres;superconductors; medicine;industry; and the ‘cold chain’ ofrefrigerated warehouses andvehicles needed to preservefood from farm to fork. Coolingalready consumes 15% ofglobal electricity, and demand issoaring worldwide – nowheremore so than in emergingmarkets – causing higheremissions of greenhouse gasesand air pollution. Global coolingdemand in 2030 could equateto three times the currentgenerating capacity of the UK.

The pollution from cooling islittle recognised but poses agrowing threat. One particularculprit is the transportrefrigeration unit (TRU) – thesecondary diesel engine thatpowers refrigeration on trucksworldwide. TRUs not onlyconsume up to 20% of the

Leaks of TRU refrigerant gaseshave a grossly disproportionateimpact on greenhouse gasemissions; the most commonlyused ‘F-gas’ is almost 4,000times more potent than CO2.The global fleet of refrigeratedtrucks is forecast to double to 9million by 2025 – so we mustfind a way to ‘do cold better’.

Even as cooling demand issoaring, vast amounts of coldare lost to the environment. Thebiggest source is the coldrequired to turn natural gas intocompact Liquefied Natural Gasat -160C for transport by ship,which is simply discarded whenthe LNG is re-gasified at theimport terminal. The projectedglobal trade of LNG in 2030

Air turns to liquid whenrefrigerated to -196C, and canbe conveniently stored ininsulated but unpressurisedvessels. Exposure to heat –including ambient – causesrapid re-gasification and a 710-fold expansion in volume, whichcan be used to drive a turbineor piston engine. Re-gasificationalso gives off lots of usable andvaluable cold.

The key to exploiting liquid airis a novel piston engineinvented by Peter Dearman, anarchetypal British ‘garden shed’inventor. Cryogenic expansionengines have existed for over acentury, but the Dearmanengine is innovative because theliquid air mixes with a ‘heat

truck’s fuel, but also emit up to29 times as much particulatematter (PM) and up to six timesas much nitrogen oxide (NOx)as a modern propulsion engine.Such local air pollution causes29,000 premature deaths inBritain each year; 400,000 inthe EU; and 600,000 in India.

would give off enough wastecold to provide cooling for over4 million refrigerated trucks –more than the current globalfleet. The trick is to find a meansof storing, transporting andharnessing that cold, and oneexciting new idea is liquid air.

... the solution to the intermittency of renewable generators ...


exchange fluid’ (water andglycol) to promote rapid andefficient re-gasification inside theengine cylinder.

The Dearman EngineCompany is developing theengine for a range ofapplications that will reduce costand carbon emissions, andeliminate NOx and PM. The firstis a highly efficient TRU,currently being tested on avehicle by MIRA (formerly theMotor Industry ResearchAssociation), and is due to startfleet trials in 2015. Becausediesel TRUs are so polluting, theimpact of even a modest fleet ofDearman units could be huge.Modelling suggests 13,000Dearman TRUs would reducePM emissions by the sameamount as taking 367,000 EuroVI trucks off the road – morethan three times the entire UKarticulated truck fleet – or morethan 2 million modern dieselcars.

demand peaks. Diesel gensetsare reliable and cheap, but likeTRUs they also emit largeamounts of carbon, NOx andPM. With Britain’s grid capacitymargin down to just 4%, suchbackup generation is more vitalthan ever to ensure security ofsupply. Yet as concern overurban air pollution grows, relyingon diesel gensets will becomeincreasingly untenable – theyare already banned for gridsupport in the City of London.Providing reserve services inBritain with a Dearman liquid airzero-emission genset wouldreduce annual CO2 emissionsby 100-500 tonnes of CO2 per

generators such as wind andsolar: absorbing and storing‘wrong time’ or surplusrenewable energy to use ondemand in grid or transportapplications. Liquid nitrogen isdelivered to industrial users dailyby road tanker, so thedistribution system alreadyexists, and can be supplied atprices that make the technologycompetitive with diesel – liquidair would be even cheaper toproduce. A liquid air TRU wouldcost broadly the same as adiesel system to build but£1,200 per year less to operate,as well as being zero emission.

emerging economies such asIndia and China, which sufferappalling levels of local airpollution, and post-harvest foodlosses of up to 50%. On currenttrends, India may produce barely60% of its own food by 2030,but if developing countries hadthe same level of cold chaincapacity as do developedcountries, they could save 200million tonnes each year thatcurrently goes to waste. BothIndia and China are investingfuriously to expand theirinsufficient cold chains and mayhave to add over a millionrefrigerated vehicles by 2025 tomeet demand, so they badly

The next is a ‘heat hybrid’combination of a Dearmanengine with a diesel engine, inwhich waste heat and cold areexchanged to raise the efficiencyof both, and reduce fuelconsumption by 25%. A heathybrid bus would cut carbonemissions by as much as anelectric hybrid but at a fractionof the cost. A consortium led byDearman has been awardednearly £2 million by Innovate UK(formerly Technology StrategyBoard) to build a heat hybridprototype by 2016.

Dearman is also developing anelectricity generator to displacethe diesel ‘gensets’ that provideemergency power – often forcooling – to many hospitals,data centres and companies,and which also supply electricityto the grid to meet the highest

MW installed, a saving of 35-54%, which would rise furtheras grid decarbonisation targetsare met. It would also eliminateNOx and PM emissions –allowing it to operateunconstrained in urban areas –and provide ‘free’ cold forbusinesses with high coolingloads such as supermarkets anddata centres.

Liquid air is not yet producedcommercially, but liquidnitrogen, which can be used inthe same way, is already widelyproduced for industrial purposes.Both are produced by electric-powered plants, so either couldprovide the solution to theintermittency of renewable

Liquid air or nitrogenproduction plants could beintegrated with LNG importterminals to harness the wastecold given off during re-gasification. This approachreduces the electricity requiredto produce liquid air, and itscarbon intensity, by two thirds.The LNG waste cold resource isvast: we estimate the cold givenoff by the Isle of Grain LNGterminal over the course of ayear would be enough to fuelLondon’s entire 7,600 strongbus fleet as liquid air ‘heathybrids’ more than six timesover.

Liquid air cold chains could beparticularly effective in rapidly

need a zero-emission alternativeto diesel TRUs. At the sametime, their LNG import capacityis expanding rapidly, raising thepossibility of producing cheap,lower carbon liquid air ornitrogen to fuel a moresustainable cold chain. India’sprojected LNG imports of 60million tonnes in 2022 could inprinciple produce enough liquidair to fuel over half a millionzero-emission Dearman TRUs. InDecember, Dearman visitedIndia to present its technologyand the Cold Economy to thecountry’s National Center forCold Chain Development andAutomotive ResearchAssociation.

How waste cold from LNG re-gasification could power the 'Cold Economy' in India. Source: E4tech

... Cooling already consumes 15% of global electricity ...


Awareness of dementia is at its

highest. The Prime Minister’s

challenge was launched in

March 2012 which highlighted

the need for improved

diagnosis, more research and

reducing stigma.

Just over half the estimated

number of people with

dementia receive a formal

diagnosis and there is significant

variation across the country

(figure 1). NHS England has an

ambition that two thirds of the

estimated number of people

with dementia receive a

diagnosis and post diagnostic

support.

Research funding has also

increased

For people over the age of 50,

dementia is the most feared

illness, more than cancer or

heart attacks. Figure 3 outlines

some of the effects that

dementia can have on people.

“Dementia friends” (dementia

friends.org.uk) is a nationwide

initiative which is a social

movement to raise awareness of

dementia and reduce the stigma

associated with it. The ambition

is to have one million “dementia

friends” by March 2015. This

emphasises that there is more

to a person than dementia, that

dementia is not an inevitable

part of ageing, and that people

can live well after receiving a

diagnosis of dementia (Sir Terry

Prachett continued to write his

very successful novels and was

knighted while he had

dementia). Look at the

Alzheimer Society website

(alzheimers.org.uk), or the

dementia friends website

(dementia friends.org.uk).

THE CHALLENGE OF DEMENTIA

Alistair Burns CBEProfessor of Old Age Psychiatry,University of ManchesterConsultant Psychiatrist, ManchesterMental Health and Social Care Trust, National Clinical Director forDementia, NHS England

DEMENTIAMeeting of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee on Tuesday 9th December

Dementia affects about 800,000 people in the UK. When you includepeople around a person with dementia, that number can be multipliedby two, three or four. Almost everyone knows of someone withdementia.

Dementia Diagnosis

• On average, in England,58% of people withdementia receive adiagnosis

• There is significantvariation across thecountry

• NHS England have anational ambition thattwo thirds of peoplewith dementia receive adiagnosis and postdiagnostic support Dementia: state of the nation report

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dementia-care-and-support

Figure 1

Dementia Research

www.JoinDementiaResearch.nihr.ac.uk

• 50% increase in funding since

2010/2011

• The MRC announced the

world’s biggest research

cohort involving 2 million

people

• Alzheimer’s Research UK -

£100 million research pledge.

• Alzheimer’s Society - £100

million over 10 years

• UK Dementia Platform

40% lost friends

48% said they were a

burden to family

19% said they were a

burden to friends

61% felt lonely

77% felt anxious or

depressed

Two thirds of people

say they were living

well with dementia

Figure 2

Figure 3


Three things are important in

dementia: how do we

diagnose it, how do we treat

it and can we prevent it?

First, the diagnosis. Dementia

is a way of simply describing a

group of symptoms (of which

people sometimes complain)

and signs (which clinicians

notice). The commonest cause

of dementia is Alzheimer's

disease (probably in just over

half of people) followed by

vascular dementia (where the

blood supply to the brain is

severely restricted which may

also cause strokes). Other

causes are less common such

as Lewy body dementia (where

there are some symptoms

related to Parkinson’s disease

and a person may have

persecutory ideas and episodes

of confusion) and dementia of

the frontal lobe type (where the

front part of the brain is

to inabilities to perform tasks of

everyday living rather than just

memory problems. People with

Lewy body disease also tend to

develop symptoms quickly and

there can be episodes of

confusion and symptoms of

Parkinson’s disease

When a person presents to

their GP with symptoms, there

are several things which need to

much more regularly (most

days), tends to get worse over a

period of months, and is noticed

by others, is less likely to be part

of normal ageing. If a person is

worried, they should seek advice

from their own doctor in the first

instance. People with vascular

dementia tend to develop the

symptoms much more suddenly

and these may be more related

selectively affected and the main

symptoms are related to

changes in personality and

behaviour).

The initial symptoms of

dementia vary depending on its

cause. For example, symptoms

of Alzheimer's disease usually

start very gradually with loss of

memory. It can sometimes be a

challenge to decide whether

these are symptoms of memory

loss, which can occur with

normal ageing or if it is the early

signs of Alzheimer's disease.

Generally speaking, minor

lapses of memory which occur

from time-to-time and do not

get worse very quickly are part

of the normal process of ageing.

Something which happens

be investigated. Sometimes,

depression in older people can

give rise to symptoms similar to

dementia (low mood, lack of

enjoyment in things, loss of

weight, early morning wakening,

crying and not looking forward

to the future) and these

symptoms need treating

energetically. Also, there could

be a physical cause of the

symptoms such as a low level of

vitamin B12 or an underactive

thyroid gland, diagnosed with a

simple blood test and easily

treated.

Second, what can be done to

treat dementia? If there is

but, often, the response of

individuals can be very

pronounced. The improvement

in symptoms is seen over

weeks and months rather than

hours or days. In some people,

the symptoms improve, in

others the drugs seem to slow

depression or physical illness

present, this can usually be

treated in a simple and

straightforward way. There is no

specific drug treatment for

vascular dementia although the

following will help, both in terms

of reducing further memory

impairment, but also in reducing

the risk of heart attacks and

strokes: controlling high blood

pressure and high cholesterol;

treating any sugar diabetes;

encouraging people to lose

weight if necessary; to take

more exercise and; to stop

smoking. In terms of the

down the progression of the

disease but in some they do not

seem to have any effect. The

fourth drug (memantine) acts

on the glutamategic receptors.

There are also non-drug

approaches to symptoms and

these tend to be very popular

but the evidence base for them

is not quite as strong as for

medications. However, it is

important to support people

with dementia and their carers

following diagnosis of dementia.

There is good evidence that

giving people support can

improve the stress and strains of

being a carer and also can

improve the symptoms, and can

prevent a crisis happening.

treatment for Alzheimer's

disease, there are four drugs

which are available – three are

from the same class of agent

(cholinesterase inhibitors which

are drugs that stop the

breakdown of acetylcholine in

the brain therefore raising its

level and improving symptoms).

The three drugs currently

available are donepezil,

galatamine and rivastigmine. The

drugs are modestly effective

when you examine a group of

people with Alzheimer's disease

Treatments like bright-light

therapy, aromatherapy, cognitive

stimulation therapy and

reminiscence therapy all fall into

the category of ‘talking

treatments’ which can be helpful

in alleviating symptoms.

Third, in terms of prevention of

dementia there is much that can

be done. There is evidence that

reducing vascular risk factors like

the ones mentioned above, can

reduce the rate of strokes and

heart attacks and reducing these

medical conditions will reduce

the rate of dementia. There is

also evidence to suggest that it

will reduce the rate of

Alzheimer’s disease as well as

vascular dementia. In addition to

the measures mentioned above,

there is some evidence that, in

general cardiovascular terms,

drinking a moderate amount of

alcohol is of benefit to you, but

drinking to excess will cause a

form of dementia.

... dementia is the most feared illness ...

... symptoms of dementia vary ...

... what can be done to treat dementia? ...

... evidence base for them is notquite as strong ...


WHY IS DEMENTIARESEARCH NEEDED;WHAT MIGHT ITACHIEVE

The impact of dementia upon

individuals – those who are

living with it as well as their

families and dependents – can

be devastating. The wider

societal and economic impacts

are also very significant (nearly

£24 billion a year in the UK1)

and are likely to increase. The

impacts of dementia will put

even greater strains upon health

and social care systems. Whilst

remedial planning and action

are needed here, and this will

be neither simple nor cheap,

research into the causes of

dementia offers a solution to

reducing these impacts.

other types of research are

offering the prospect of risk

reduction 2. Much evidence

points towards risk reduction

which approaches that for other

chronic illnesses. While these

approaches will not work for

everyone, even a modest

proportional reduction in risk at

a population level could have a

positive impact on a large

number of individuals. This will

benefit from a stronger evidence

base.

WHAT CHALLENGESDOES DEMENTIARESEARCH PRESENT?

From a scientific point of view,

one of the greatest challenges is

that dementia is a disorder of

the brain, our most complex

symptoms. Researching the early

events in the brain which lead to

dementia is difficult since it is

not clear who is undergoing

these changes, and therefore

whom to ask to volunteer.

Despite the unmet need,

dementia research is seen as

small, underfunded and

unattractive. Previous work

commissioned by Alzheimer's

Research UK suggested that for

every one researcher working in

dementia, six work in cancer

research 3. This is true of

academic research funded by

government agencies and

charities. Recent history within

Pharma shows a very high failure

rate of candidate treatments,

and, given the complexity of

development, the risk/reward

ratio is often deemed too high,

despite the huge potential

rewards should a treatment be

even moderately efficacious.

Dementia research has been

viewed as difficult and

unattractive across all sectors.

WHAT HAVE WELEARNED SO FAR ABOUTTHE DISEASES WHICHCAUSE DEMENTIA?

Like many other chronic

illnesses, a complex interplay of

genetic and environmental risk

factors are behind the

development of dementia. Age

remains the biggest single risk

factor in most cases.

Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

disease (which can often lead to

dementia) as well as rarer

Dementia presents a great

unmet medical need. Current

treatments are limited both by

the degree and duration of their

effectiveness, helping some with

dementia with some of their

symptoms for some of the time.

Access to current treatments (or

to any improved treatment of

the future) depends on an

accurate and timely diagnosis.

Whilst progress is being made,

the limitations of current

diagnostic procedures present a

clear need for research-led

improvement.

Taking a public health

perspective, the results of

epidemiological studies and

organ and one which is

inherently difficult to study and

to treat. Dementia is not a single

disease, or even a disease at all

– it is a syndrome, a collection

of symptoms which result from

underlying and varied causes.

The most common of these is

Alzheimer’s disease. Most

dementias are associated

strongly with increased age and

so are complicated by other

processes or conditions which

can also accompany the ageing

process. In Alzheimer’s disease

and in other dementias, there is

a long and silent phase during

which changes in the brain

occur before the onset of any

DEMENTIA RESEARCH: Progress and Challenges

Dr Simon RidleyHead of ResearchAlzheimer’s Research UK

DEMENTIA

... depends on an accurate and timely diagnosis ...


dementias such as Dementia

with Lewy Bodies,

Frontotemporal dementias and

prion disease (CJD) are

characterised by the damage to,

and death of, nerve cells in the

brain caused by an abnormal

build up of specific proteins. This

process is called

neurodegeneration. The type of

protein and the parts of the

brain affected define the disease

type and the symptoms.

The second most common

dementia is vascular dementia,

which results from damage to,

and death of, brain cells

following impaired blood supply.

There is some overlap here with

stroke but rather than a dramatic

and sudden event, the damage

seen in vascular dementia can

be low-level, but cumulative.

‘Mixed dementia’ of more than

one cause or type is not

uncommon (eg Alzheimer’s and

vascular). This presents an

additional challenge for any

treatments. In dementia, as with

a range of other chronic

illnesses, there is increasing

recognition of a role for the

inflammation which may

exacerbate disease process.

urgent need to investigate new

disease mechanisms and

consequentially, to accelerate

the identification of new drug

targets. In parallel, we need to

develop new ways of detecting

and measuring different

dementia pathologies in people

who may not being showing

overt symptoms or who are in

the earliest stages. Whilst these

may eventually have some

clinical diagnostic or prognostic

use, more immediate uses are

in research – such as the

identification and stratification of

participants in clinical trials as

well as tracking the efficacy of

new treatments. Brain imaging is

already making significant

progress to these ends. Efforts

challenge demands a variety of

responses and participants. In

recent years there has been

unprecedented interest and

activity surrounding dementia

and dementia research. In the

UK, the Prime Minister’s

Challenge on dementia has

brought additional research

funding. The UK used its recent

G8 presidency to raise the

international profile of dementia

research, culminating in a

pledge to find a cure or

‘disease-modifying’ treatment by

2020. The G7 countries

subsequently spearheaded three

Global Action Against Dementia

events focused on harnessing

the momentum created by the

UK presidency and galvanising

activity across the globe. To

sustain this legacy a World

Dementia Envoy and World

References

1 The Trajectory of Dementia in the UK –

Making a difference (2014); Lewis et

al, the Office of Health Economics/

Alzheimer’s Research UK

http://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/

siteFiles/resources/documents/reports/

OHE-report-Full.pdf

new treatments for dementia:

• The environment, support

and infrastructures for

challenging types of clinical

trials with a vulnerable patient

group

• Incentivising investment from

Pharma/Biotech.

This could be through

private/public partnerships in

which early findings from

academic research have a clear

and facilitated path towards

commercial drug discovery and

development. Regulatory

incentives may also be needed.

• Funding streams to attract

and retain researchers in

dementia research and to

promote the translation and

implementation of outputs.

Alzheimer’s Research UK is

committed to addressing many

of these points 4 but the scale of

Dementia Council have been

appointed, with a remit to

support co-operative work

between G7 countries, and

beyond, to incentivise

investment in research.

Despite the large and many

challenges, we must capitalise

on these opportunities. The UK

is well placed to play its part. We

owe it to the 44m people

worldwide who currently have

dementia and to future

generations.

These dementias are

progressive and irreversible. It

would be very attractive to think

of a single ‘cure-all’ treatment

which could protect nerve cells

from dying in any dementia.

However, the common

underlying mechanisms are not

well understood and most

attention has been focused on

the different upstream causes,

particularly in Alzheimer’s disease.

are taking place to find other

‘biomarkers’, for example in

cerebrospinal fluid or even in

blood. Neuropsychological tests

may also offer more sensitivity

and specificity in measuring

subtle, early cognitive changes

caused by dementia.

Beyond the purely scientific,

there are other important

considerations if we are to see

WHAT IS NEEDED TOACHIEVE THE GOALS OFBIOMEDICAL DEMENTIARESEARCH?

If we wait until we fully

understand all the science

behind dementia before trying

to develop new treatments, we

will be waiting too long. We

should keep looking for new

treatments based upon what we

know already – and most of this

knowledge is of Alzheimer’s

disease. However, there is an

... Dementia is not a single disease ...

... inflammation which may exacerbate disease ...

... Brain imaging is already making significant progress ...

2 World Alzheimer Report 2014:

Dementia and Risk Reduction;

Alzheimer’s Disease International

http://www.alz.co.uk/research/world-

report-2014

3 Defeating Dementia (2012);

Alzheimer's Research UK

http://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/

defeating-dementia

4 The Power to Defeat Dementia 2015-

2020; Alzheimer’s Research UK

Manifesto http://www.alzheimers

researchuk.org/siteFiles/resources/

documents/reports/Alzheimers

Manifesto_Webversion.pdf


COSTSThe annual cost of dementia in

the UK today exceeds £26

billion (Prince et al 2014). Costs

to the NHS are substantial,

equivalent to almost 4% of total

health spend in the country, but

costs to the social care sector

are 2.5 times higher. More than

half the social care cost falls

directly to the people who use

services (as self-funders or

through user charges). But the

largest cost is the time spent

providing care and support by

unpaid family members and

other carers.

Some of these costs are

welcome, others not. The ‘good

costs’ represent the appropriate,

evidence-based treatment and

care responses to assessed

people with dementia in the UK

today, and that number will

double in 25 years. Even though

the age-specific prevalence rate

might be slowing (Matthews et

al 2013), the total number with

dementia will still grow rapidly

as the population ages.

Consequently, unless we can do

something to change those

trajectories, there will need to be

even greater reliance on unpaid

carers and big increases in

health and social care service

costs.

RESPONDING TO THECHALLENGE

The figures summarised above

are just aggregates. They are not

cost-effectiveness findings. They

do not tell key decision-makers

what they might do to improve

attainment. Norton et al (2014)

estimate that ‘around a third of

Alzheimer’s Disease cases

worldwide might be attributable

to potentially modifiable risk

factors’.

Another strategy would involve

more timely identification of

dementia and better screening

(ie faster responses to early signs

of dementia, and better

screening tools to improve

diagnostic accuracy). This would

undoubtedly help individuals to

plan their lives and should also

enable them to get better health

and social care support, although

access remains variable across

the country. Timely diagnosis

might therefore also head off

some crisis-related costs.

Post-diagnostic support is

where most of the costs of

dementia arise: this support

encompasses all community and

other health and social care

services that people with the

condition might use, plus unpaid

support from carers. It also

includes costs of care home

residence and hospital inpatient

admissions. Those latter costs

can be huge, but the benefits for

quality of life and health can also

be substantial.

We now have a small body of

robust evidence on what works

in post-diagnostic support.

Research has focused on areas

such as carer support, staff skills,

symptomatic medications,

psychosocial treatments, better

home-based care (including

DEMENTIA: ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS

Professor Martin KnappPersonal Social Services ResearchUnit, London School of Economicsand Political Science & NIHR Schoolfor Social Care Research

DEMENTIA

Dementia is costly.The costs (to thepublic purse as wellas to individuals)will get considerablygreater as thepopulation ages.This has focused theminds of manygovernments onways to containthose costs, whilstensuring that peoplewith dementia andtheir carers can livewell. What needs tobe done to achievethat important goal?

needs. The ‘bad costs’ result

from late or no diagnosis,

unavailability of effective care,

crisis admissions to hospital and

unnecessarily long inpatient

stays. It is hard to calculate the

relative sizes of the ‘good’ and

‘bad’ costs, but as a society we

surely want to shift the balance

from the latter to the former, by

developing, and making more

widely available, good quality

(evidence-based) treatment and

care arrangements.

The need to shift the cost

balance is obvious if we look at

future projections of dementia

prevalence. There are 816,000

the situation for individuals

affected by dementia, or how to

make better use of resources.

There are several options for

reducing future costs and

improving lives. One is risk-

reduction: reducing the number

of people who develop

dementia, or delaying the age at

which the condition interferes

significantly with their lives.

Known risk factors for the

development of Alzheimer’s

disease and other dementias

include diabetes, mid-life

hypertension, mid-life obesity,

physical inactivity, depression,

smoking and low educational

... we surely want to shift the balance ...


growing interest in, but not much

evidence on assistive and

information technologies) and

care co-ordination. We also now

have a body of economic

evidence, helping us to recognise

what resource consequences

might flow from those

interventions (Knapp et al 2013).

SUPPORTING FAMILYCARERS

An example of new evidence

that can provide guidance to

or positive) on people with

dementia (illness severity,

neuropsychiatric symptoms or

quality of life). And START was

clearly cost-effective. Although

service costs went up over time

for people in both the

intervention and control groups -

which is not surprising given

how dementia usually

progresses – overall, the START

intervention was no more costly

than standard support

arrangements.

bring down the total cost ‘bill’ of

dementia by any noticeable

amount.

On the other hand, a disease-

modifying treatment – or,

indeed, a risk-reduction strategy

– that delayed onset by a year

or longer would bring down

costs substantially. Slowing the

progression of the disease

would also potentially reduce

costs, because it would delay

the need for people to go into

care homes or hospital. There

would also be gains in health

and quality of life for the

individuals at risk of developing

dementia and their families.

However, disease-modifying

treatments do not yet exist, and

it is difficult to conjecture when

they might become available. It

is also difficult to know what

they might cost per patient. A

high price for a new disease-

modifying medication, for

example, would considerably

reduce (indeed perhaps

over a 25-year period, exploring

a wider range of potential

interventions (including risk-

reduction), and carrying out

more exacting analyses.

This is the MODEM study. It is

funded by the Economic and

Social Research Council and the

National Institute for Health

Research. It will start to generate

findings in the next couple of

years, and provide a platform of

evidence to inform decisions

about how the country can

develop affordable, effective and

cost-effective systems of care

and support.

POLICY RESPONSESIn England we have been

fortunate over recent years to

have had two well-structured

policy frameworks: the National

Dementia Strategy (Department

of Health 2009) and the Prime

Minister’s Challenge on

Dementia (Department of

Health 2012). A new dementia

commissioners and other

decision-makers comes from a

study of START: an intervention

to help family carers of people

with dementia to develop better

coping strategies. It was

delivered by psychology

graduates, with each carer

having eight one-to-one

sessions. Carers were given

information on where to get

emotional support, and taught

(personalised) techniques to

improve their understanding and

manage the behaviours of the

person they cared for, change

unhelpful thoughts, promote

acceptance, improve

communication, plan for the

future, relax and engage in

meaningful enjoyable activities.

NEW SCENARIOSMy colleagues and I recently

examined the economic

consequences of different

scenarios for future dementia

care (Knapp et al 2014). Some

scenarios looked at the wider

availability and use of evidence-

based interventions, while others

looked at the consequences of

introducing a disease-modifying

treatment (as yet undiscovered)

with the potential either to slow

disease progression or to delay

its onset.

When we looked at the wider

availability of interventions such

as anticholinesterase inhibitors,

cognitive stimulation therapy,

case management and carer

support, we found that the

completely wipe out) the

savings on care costs that would

be suggested by slowed

progression or delayed onset.

MODEMWith colleagues at LSE and

other universities, I have recently

started a study which will be

projecting numbers of people

with dementia from now to

2040, the costs of supporting

them and the quality of life

outcomes under present care,

support and treatment

arrangements. We will then

explore what would happen in

cost and outcome terms if

better interventions were more

widely available. We will run

through the scenario exercise

described, but now projecting

overall impact nationally was

actually rather modest in cost

terms, although with important

improvements in health and

quality of life. In other words,

more widely implementing what

we know today to be effective

and cost-effective would

definitely improve the situation

for people with dementia and/or

their carers, but it would not

START was evaluated over 24

months in a randomised

controlled trial in North London

and Essex. Results were very

positive. Carers who received

START had significantly better

health-related quality of life and

better mental health by the 24-

month follow-up point than

carers who got usual support.

There were no effects (negative

policy (‘Vision’) is currently being

discussed for England, offering

suggestions for how society can

best respond to dementia over

the coming years.

In parallel, on the international

stage, the G8 countries – along

with the OECD and WHO –

have committed to collaborative

action to address the dementia

challenge. This includes setting

up the World Dementia Council.

The Council (of which I am a

member) is looking for ways to

improve finance for investments

in new treatments, better care,

research collaboration (across

governments, academics and

industry), harmonised regulatory

pathways to accelerate drug

development, sharing data,

... more timely identification of dementia ...

... head off some crisis-related costs ...

... understand the aetiology of the various dementias ...


HOUSE OF LORDS SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY SELECT COMMITTEE

The members of the Committee(appointed 12 June 2014) are LordDixon-Smith, Baroness Hilton ofEggardon, Lord Hennessy ofNympsfield, Lord O’Neill ofClackmannan, BaronessManningham-Buller, Lord Patel, LordPeston, Lord Rees of Ludlow, ViscountRidley, the Earl of Selborne(Chairman), Baroness Sharp ofGuildford, Lord Wade of Chorlton,Lord Willis of Knaresborough andLord Winston.

Resilience of Electricity Infrastructure

In July 2014, the Committee launched aninquiry into the resilience of electricityinfrastructure. The inquiry is focusing on theresilience of the UK’s electricity infrastructure topeaks in demand and sudden shocks. It isinterested both in the short term (to 2020) andin the medium term (to 2030) as electricitygeneration is decarbonised. Oral evidence wastaken until late January 2015 and theCommittee will report by the end of theSession.

2025: Priorities for Scientific Research

In July 2014, the Committee conducted ashort inquiry looking at the key challenges thatthe Government’s forthcoming Science andInnovation Strategy should tackle and the UK’s

main priorities for scientific research. No reportwas produced but evidence was taken in publicand transcripts were published and brought tothe Government’s attention.

Behaviour Change

In May and June 2014, the Committee tookoral evidence from a small number of witnessesto follow up on its 2011 report into behaviourchange and assess what progress has beenmade in this area. This focused on the twobehaviour change case studies that theCommittee had investigated in its originalinquiry: modal shift in transport and obesity. TheCommittee wrote to the Minister forGovernment Policy, Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP, inJuly, making a number of observations andposing a series of questions, and received areply.

identification and dissemination

of best practice, and awareness-

raising with respect to the

economic and social challenges

of dementia.

A THREE-PRONGEDFUTURE

I have mostly concentrated on

economic issues, although set in

their wider context. We know

that dementia is a major, world-

necessarily include the (often

hidden) burden falling on

unpaid family and other carers.

Efforts to understand the

aetiology of the various

dementias need as much

support as we can muster, as do

efforts to find biomarkers and

treatments. We urgently need to

understand what risk-reduction

strategies might be effective,

The policy imperatives are

clear, if slightly daunting. If the

overarching objectives are to

achieve better health and quality

of life for people with dementia

– indeed for everyone – and to

make the best use of resources,

then we need a three-pronged

strategy to reduce risk, improve

care and find a cure.

References

Department of Health (2009) Living Well

With Dementia: a national dementia

strategy. Department of Health: London.

Department of Health (2012) Prime

Minister's challenge on dementia -

Delivering major improvements in

dementia care and research by 2015.

Department of Health: London.

Knapp M, Iemmi V, Romeo R (2013)

Dementia care costs and outcomes: a

systematic review. International Journal of

Geriatric Psychiatry, 28(6), 555-561.

wide challenge for health and

care systems, and for societies

more generally. Unless someone

suddenly discovers an affordable

cure, those challenges will get

considerably bigger over the

next 40 years. The costs of

dementia will also increase

considerably. That will

and how best to implement

them. We also need to know

what care and support

arrangements work best. Then

we need to assess whether they

represent cost-effective uses of

society’s always scarce

resources.

Knapp M, Comas-Herrera A, Wittenberg Ret al (2014) Scenarios of Dementia Care:What are the impacts on costs and qualityof life? PSSRU, LSE: London,

Livingston G, Barber J, Rapaport P, KnappM et al (2014) Long-term clinical andcost-effectiveness of START (STrAtegies forRelaTives) psychological intervention forfamily carers and the effects on cost ofcare for people with dementia: arandomised controlled trial. LancetPsychiatry, 1(7), 539-548

Matthews F, Arthur A, Barnes L et al(2013) A two-decade comparison ofprevalence of dementia in individualsaged 65 years and older from threegeographical areas of England: results ofthe Cognitive Function & Ageing Study Iand II. Lancet, 382, 1405-12.

Norton S, Matthews F, Barnes D, Yaffe K,Brayne C (2014) Potential for primaryprevention of Alzheimer's disease: ananalysis of population-based data. LancetNeurology, 13(8), 788-794.

Prince M, Knapp M, Guerchet M, et al(2014) Dementia UK: second edition.Alzheimer’s Society: London.

... START intervention was no more costly ...


HOUSE OF COMMONS SELECTCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGYThe Science and Technology Committee is charged with the scrutiny of the expenditure, administration and policyof the Government Office for Science, a semi-autonomous organisation based within the Department forBusiness, Innovation and Skills.

The members of the Science and Technology Committee are: Dan Byles (Conservative, North Warwickshire), Jim Dowd (Labour, Lewisham West and Penge), David Heath(Liberal Democrat, Somerton and Frome), Stephen Metcalfe (Conservative, South Basildon and East Thurrock),Andrew Miller (Labour, Ellesmere Port and Neston), Stephen Mosley (Conservative, City of Chester), PamelaNash (Labour, Airdrie and Shotts), Sarah Newton (Conservative, Truro and Falmouth), Graham Stringer (Labour,Blackley and Broughton) and David Tredinnick (Bosworth).

Andrew Miller was elected by the House of Commons to be the Chair of the Committee on 9 June 2010. Theremaining Members were appointed to the Committee on 12 July 2010. Caroline Dinenage, Gareth Johnson,Sarah Newton and Hywel Williams were appointed to the Committee on 27 February 2012 in the place of GavinBarwell, Gregg McClymont, Stephen McPartland and David Morris. Jim Dowd was appointed to the Committeeon 11 June 2012 in the place of Jonathan Reynolds. David Morris was re-appointed to the Committee on 3December 2012 in the place of Gareth Johnson. David Tredinnick was appointed to the Committee on 4February in place of Caroline Dinenage. David Heath was appointed to the Committee on 25 November 2013 inplace of Roger Williams. Hywel Williams was discharged from the Committee on 20 October 2014. DavidMorris was discharged from the Committee on 24 November 2014. Dan Byles was appointed to the Committeein place of David Morris on 1 December 2014.

CURRENT INQUIRIESAll evidence (written and oral) is on theCommittee’s website.

Antimicrobial resistance

On 18 December 2013 the Committee tookevidence from Dr Pat Goodwin, Society ofBiology, Professor Laura Piddock, British Societyfor Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, Professor JohnThrelfall, Society for Applied Microbiology, andProfessor Sharon Peacock, Cambridge InfectiousDiseases Initiative, University of Cambridge.

On 8 January 2014 the Committee tookevidence from Professor Anthony Kessel, Public

Health England, Dr Michael Moore, RoyalCollege of General Practitioners, Professor AlisonHolmes, Imperial College London and Dr SusanHopkins, Royal College of Physicians; JohnHardcastle, Novolytics, Dr David McIntosh,Novartis, Professor George Lewith, University ofSouthampton Medical School and Doris-AnnWilliams, British In Vitro Diagnostics Association.

On 29 January 2014 the Committee tookevidence from Phil Sketchley, National Office ofAnimal Health, John FitzGerald, Responsible Useof Medicines in Agriculture Alliance, CatherineMcLaughlin, National Farmers’ Union and CóilínNunan, Alliance to Save our Antibiotics.

International STEM students

In January 2014, the Committee launched a short follow upinquiry to its 2012 report on higher education in science,technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Theinquiry focused on the effect on international STEM students ofimmigration policy. Forty or so written submissions were received,seven oral evidence sessions were held in February and March,and a report published on 11 April 2014. A Governmentresponse was received in July. A debate is pending.

Waste and the bioeconomy

The Committee launched an inquiry into waste and thebioeconomy in July 2013. The inquiry collected evidence on thetechnology used to exploit bio-waste and waste gases in order togenerate high-value products. The inquiry aimed to assess thepotential for this technology to enable bio-waste and waste gas to

replace current feedstocks, and the potential contribution thiscould make to a bioeconomy. Oral evidence sessions were heldacross autumn 2013 and early 2014. The Committee publishedits report on 6 March 2014. A Government response wasreceived in June and a debate held in Grand Committee on10 December.

FURTHER INFORMATIONThe reports, Government responses, written and oral evidence

to the Committee’s inquiries mentioned above, as well as theCalls for Evidence and other documents can be found on theCommittee’s website. Further information about the work of theCommittee can be obtained from Chris Clarke, Committee Clerk,[email protected] or 020 7219 4963. The CommitteeOffice email address is [email protected].


On 26 February 2014 the Committee took evidence fromProfessor Jeremy Farrar, Wellcome Trust, Professor Sir John Savill,Research Councils UK, Kush Naker, Universities Allied for EssentialMedicines UK and Professor Sir Anthony Coates, AntibioticDiscovery UK; Dr Louise Leong, Association of the BritishPharmaceutical Industry, James Anderson, GlaxoSmithKline, Dr David Williams, Discuva and Michael McIntyre, EuropeanHerbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association.

On 12 March 2014 the Committee took evidence fromProfessor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, SallyWellsteed, Department of Health, and Nigel Gibbens, ChiefVeterinary Officer; George Eustice MP, Department forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs, Jane Ellison MP, Departmentof Health, Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer andProfessor Peter Borriello, Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

A report was published on 7 July 2014. The Research Councilsresponse was published on 21 October 2014 and theGovernment published its response as a Command Paper (Cm 8919).

Blood, tissue and organ screening

On 5 February the Committee took evidence from Mark Wardand Joseph Peaty, TaintedBlood, Liz Carroll, Haemophilia Society,Dr Matthew Buckland, UK Primary Immunodeficiency Networkand Christine Lord; Professor Marc Turner, Advisory Committee onthe Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs Prion Group, Dr RolandSalmon, Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens and Dr Sheila MacLennan, UK Blood Services Joint ProfessionalAdvisory Committee.

On 5 March 2014 the Committee took evidence from Dr Steven Burton, ProMetic Biosciences Ltd, Dr Kelly Board,DuPont Chemicals and Fluoroproducts, Dr Alex Raeber, PrionicsAG, Nigel Talboys, Terumo BCT and Professor John Collinge, MRCPrion Unit.

On 26 March 2014 the Committee took evidence fromProfessor Richard Knight, National CJD Research and SurveillanceUnit, Professor Sheila Bird, Medical Research Council BiostatisticsUnit, Dr Paula Bolton-Maggs, Serious Hazards of Transfusion(SHOT) Haemovigilance Scheme and Dr Simon Mead,Association of British Neurologists.

On 28 April 2014 the Committee took evidence from Dr Richard Baker, British Transplantation Society, Dr Mike Knapton,British Heart Foundation, Ed Owen, Cystic Fibrosis Trust and KeithRigg, Transplant 2013.

On 30 April 2014 the Committee took evidence from ProfessorJames Neuberger, NHS Blood and Transplant, Dr LornaWilliamson, NHS Blood and Transplant, Dr Paul Cosford, PublicHealth England, and Dr Katy Sinka, Public Health England; JaneEllison MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for PublicHealth and Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer,Department of Health.

A report was published on 24 July 2014. The Governmentpublished its response in a Command Paper (Cm 8940).

National health-screening programmes

On 7 May 2014 the Committee took evidence from ProfessorJane Wardle, Academy of Medical Sciences, Jessica Kirby, CancerResearch UK and Dr Sian Taylor-Phillips, Warwick Medical School.

On 11 June 2014 the Committee took evidence from RobertMeadowcroft, Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, Professor MichaelBaum, Advocates for Honesty and Transparency in BreastScreening and Steve Hannigan, Children living with inheritedmetabolic diseases (Climb); Síle Lane, Sense About Science, DrMargaret McCartney and Dr John Middleton, UK Faculty of PublicHealth.

On 25 June 2014 the Committee took evidence from Dr HilaryBurton, PHG Foundation, Professor Ian Cree, Warwick MedicalSchool representing the Early Cancer Detection Consortium,Professor Ian Jacobs, PROMISE 2016, Owen Sharp, ProstateCancer UK; Dr Kevin Dunbar, National Chlamydia ScreeningProgramme, Dr Sharon Hillier, Public Health Wales, Dr AnneMackie, UK National Screening Committee, Jamie Waterall, PublicHealth England.

On 9 July 2014 the Committee took evidence from Jane EllisonMP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health,Department of Health and Professor David Walker, Deputy ChiefMedical Officer for England.

A report was published on 29 October 2014. The Committee isawaiting a response from the Government.

Practical science in schools

The Committee held two evidence sessions to discuss theproposals from Ofqual to change the practical assessment ofscience at A level.

On 12 May 2014 the Committee took evidence from ProfessorJulia Buckingham, SCORE, Dr Sarah Main, Campaign for Scienceand Engineering, Professor Ian Haines, UK Deans of Science andMalcolm Trobe, Association of School and College Leaders;Dennis Opposs, Ofqual, Glenys Stacey, Ofqual and JanetHolloway, Ofqual; and Elizabeth Truss MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Childcare.

On 3 September 2014 the Committee took evidence fromJanet Holloway, Ofqual, Dr Steven Evans, OCR, Darren Northcott,National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of WomenTeachers, Professor Iain Haines, Deans of Science, Nicole Morgan,Royal Society of Chemistry on behalf of SCORE, Steve Jones,CLEAPPS; Michelle Meadows, Ofqual, Stella Paes, AQA, MaxHyde, National Union of Teachers, Elizabeth Swinbank, YorkUniversity, Ginny Page, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, PeterMayhew-Smith, Association of Colleges, Richard Needham,Association for Science Education; Dennis Opposs, Ofqual, KaisraKhan, Voice, Professor Peter Main, Institute of Physics, HilaryLeevers, Wellcome Trust, David Britz Colwill, Sixth Form CollegesAssociation, Helen Thorne, UCAS; Glenys Stacey, Chief Regulator,Ofqual, Liane Adams, WJEC Eduqas, Philip Britton, Headmastersand Headmistresses Conference, Rachel Lambert-Forsyth, Societyof Biology, Sir John Holman, CST, Jill Stokoe, Association ofTeachers and Lecturers, Sarah Main, CaSE.


The Committee published a video letter to the Minister on 2 December 2014 and received a response on 18 December.

Social media data and real-time analytics

On 18 June the Committee took evidence from SureyyaCansoy, techUK, James Petter, EMC, Carl Miller, Centre for theAnalysis of Social Media, Demos, Euan Adie, Altmetric.com, DigitalScience; Professor John Preston, University of East London,Professor Mick Yates, University of Leeds, Dr Ella McPherson,University of Cambridge.

On 23 June the Committee took evidence from Professor DerekMcAuley, University of Nottingham, Professor David De Roure,ESRC, Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Web Science Trust and theEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council projectSOCIAM; Professor Liesbet van Zoonen, Loughborough University,Professor David Robertson, University of Edinburgh representingthe UK Computing Research Committee, Dr Mathieu d'Aquin,Open University, Emma Carr, Big Brother Watch.

On 2 July the Committee took evidence from Steve Wood,Information Commissioner’s Office, Dr Mark Elliot, University ofManchester, Dr Kevin Macnish, University of Leeds; Ed Vaizey,Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Culture,Communications and Creative Industries, Department for Culture,Media and Sport.

A report was published on 28 November 2014. TheCommittee is waiting for a Government response.

Current and future uses of biometric data and technologies

On 1 December 2014 the Committee took evidence fromProfessor Juliet Lodge, Emeritus Professor of European Studies,University of Leeds, and member of the Privacy and Policy ExpertGroup at the Biometrics Institute, Professor Louise Amoore,Professor of Political Geography, Durham University, and ProfessorSue Black, Director, Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification,University of Dundee; Sir John Adye, Chairman, Identity AssuranceSystems, Ben Fairhead, Biometric Systems Engineer, 3M, and ErikBowman, Systems Engineer, Northrop Grumman; Andrew Tyrer,Head of Enabling Technology, Innovate UK, Emma Carr, Director,Big Brother Watch, and Dr Peter Waggett, Chairman, BritishStandards Institution technical committee IST/44.

On 10 December 2014 the Committee took evidence from Dr Simon Rice, Group Manager (Technology), InformationCommissioner's Office, Alastair R MacGregor QC, BiometricsCommissioner, Office of the Biometrics Commissioner, and ChiefConstable Chris Sims, National Policing Lead for Forensic Science,Association of Chief Police Officers; Lord Bates, ParliamentaryUnder-Secretary of State for Criminal Information, Home Office.

A report is currently being drafted.

Genetically modified foods and application of theprecautionary principle in Europe

On 15 October 2014 the Committee took evidence fromProfessor Ottoline Leyser, Fellow, The Royal Society, Professor SirDavid Baulcombe, Regius Professor of Botany, University ofCambridge, Dr Doug Parr, Chief Scientist and Policy Director,Greenpeace UK, and Liz O’Neill, Director, GM Freeze.

On 29 October 2014 the Committee took evidence from SíleLane, Director of Campaigns, Sense About Science, Dr JackStilgoe, Lecturer in Social Studies of Science, University CollegeLondon, and Professor Brian Wynne, Professor of Science Studies,Lancaster University; Sue Davies, Chief Policy Adviser, Which?, andJon Woolven, Strategy and Innovation Director, Institute of GroceryDistribution; Dr Helen Ferrier, Chief Science and Regulatory AffairsAdviser, National Farmers' Union, Peter Melchett, Policy Director,The Soil Association, and Professor Ian Crute, Non-ExecutiveDirector, Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.

On 5 November 2014 the Committee took evidence fromProfessor Helen Sang, Fellow, Society of Biology, ProfessorMichael Bevan, Programme Leader, Cell and DevelopmentalBiology, John Innes Centre, and Dr Paul Burrows, ExecutiveDirector, Corporate Policy and Strategy, Biotechnology andBiological Sciences Research Council; Dr Mike Bushell, PrincipalScientific Adviser, Syngenta, Dr Julian Little, Chair, AgriculturalBiotechnology Council, and Dr Geoff Mackey, SustainableDevelopment and Communications Director, BASF Europe North.

On 19 November 2014 the Committee took evidence fromProfessor Paul Nightingale, Deputy Director, Science PolicyResearch Unit, University of Sussex, Professor Andy Stirling, Co-director, STEPS Centre, University of Sussex, Professor Joyce Tait,Director, Innogen Institute, University of Edinburgh, and Sir RolandJackson, Member, Nuffield Council on Bioethics; Professor SirMark Walport, Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government andHead of the Government Office for Science.

On 1 December 2014 the Committee took evidence from Dr Elisabeth Waigmann, Head of GMO Unit, European FoodSafety Authority, and Professor Joe Perry, Chair, GMO Panel,European Food Safety Authority; Eric Poudelet, Director, Safety ofthe Food Chain, Directorate General for Health and Consumers,European Commission, Dorothée André, Head of Unit,Biotechnology, Directorate General for Health and Consumers,European Commission.

On 7 January 2015 the Committee took evidence fromProfessor Rosie Hails, Chair, Advisory Committee on Releases tothe Environment, Professor Peter Gregory, Chair, AdvisoryCommittee on Novel Foods and Processes, and Professor GuyPoppy, Chief Scientific Adviser, Food Standards Agency; Lord deMauley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for NaturalEnvironment and Science, Department for Environment, Food andRural Affairs, and George Freeman MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Life Sciences, Department for Health andthe Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

A report is currently being drafted.

Mitochondrial donation

On 22 October 2014 the Committee took evidence fromProfessor Doug Turnbull, Director, Wellcome Trust Centre forMitochondrial Research,Professor Peter Braude, King's CollegeLondon, Professor Robin Lovell Badge, MRC National Institute forMedical Research, Dr Edward Morrow, Senior Research Fellow,University of Sussex; Peter Thompson, Chief Executive, HumanFertilisation and Embryology Authority, Robert Meadowcroft, ChiefExecutive, Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, Professor Jonathan


PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (POST)

RECENT POST PUBLICATIONS

Diffuse Pollution of Water by Agriculture

October 2014 POSTnote 478

Water pollution regulation is devolved in the UK.Surface, coastal and ground waters in Englandsuffer from significant pollution problems: 78%of surface and groundwater bodies fail to meetthe ‘good’ ecological status prescribed by the

EU Water Frameworks Directive. Pollutionincreases water treatment costs and adverselyaffects wildlife. Compared to treatment,preventing water pollution at source can have acost-benefit ratio as high as 1:65. This describesthe contribution of agriculture to water pollution,and measures that can be taken to reduce it.

Montgomery, Chair, Nuffield Council on Bioethics, and Professorof Health Care Law, University College London; Jane Ellison MP,Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health,Department of Health, and Professor Dame Sally Davies, ChiefMedical Officer, Department of Health.

The Committee’s Legacy

On 3 December 2014 the Committee took evidence from JaneEllison MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for PublicHealth, Department of Health, George Freeman MP, ParliamentaryUnder-Secretary of State for Life Sciences, Department of Health,and Professor David Walker, Deputy Chief Medical Officer forEngland, Department of Health; Mr Nick Gibb MP, Minister ofState for School Reform, Department for Education.

On 14 January 2015 the Committee took evidence fromGeorge Eustice MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State forFarming, Food and Marine Environment, Department forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs, Terence Ilott, DeputyDirector, Marine Environment Strategy, Department forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs and Paul Green, OperationsDirector, Veterinary Medicines Directorate; Lord Bates,Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Criminal Information,Home Office and Alan Pratt, Director of Science, Engineering andTechnology, Home Office.

Funding of Kew Gardens

On 17 December 2014 the Committee took evidence fromProfessor Mary Gibby, UK Plant Sciences Federation, ProfessorGeorgina Mace, Fellow, The Royal Society, and Sir Neil Chalmers,Chair of a 2010 independent review of Kew Gardens,commissioned by DEFRA; Richard Deverell, Director, RoyalBotanic Gardens, Kew, Professor Kathy Willis, Director of Science,Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Julie Flanagan, Full-time officer,Prospect, and Ken Bailey, Trade union side lead for PCS, Prospectand GMB; and Lord de Mauley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary fornatural environment and science, Department for Environment,Food and Rural Affairs.

REPORTS

National health screening

On 29 October 2014, the Committee published its Third Reportof Session 2014-15, National Health Screening, HC 244.

Responsible use of data

On 28 November 2014, the Committee published its FourthReport of Session 2014-15, Responsible Use of Data, HC 245.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSES

On 21 October 2014 the Committee published theGovernment Response to the Committee’s report on Ensuringaccess to working antimicrobials, HC509.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further information about the Science and TechnologyCommittee or its current inquiries can be obtained from the Clerkof the Committee, Stephen McGinness, or from the SeniorCommittee Assistant, Darren Hackett, on 020 7219 2792/2793respectively; or by writing to: The Clerk of the Committee, Scienceand Technology Committee, House of Commons, 7 Millbank,London SW1P 3JA. Enquiries can also be e-mailed [email protected]. Anyone wishing to be included on theCommittee’s mailing list should contact the staff of theCommittee. Anyone wishing to submit evidence to theCommittee is recommended to obtain a copy of the guidancenote at www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/witguide.htm. TheCommittee has a website, www.parliament.uk/science, where allrecent publications, terms of reference for all inquiries and pressnotices are available.


Civilian Drones


Civilian use of unmanned aircraft (UA) is increasing rapidly as thetechnology improves and becomes more affordable. The UK hastechnical expertise in this area and is also at the forefront ofnational and international regulatory discussions. This briefingprovides an overview of current and future applications, andopportunities and barriers for civilian use.

Short Lived Climate Pollutants


Short lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) include black carbon,methane, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and ground level ozone.Although they have a shorter residence time in the atmospherethan CO2, from a few days to a few decades, they contribute tonear term climate change. This POSTnote summarises options formitigating SLCP concentrations and the benefits and challenges ofdoing so.

Palliative and End of Life Care


Palliative and end of life care refer to the care of people whohave an incurable and progressive illness. This provides anoverview of palliative care and its key components, approaches tomanaging and standardising care and key challenges to providinghigh quality care.

GM Crops and Regulation


Genetically modified (GM) crops have been grown commerciallysince the mid-1990s. Early concerns focused on their potentialimpacts on human health and the environment. This notesummarises the evidence for such impacts, describes recenttechnological developments and examines their likelyconsequences for proposed reforms of GM regulation.

GM Insects and Disease Control

November 2014 POSTnote 483

Insects play a critical role in ecosystems, but can also causeeconomic and social harm by transmitting diseases to humansand livestock, and damaging crops. Genetically modified (GM)insects could be used alongside other approaches to mitigateharms. This POSTnote summarises possible benefits, risks anduncertainties associated with their deployment.

Catchment-Wide Flood Management

December 2014 POSTnote 484

Changing weather patterns have made structural defences lesseffective at managing flooding. An approach that employs a rangeof natural flood management measures across a river catchmentis likely to reduce the probability of flooding and pressure onstructural defences. This POSTnote describes the measures andthe challenges of implementing them over large catchments.

Parity of Esteem for Mental Health

January 2015 POSTnote 485

Achieving parity of esteem between mental and physical health incare standards and public attitudes has been attempted fordecades. This note outlines the history of these efforts, the waysin which parity is defined and measured, the challenges ofachieving this ideal, and the strategies that may be employed tothat end.

Emissions from Crops

January 2014 POSTnote 486

Agriculture contributes 9% of the UK’s greenhouse-gas (GHG)emissions burden and 10-12% globally. Although there is a long-term declining trend from UK agriculture the sector may stillaccount for a larger share of overall emissions in future as othersectors reduce emissions. This POSTnote focuses on reducingGHG emissions from growing and storing arable and horticulturalcrops.

CURRENT WORK Biological Sciences – Sugar, Minimum Age of CriminalResponsibility, Disorders of Consciousness, Anti-Ebola Treatments,Regulating Synthetic Biology.

Environment and Energy – Biodiversity Auditing, Energy Storage,Novel Food Production Technologies, Herbicide Resistance, Soils,Ecosystem Services & Food Security, Managing the UK PlutoniumStockpile, Offshore Mining.

Physical sciences and IT – Broadband Internet Access, TheDarknet, Commercial Space Activities, Big Data.

Social Sciences – Minimum Living Standards, Trends in Politicsand Democracy.

CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS

Palliative and End of Life Care

On October 14th, POST hosted a seminar on palliative and endof life care. This event brought together experts from government,the NHS, academia and the third sector with parliamentarians todiscuss the new approach and challenges to providing highquality care, including attitudes towards talking about death anddying, education and training, and monitoring standards of careand outcomes. The seminar was chaired by Baroness Finlay ofLlandaff, Professor of Palliative Medicine at Cardiff University,Palliative Care Clinical Lead for Wales and Vice-chair of All-PartyParliamentary Group on Hospice and Palliative Care. It featuredpresentations from: Dr Bee Wee, NHS England’s National ClinicalDirector for End of Life Care, NHS England and Chair of theformer Leadership Alliance for the Care of Dying People (LACDP);Simon Chapman, Director of Policy and Parliamentary Affairs atthe National Council for Palliative Care; Dr Fliss Murtagh, Readerand Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Cicely Saunders Institute,King’s College London..


Preventing Mitochondrial Disease

On 16th October, POST hosted a seminar on the clinical use oftwo new treatments to prevent serious mitochondrial disease.This seminar aimed to inform the debate on the proposedregulations by giving parliamentarians access to the scientistsdeveloping the new treatments, the regulators who may have toimplement them and those at the forefront of the debate abouttheir potential ethical and social impacts. It was chaired byBaroness O’Neill of Bengarve and included presentations byProfessors Doug Turnbull (Director Wellcome Trust Centre forMitochondrial Research), Mike Parker (Director Ethox Centre,University of Oxford), Jackie Leach Scully (Social Ethics &Bioethics, Newcastle University), Robin Lovell Badge (MRCNational Institute for Medical Research) and Hannah Verdin(Head of Regulatory Policy, HFEA).

National Pollinator Strategy

On 28th October, POST hosted a seminar on the evidence forthe measures set out in the National Pollinator Strategy. Thisfollowed previous POST events, and last year’s POSTnote onreversing pollinator decline at the request of Sarah Newton MP,who chaired the event. Presentations were given by ProfessorSimon Potts, Professor of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services,The University of Reading, Dr Christopher Connolly, Reader inNeuroscience, University of Dundee, Professor Jane Memmott,Professor of Ecology, University of Bristol and Dr AdamVanbergen, Invertebrate Ecologist, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

Innovation and the Future of the UK Economy

On 5th November, POST hosted an event on innovation and thefuture of the UK economy. This brought together Parliamentariansand practitioners for a conversation exploring how to improvefurther the UK innovation system and what it might look like in20 years’ time. The discussion was chaired by Liam Byrne MP,with presentations from: Avi Hasson, Chief Scientist, Ministry ofEconomy, Israel; Kevin Baughan, Director, Innovation Programmes,Innovate UK (formerly Technology Strategy Board); Sir JohnO’Reilly, Director General of Knowledge and Innovation,Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; and Sherry Coutu,entrepreneur and investor.

Big Data and Governance: balancing risks and rewards

On 6th November, POST hosted a seminar that brought togetherthe work undertaken by POST throughout 2014 on Big Data.Over 150 people attended. The discussion was chaired by Dr Chris Tyler – with contributions from: Adam Afriyie MP;Professor Amanda Chessell, IBM Distinguished Engineer andMaster Inventor and Visiting Professor, Department of ComputerScience, University of Sheffield; Professor Carol Dezateux,Professor of Paediatric Epidemiology and Scientific Director andPrincipal Investigator of the Life Study, UCL Institute of ChildHealth; Chris Fleming, Head of Data and Analytics, GovernmentOffice for Science; Christopher Graham, InformationCommissioner; Dr Susan Grant-Muller, Co-Investigator to theESRC Consumer Data Research Centre and Senior Lecturer,Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds; Carl Miller, co-founder and Research Director of the Centre for the Analysis of

Social Media, Demos; Matthew Rice, Advocacy Officer, PrivacyInternational; Dr Emma Uprichard, Associate Professor, Centre forInterdisciplinary Methodologies, University of Warwick.

Annual Reception: Information Age

On 6th November, POST’s Annual Reception followed the BigData seminar, and continued the theme by partnering with theScience Museum to showcase its then newly opened InformationAge exhibition. Attendees heard from Sir Tim Berners-Lee,inventor of the World Wide Web, Adam Afriyie MP; Jean Franczyk,Deputy Director of the Science Museum; and Martin Howell,Worldwide Communications Director at Cubic TransportationSystems.

STAFF, FELLOWS AND INTERNS AT POST FellowsDr Anusha Panjwani, Pirbright Institute and Harvard UniversityBeth Brockett, University of Lancaster, British Ecological SocietyKimberley Pyle, University of Cardiff, Natural EnvironmentResearch CouncilDr Zoë Fritz, University of Warwick, Wellcome Trust Ethics andSociety ProgrammeJoanna Scales, Rothamsted, Biotechnology and BiologicalResearch CouncilDaniel McDowell, Queen’s University Belfast, Institute of FoodScience and TechnologyRachel Stocker, University of Durham, British Psychological SocietyChristopher Emmott, Imperial College London, Institute of PhysicsThomas Kriechbaumer, Cranfield University, Engineering andPhysical Sciences Research CouncilCatherine Watkinson, Imperial College London, Science andTechnology Facilities CouncilEdward Gillen, University of Oxford, Science and TechnologyFacilities Council, has been working with the House of LordsScience and Technology Committee.Wendy Carr, Newcastle University, Institution of ChemicalEngineers, was placed with the House of Commons LibraryScience and Environment Section.


HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARYSCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTSECTION

Scientists and other staff in theScience and Environment Sectionprovide confidential, bespokebriefing to Members and theiroffices on a daily basis. They alsoprovide support to CommonsSelect Committees, and producelonger notes and research paperswhich can be accessed on line athttp://www.parliament.uk/topics/topical-issues.htm

Summaries of recently updatedbriefings are opposite.

For further information contact: Sarah Hartwell-NaguibHead of Section Tel: 020 7219 1665email:[email protected]

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Mitochondrial Donation14.10.14 | SN06833

This provides a summary of the role ofmitochondria, mitochondrial disease and theproposed new techniques. It also outlines theinvestigations into these techniques that tookplace prior to the publication of draftregulations; two HFEA scientific reviews of thesafety and efficacy of methods (2011 and2013), an ethical review of the techniques formitochondrial replacement undertaken by theNuffield Council on Bioethics and an HFEApublic consultation. The main safety and ethicalconsiderations associated with the introductionof these techniques into clinical practice arediscussed. It also provides a summary of therecent consultation on draft regulations and the2014 update to the scientific reviews by theexpert panel at the HFEA. Overviews of recentParliamentary debates are included in the note.

Ebola Outbreak 201422.10.14 | SN06999

The 2014 Ebola outbreak started in Guinea inDecember 2013 and now Guinea, Sierra Leoneand Liberia are all severely affected. It is thelargest outbreak to date. By January 2015 therewere over 9,000 confirmed or suspected cases.This provides an overview of the disease, theinternational and UK responses to the 2014outbreak and an outline of the experimentaltreatments being considered.

Online safety: Content filtering by UKInternet Service Providers (ISPs)21.11.14 | SN07031

In July 2013, Internet Service Providers (ISPs)agreed voluntarily to offer “default-on” adultcontent internet filters on all new and existinghome network customers. Ofcom has reviewedthe implementation of the network filteringwhich it expects to be completed by the end of2014. This summarises the background to thesedecisions, reviews its implementation and setsout some of the arguments opposed to theintroduction of default on network filters.

The Forestry Commission and the sale ofpublic forests in England1.12.14 | SN05734

Following criticism of the Government’s abortedplans to sell parts of the Public Forest Estate, inJanuary 2013 it signalled its intention toestablish a new public body to manage theforestry estate in its Forestry and WoodlandsPolicy Statement. Due to constraints in theparliamentary timetable no legislation toestablish this body has yet been made.

In July and October 2014, environmentalgroups raised concerns that the InfrastructureBill could be used to sell off public forest land,despite government reassurances to thecontrary. In November 2014, the Governmentmoved amendments to the Bill ensuring thatthe Bill could not be used sell off the publicforest estate.

Standardised packaging of tobacco products3.10.14 (amended 2.12.14) | SN06175

Standardised packaging (or ‘plain packaging’) oftobacco products is taken to mean the removalof all attractive promotional aspects. Except forthe brand name (which would be presented ina standardised way), all other trademarks, logos,colour schemes and promotional graphicswould be prohibited. The package itself wouldbe standardised and display only information(such as health warnings) required by law.

This gives an overview of the debate. It is not acomprehensive account of the arguments forand against the use of standardised packagingor an evaluation of the different viewsexpressed as to the impact that standardisedpackaging might have on public health, theincidence of smuggling and the compliancecosts to business. The Government’s summaryto its public consultation looks in detail at therange of views.

Mobile Coverage in the UK: Governmentplans to tackle ‘mobile not-spots’ 2014 19.12.14 | SN07069

The Government has identified two issues withmobile coverage in the UK: ‘not-spots’ – areaswhere there is currently no coverage available;


and ‘partial not-spots’ – areas which have coverage from somebut not all of the 4 mobile networks.

95% of UK households use mobile phones and 16% have novoice landline at all, whilst 71% of businesses rated mobilephones as crucial or very important to their business. Currently,99% of premises are covered outdoors by at least one MobileNetwork Operator (MNOs) and 97% are covered by all three ofthe MNOs that operate 2G networks. For 3G services, 84% of UKpremises are covered outdoors by all four MNOs and 35% ofpremises have coverage from Vodafone, EE and O2 for 4G.

UK Fishing Quota Agreements for 2015

22.12.14 | SN07071

Under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), every year annualquotas for fish species in EU waters are agreed by Ministers.2015 is the first year that fishing opportunities are being setunder the rules of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).This summarises the negotiations and decisions taken over UKfishing quota agreements for 2015.

Garden Cities31.12.14 (updated from 5.6.14)| SN06867

In the Budget 2014 the Government announced that it wouldsupport a new Garden City at Ebbsfleet in Kent, for up to 15,000new homes based on existing brownfield land, to be drivenforward by a development corporation with compulsory purchasepowers. In April 2014 the Government published a prospectusLocally-led Garden Cities setting out a support package for localareas which are interested in forming a new garden city.Proposals put forward should have the full backing of all localauthorities in which the new garden city would be sited andshould be at or above a level of 15,000 homes. At the sametime that the Prospectus was published the Government alsolaunched the Large Sites Infrastructure Programme, which isaimed at accelerating the development of large housing sites.

The practicalities of how garden cities should be funded hasdivided expert opinion. Some private companies have pledged toinvest in new settlements. A number of new homes are alreadyplanned at Ebbsfleet and information about these proposals isavailable online.

Planning for Onshore Windfarms 5.1.15 (updated from 5.3.14) | SN04370

The planning process used to determine onshore winddevelopment will depend on the size of the proposeddevelopment. Wind farms which have an output of over 50MWwill go through a “development consent” process and will bedetermined by the Secretary of State. Wind farms under 50MWwill be determined by the relevant local planning authority. Thereare also some permitted development rights for small domesticwind turbines, where planning permission would not be requiredat all.

Some examples of reasons for acceptance and rejection of windfarms are set out in this note. Statistics on this are available fromthe Government’s Renewables Planning Database Project, andthe Renewables UK, UK Wind Energy Database (UKWED).

ACTIVITIESSince October, in addition to providing bespoke briefings for MPs,and publishing briefing papers such as those highlighted above,the section has prepared debate packs, containing briefing andsupporting press and parliamentary material, for debates on:Foetal alcohol syndrome; Antibiotic resistance; National pollinatorstrategy; Oral Hormone pregnancy tests; Coalfield Communities;UK Drugs Policy; Assessment of the second year of the badgerculls; Situation in the dairy industry; Physical inactivity and publichealth; Preparations for flooding in winter 2014-15; Fracking;Illegal encampments in the East of England; Management of UKsea bass stock; Availability and pricing of branded medicines onthe NHS; Fishing industry; Funding for Kew Gardens; Food banks;and Effect of the Contract for Difference allocation process onoffshore wind developments.

Continuing the section’s outreach to the academic world, EnquiryExecutive, Jim Camp, Library Clerks, Emma Downing and LouiseSmith, went to the University of Bristol in October to meetacademics. They gave a presentation about their work, andparticipated in sessions on global change, food security and futurecities.

The section spent time at Lancaster Environment Centre inNovember meeting researchers from the Lancaster EnvironmentCentre and Energy Lancaster. This was the section’s second visitto Lancaster and resulted in meetings with academics working onsubjects such as biomass, fracking and renewables. Also inDecember, Library Clerk, Dr Sarah Barber took part in the RoyalSociety Pairing Scheme opening event on 24 November 2014.The Science in Parliament session for academics on the schemeinvolved presentations and a panel discussion.

In December the section held a Library talks event on foodwaste, arranged and presented at by POST Fellow Wendy Carr,alongside a Director from the Waste & Resources ActionProgramme (WRAP). Wendy started her placement with thesection in September and published a note on Food Waste inpreparation for this. Later that month, Enquiry Executive,Jacqueline Baker, participated in a Constituency Roadshow inSwansea to promote Library research services to constituencystaff.

In December, Jacqueline, together with Library Clerks, Ed Whiteand Elena Ares, travelled to Cardiff and attended a conference onEnergy Policy in Wales, and met with counterparts at the WelshAssembly – including Kathryn Potter, Head of the Welsh AssemblyResearch Service and Graham Winter, Head of Research(planning, building, land and energy) and discussed future plansfor collaborative working.

The Section also contributed topical pieces to the Library’s blogsuch as Public Forest Estate Sell-off(http://commonslibraryblog.com/2014/12/08/public-forest-estate-sell-off-what-next/#more-1652).

SELECTED DEBATES

Listed opposite (grouped by subjectarea) is a selection of Debates onmatters of scientific interest whichtook place in the House ofCommons, House of Lords orWestminster Hall between13th October 2014 and 3rd February 2015.

A full digest of debates and PQs onscientific issues during the 2013/14and to date in the 2014/15sessions of Parliament can befound at http://www.scienceinparliament.org.uk/publications/uk-digests/

AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND FOODNational Pollinator Strategy 16.10.14 HoC 529 Sarah NewtonFood Security 27.11.14 HoC 337WH Anne McIntoshFood Hygiene Rating Scheme 11.12.14 HoL GC550 Lord RookerBioeconomy 10.12.14 HoL GC489 Lord Krebs

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGYCommunicating Climate Science 23.10.14 HoC 315WH Andrew MillerIPCC Fifth Assessment Report 20.11.14 HoC 153WH Tim YeoCarbon Capture and Storage 20.11.14 HoC 176WH Tim YeoFracking 25.11.14 HoC 195WH Norman Baker

DRUGS AND HEALTHAntibiotic Resistance 15.10.14 HoC 101WH Julian Sturdy Medical Innovation Bill 24.10.14 HoL 859Off-patent Drugs Bill 7.11.14 HoC 1106 Jonathan EvansNHS: Health Improvements 26.11.14 HoL GC332 Lord KakkarBranded Medicines (NHS) 4.12.14 HoC 525 Andrew LansleyDrugs (Ultra-rare Diseases) 20.1.15 HoC 23WH Greg MulhollandHuman Papilloma Virus 20.1.15 HoL 1278 Lord Patel of BradfordHuman Fertilisation and Embryology 3.2.15 HoC 160 Jane Ellison

IT, TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND BROADCASTINGCyber-bullying and Digital Anonymity 23.10.14 HoC 1146 Charlie Elphicke

SKILLSYoung People: Alternatives to University 23.10.14 HoL 810 Lord Monks

TRANSPORTAutonomous Vehicles 16.10.14 HoL 397 Lord Borwick

MISCELLANEOUSKew Gardens 16.12.14 HoC 463WH Zac GoldsmithValedictory Speech 16.12.14 HoL 141 Lord Jenkin

SCIENCE DIRECTORY


AIRTO

Contact: Professor Richard Brook OBE FREng AIRTO Ltd: Association of InnovationResearch & Technology Organisations Limitedc/o National Physical LaboratoryHampton Road, TeddingtonMiddlesex TW11 0LWTel: 020 8943 6600E-mail: [email protected]: @airtoinnovationWebsite: www.airto.co.uk

AIRTO – Association of Innovation, Research & TechnologyOrganisations – is the foremost membership body for theUK’s innovation, research and technology sector,representing 80% of organisations in the sector.

AIRTO’s members deliver vital innovation and knowledgetransfer services which include applied and collaborativeR&D, (frequently in conjunction with universities),consultancy, technology validation and testing, incubationof commercialisation opportunities and early stagefinancing. AIRTO members have a combined turnover ofover £5.5bn from clients both at home and outside the UK,and employ over 47,000 scientists, technologists andengineers.

Associationof the BritishPharmaceuticalIndustryContact: Audrey YvernaultHead of Policy and Public Affairs7th Floor, Southside, 105 Victoria Street,London SW1E 6QTTel: 020 7747 7136Email: [email protected]: www.abpi.org.uk

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)represents innovative research-based biopharmaceuticalcompanies, large, medium and small, leading an exciting new eraof biosciences in the UK. Our industry, a major contributor to theeconomy of the UK, brings life-saving and life-enhancingmedicines to patients. Our members are researching anddeveloping over two-thirds of the current medicines pipeline,ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of helping patientsprevent and overcome diseases. Topics we focus on include:

• All aspects of the research and development of medicinesincluding clinical research and licensing

• Stratified medicine

• Vaccines, biosimilars, small and large molecules, cell therapyand regenerative medicine

Contact: Dr Matt Norton3 Riverside, Granta ParkCambridge, CB21 6ADTel: 01223 824575E-mail: [email protected] Website:http://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/

Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leadingdementia research charity. Currently, we support125 projects worth over £23.3m and havecommitted nearly £60m to research since thecharity began. As research specialists, we fundpioneering research at leading universities acrossthe UK and the globe with the aim of defeatingdementia. Our expertise helps bring togetherleading dementia scientists to share ideas andunderstanding. We work with people withdementia to reflect their concerns and firmly believethat science holds the key to defeating dementia.

Mrs Tracey GuiseChief Executive OfficerBritish Society for Antimicrobial ChemotherapyGriffin House | 53 Regent Place | BirminghamB1 3NJwww.bsac.org.uk | www.antibiotic-action.comwww.e-opat.com | www.nas-pps.com|www.appg-on-antibiotics.comwww.bsacsurv.org

The BSAC is an inter-professional organisation with overforty years of experience and achievement in antibioticeducation, research and leadership. The Society has anactive international membership and:

• Is dedicated to saving lives through the effective use anddevelopment of antibiotics, now and in the future.

• Communicates effectively about antibiotics and antibioticusage via workshops, professional guidelines and its ownhigh impact international journal, the Journal ofAntimicrobial Chemotherapy.

• Is home to the UK-led global initiative Antibiotic Action

• Serves as secretariat to the All Party Parliamentary Groupon Antibiotics

TheBritishPsychologicalSocietyContact: Tanja SiggsPolicy Advisor - LegislationThe British Psychological SocietySt Andrews House48 Princess Road EastLeicester LE1 7DRTel: 0116 252 9526Email: [email protected]: www.bps.org.uk

The British Psychological Society is an organisationof 50,000 members governed by Royal Charter. Itmaintains the Register of Chartered Psychologists,publishes books, 11 primary science Journals andorganises conferences. Requests for informationabout psychology and psychologists fromparliamentarians are very welcome.

Contact: Jo Revill, CEOVintage House37 Albert EmbankmentLondon SE1 7TL.Tel: 020 3031 9800Fax: 020 7582 2882E-mail: [email protected]: www.immunology.org

The BSI is one of the oldest, largest and most activeimmunology societies in the world. We have over5,000 members who work in all areas ofimmunology, including research and clinicalpractice.

The BSI runs major scientific meetings, educationprogrammes and events for all ages. Wedisseminate top quality scientific research throughour journals and meetings and we are committed tobringing the wonders and achievements ofimmunology to as many audiences as possible.

Contact: Jonathan BrüünChief ExecutiveBritish Pharmacological SocietyThe Schild Plot, 16 Angel Gate, City Road, London EC1V 2PTTel: : 020 7239 0171Fax: 020 7417 0114Email: [email protected]: www.bps.ac.uk

The British Pharmacological Society is the primaryUK learned society concerned with research intodrugs and the way they work. Our 3000+ memberswork in academia, industry, regulatory agencies andthe health services, and many are medicallyqualified. We cover the whole spectrum ofpharmacology, including laboratory, clinical, andtoxicological aspects. Enquiries about the discovery,development and application of drugs arewelcome.

Contact: Dr Catherine Ball (Science Policy Advisor)Biochemical SocietyCharles Darwin House12 Roger StreetLondon WC1N 2JUTel: 020 7685 2433Email: [email protected]: www.biochemistry.org

The Biochemical Society exists for the advancementof the molecular and cellular biosciences; both asan academic discipline and their impact on areas ofscience including biotechnology, agriculture, andmedicine. We achieve our mission though ourpublications and journals, scientific meetings,educational activities, policy work, awards andgrants to scientists and students. The BiochemicalSociety is the largest discipline-based learnedsociety in the biosciences with 7000 members.

The BritishEcologicalSocietyContact: Ceri Margerison, Policy ManagerBritish Ecological SocietyCharles Darwin House, 12 Roger Street,London WC1N 2JUEmail: [email protected]: 020 7685 2510 Fax : 020 7685 2501Website: www.BritishEcologicalSociety.orgEcology & Policy Bloghttp://britishecologicalsociety.org/blog/Twitter: @BESPolicy

The British Ecological Society’s mission is to generate,communicate and promote ecological solutions. The Societyhas over 5,000 members worldwide, publishes fiveinternationally renowned scientific journals and organises thelargest scientific meeting for ecologists in Europe. Through itsgrants, the BES supports ecologists in developing countries,public engagement and research. The BES informs andadvises Parliament and Government on ecological issues andis committed to ensuring that policy-makers have access tothe best available evidence. The BES welcomes requests forassistance from parliamentarians.

AMPS

Contact:Tony Harding07895 162 896 for all queries whether formembership or assistance.Branch Office Address:Merchant Quay,Salford Quays,SalfordM50 3SG.

Website: www.amps-tradeunion.com

We are a Trades Union for Management andProfessional Staff working in the pharmaceutical,chemical and allied industries.

We also have a section for Professional Divers workingglobally. We represent a broad base of both office andfield based staff and use our influence to improveworking conditions on behalf of our members.

We are experts in performance based and field relatedissues and are affiliated to our counterparts in EUProfessional Management Unions.

BritishNutritionFoundationContact: Professor Judy Buttriss,Director GeneralImperial House 6th Floor15-19 KingswayLondon WC2B 6UNTel: +44(0) 20 7557 7930Email: [email protected]

Websites: www.nutrition.org.ukwww.foodafactoflife.org.uk

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), aregistered charity, delivers impartial, authoritativeand evidence-based information on food andnutrition. Its core purpose is to make nutritionscience accessible to all, working with anextensive network of contacts across academia,education and the food chain, and through BNFwork programmes focussing on education inschools and nutrition science communication.

BritishIn VitroDiagnostics Association(BIVDA)Contact: Doris-Ann Williams MBEChief ExecutiveBritish In Vitro Diagnostics AssociationDevonshire House164 – 168 Westminster Bridge RoadLondon SE1 7RW

Tel: 0845 6188224Email: [email protected]

BIVDA is the UK industry association representingcompanies who manufacture and/or distribute thediagnostics tests and equipment to diagnose,monitor and manage disease largely through the NHSpathology services. Increasingly diagnostics are usedoutside the laboratory in community settings and alsoto identify those patients who would benefit fromspecific drug treatment particularly for cancer.


SCIENCE DIRECTORY

BrunelUniversityLondonContact: Geoff RodgersBrunel University LondonKingston LaneUxbridge UB8 3PHTel: 01895 265609Fax: 01895 269740E-mail: [email protected]: www.brunel.ac.ukBrunel University London is an international research active universitywith 3 leading research institutes:Institute of Energy Futures: Led by Professor Savvas Tassou, the mainthemes of the Institute are Advanced Engines and Biofuels, EnergyEfficient and Sustainable Technologies, Smart Power Networks, andResource Efficient Future Cities.Institute of Materials and Manufacturing: The main themes of researchare Design for Sustainable Manufacturing, Liquid Metal Engineering,Materials Characterisation and Processing, Micro-Nano Manufacturing,and Structural Integrity. The centre is led by Professor Luiz Wrobel.Institute of Environment, Health and Societies: Professor SusanJobling leads this pioneering research institute whose themes are Healthand Environment, Healthy Ageing, Health Economics Synthetic Biology,Biomedical Engineering and Healthcare Technologies, and SocialSciences and Health.Brunel University London offers a wide range of expertise andknowledge, and prides itself on having academic excellence at the coreof its offer, and was ranked in the recent REF as 33rd in the UK forResearch Power (average quality rating by number of submissions) anddescribed by The Times Higher Education as one of the real winners ofthe REF 2014.

CavendishLaboratoryContact: Departmental Administrator, The Cavendish Laboratory, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.E-mail: glw33.cam.ac.ukhttp://www.phy.cam.ac.uk

The Cavendish Laboratory houses the Department of Physicsof the University of Cambridge.

The research programme covers the breadth ofcontemporary physics

Extreme Universe: Astrophysics, cosmology and highenergy physics

Quantum Universe: Cold atoms, condensed matter theory,scientific computing, quantum matter and semiconductorphysics

Materials Universe: Optoelectronics, nanophotonics,detector physics, thin film magnetism, surface physics andthe Winton programme for the physics of sustainability

Biological Universe: Physics of medicine, biologicalsystems and soft matter

The Laboratory has world-wide collaborations with otheruniversities and industry

CliftonScientificTrustContact: Dr Eric Albone MBEClifton Scientific Trust 49 Northumberland Road, Bristol BS6 7BATel: 0117 924 7664 Fax: 0117 924 7664E-mail: [email protected]: www.clifton-scientific.org

Science for Citizenship and Employability,Science for Life, Science for Real

We build grass-roots partnerships between school andthe wider world of professional science and itsapplications

• for young people of all ages and abilities

• experiencing science as a creative, questioning,human activity

• bringing school science added meaning andnotivation, from primary to post-16

• locally, nationally, internationally (currentlybetween Britain and Japan; also the Ukraine)

Clifton Scientific Trust Ltd is registered charity 1086933

The Council for the Mathematical SciencesContact: Lindsay WalshDe Morgan House57-58 Russell SquareLondon WC1B 4HSTel: 020 7637 3686Fax: 020 7323 3655Email: [email protected]: www.cms.ac.uk

The Council for the Mathematical Sciences is anauthoritative and objective body that works to develop,influence and respond to UK policy issues affectingmathematical sciences in higher education andresearch, and therefore the UK economy and society by:• providing expert advice;• engaging with government, funding agencies and

other decision makers; • raising public awareness; and• facilitating communication between the

mathematical sciences community and otherstakeholders

Eli Lilly andCompanyLtdContact: Thom Thorp, Senior Director,Corporate AffairsTel: 01256 315000Fax: 01256 775858Eli Lilly and Company Ltd, Lilly HousePriestley Road, Basingstoke, Hants,RG24 9NLEmail. [email protected]: www.lilly.co.uk

Lilly UK is the UK affiliate of a major Americanpharmaceutical manufacturer, Eli Lilly and Companyof Indianapolis. This affiliate is one of the UK’s toppharmaceutical companies with significantinvestment in science and technology including aneuroscience research and development centre andbulk biotechnology manufacturing operations.

Lilly medicines treat schizophrenia, diabetes, cancer,osteoporosis, attention deficit hyperactivitydisorder, erectile dysfunction, depression, bipolardisorder, heart disease and many other diseases.


SCIENCE DIRECTORYBritish Society of Soil Science

Contact: Ian Brown

LR8, Vincent Building, Cranfield University,

Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL

Tel: 01234 752983

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.soils.org.uk

The British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) or "BScubed" as it is fondly known was founded in1947 by a number of eminent British soilscientists. It was formed with the aims: toadvance the study of soil; to be open tomembership from all those with an interest inthe study and uses of soil; and to issue anannual publication.

Contact: Dr Christopher FlowerJosaron House5-7 John Princes StreetLondon W1G 0JNTel: 020 7491 8891E-mail: [email protected]: www.ctpa.org.uk &www.thefactsabout.co.uk

CTPA is the UK trade association representingmanufacturers of cosmetic products andsuppliers to the cosmetic products industry.‘Cosmetic products’ are legally defined andsubject to stringent EU safety laws. CTPA is theauthoritative public voice of a vibrant andresponsible UK industry trusted to act for theconsumer; ensuring the science behindcosmetics is fully understood.

Tamzin CaffreyHead of CommunicationsEngineeringUKWeston House, 246 High HolbornLondon WC1V 7EXTel: 020 3206 0444Fax: 020 3206 0401E-mail: [email protected]: www.EngineeringUK.com

EngineeringUK is an independent organisation thatpromotes the vital role of engineers, engineeringand technology in our society. EngineeringUKpartners business and industry, Government and thewider science and technology community:producing evidence on the state of engineering;sharing knowledge within engineering, andinspiring young people to choose a career inengineering, matching employers’ demand forskills.

Energy InstituteContact: Louise Kingham OBE FEI Chief Executive61 New Cavendish StreetLondon W1G 7ARTel: 020 7467 7100Email: [email protected]: www.energyinst.org

The Energy Institute (EI) is the chartered professional bodyfor the energy sector, supporting over 20,000 individualsand 250 companies worldwide. The EI provides learningand networking opportunities, professional recognitionand technical and scientific knowledge resources onenergy in all its forms and applications.

The EI’s purpose is to develop and disseminateknowledge, skills and good practice towards a safe,secure and sustainable energy system. It addresses thedepth and breadth of the energy sector and informspolicy by providing a platform for debate andscientifically-sound information.

A registered charity, the EI serves society withindependence, professionalism and a wealth of expertisein all energy matters.

Contact: Joseph Winters76 Portland Place, London W1B 1NTTel: 020 7470 4815E-mail: [email protected]: www.iop.org

The Institute of Physics is a leading scientific society.We are a charitable organisation with a worldwidemembership of more than 50,000, workingtogether to advance physics education, researchand application.

We engage with policymakers and the generalpublic to develop awareness and understanding ofthe value of physics and, through IOP Publishing,we are world leaders in professional scientificcommunications.

In September 2013, we launched our firstfundraising campaign. Our campaign, OpportunityPhysics, offers you the chance to support the workthat we do.

Visit us at www.iop.org, follow us@physicsnews

Contact: Sophia Griffiths5 Cambridge Court210 Shepherds Bush RoadLondon W6 7NJTel: 020 7603 6316E-mail: [email protected]: www.ifst.org

IFST is the independent qualifying body for foodprofessionals in Europe. Membership is drawn fromall over the world from backgrounds includingindustry, universities, government, research anddevelopment and food law enforcement.

IFST’s activities focus on disseminating knowledgerelating to food science and technology andpromoting its application. Another importantelement of our work is to promote and upholdstandards amongst food professionals.

GAMBICAAssociation Ltd

Contact: Dr Graeme PhilpBroadwall House21 BroadwallLondon SE1 9PLTel: 020 7642 8080 Fax: 020 7642 8096E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.gambica.org.uk

GAMBICA Association is the UK trade association

for instrumentation, control, automation and

laboratory technology. The association seeks to

promote the successful development of the industry

and assist its member companies through a broad

range of services, including technical policy and

standards, commercial issues, market data and

export services.

TheGeologicalSocietyContact: Nic BilhamDirector of Policy and CommunicationsBurlington HousePiccadillyLondon W1J 0BGTel: 020 7434 9944Fax: 020 7439 8975E-mail: [email protected]: www.geolsoc.org.uk

The Geological Society is the national learned andprofessional body for Earth sciences, with 11,500Fellows (members) worldwide. The Fellowshipencompasses those working in industry, academiaand government, with a wide range of perspectivesand views on policy-relevant science, and theSociety is a leading communicator of this science togovernment bodies and other non-technicalaudiences.

Glass and GlazingFederation Contact: James Lee54 Ayres StreetLondon SE1 1EUTel: 020 7939 9100Fax: 0870 042 4266E-mail: [email protected]: www.ggf.org.uk

The GGF is the main representative organisation forcompanies involved in all aspects of themanufacture of flat glass and products and servicesfor all types of glazing, in commercial and domesticsectors.

Members include companies that manufacture andinstall energy efficient windows, in homes andcommercial buildings, the performance glass usedin every type of building from houses to high-risetower blocks and the components that are used tomanufacture every type of glazing.

Institute ofMarine Engineering,Science andTechnology (IMarEST)Contact: Bev MackenzieInstitute of Marine Engineering, Scienceand Technology (IMarEST), Aldgate House,33 Aldgate High Street, London, EC3N 1EN

Tel: +44(0) 20 7382 2600Fax: +44(0) 20 7382 2667E-mail: [email protected]: www.imarest.org

Established in London in 1889, the IMarEST is aleading international membership body and learnedsociety for marine professionals, with over 15,000members worldwide. The IMarEST has an extensivemarine network of 50 international branches,affiliations with major marine societies around theworld, representation on the key marine technicalcommittees and non-governmental status at theInternational Maritime Organization (IMO) as wellas other intergovernmental organisations.

Contact: Mr Peter Martindale,CEO and SecretaryThe Institute of Measurement and Control87 Gower Street, London WC1E 6AFTel: +44 (0) 20 73874949Fax: +44 (0) 20 73888431E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.instmc.org.ukReg Charity number: 269815

The Institute of Measurement and Control provides aforum for personal contact amongst practiioners,publishes learned papers and is a professionalexamining and qualifying organisation able to conferthe titles EurIng, CEng, IEng, EngTech; Companies andUniversities may apply to become Companions.Headquartered in London, the Institute has a strongregional base with 15 UK, 1 Hong Kong and 1 MalaysiaLocal Section, a bilateral agreement with the ChinaInstrument Society and other major international links.

Fera

Contact: Director of ScienceFeraSand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZTel: 01904 462000E-mail: [email protected]: www.fera.co.uk

Fera provides expert analytical and professionalservices to governments, agrichemical companies,food retailers, manufacturers and farmers tofacilitate safety, productivity and quality across theagrifood supply chain in a sustainable andenvironmentally compatible way.

Fera uses its world leading scientific expertise toprovide robust evidence, rigorous analysis andprofessional advice to governments, internationalbodies and companies worldwide. Our foodintegrity, plant health, agri-tech and agri-informatics services ensure that our customers haveaccess to leading edge science, technology andexpertise.


First Group

Contact: Mac Andrade50 Eastbourne TerracePaddingtonLondon W2 6LGTel: 07715 038 436E-mail: [email protected]: www.firstgroup.com

FirstGroup is the leading transport operator in the

UK and North America.

Our services help create strong, vibrant and

sustainable local economies and our opportunity is

to be the provider of choice for our customers and

communities. During the last year around 2.5 billion

people relied on us to get to work, to education, to

visit family and friends and much more.

SCIENCE DIRECTORY

Contact: Rosemary Cook CBE (CEO)Fairmount House, 230 Tadcaster Road,York, YO24 1ESTel: 01904 610821 Fax: 01904 612279E-mail: [email protected]: www.ipem.ac.uk

IPEM is a registered, incorporated charity for theadvancement, in the public interest, of physics andengineering applied to medicine and biology. Itsmembers are medical physicists, clinical and bio-engineers, and clinical technologists. It organisestraining and CPD for them, and provides opportunitiesfor the dissemination of knowledge throughpublications and scientific meetings. IPEM is licensed bythe Science Council to award CSci, RSci and RSciTech,and by the Engineering Council to award CEng, IEngand EngTech.

Institute ofPhysics andEngineeringin Medicine

The Institution of Chemical Engineers

W ith over 40,000 members in 120 countries, IChemE is the global membership organisation for chemical engineers. A not for profit organisation, we serve the public interest by building and sustaining an active professional community and promoting the development, understanding and application of chemical engineering worldwide.

Alana Collis, Technical policy manager+44 (0) 1788 [email protected]

Kuala Lumpur | London | Melbourne | Rugby | Singapore | Wellington

Institutionof Civil EngineersContact: Joanna Gonet, Public Affairs Manager,One Great George Street, Westminster,London SW1P 3AA, UKTel: 020 7665 2123E-mail: [email protected]: www.ice.org.uk

Established in 1818 and with over 85,000

members in 167 countries worldwide, ICE is a

leading source of expertise in infrastructure and

engineering policy and is widely seen as the

independent voice of infrastructure. ICE provides

advice to all political parties and works with

industry to ensure that civil engineering and

construction remain major contributors to the

UK economy.

Institution ofEngineeringDesigners

Contact: Libby MeyrickCourtleighWestbury LeighWestburyWiltshire BA13 3TATel: 01373 822801Fax: 01373 858085E-mail: [email protected]: www.ied.org.uk

The only professional membership body solely forthose working in engineering and technologicalproduct design. Engineering Council and CharteredEnvironmentalist registration for suitably qualifiedmembers. Membership includes experts on a widerange of engineering and product designdisciplines, all of whom practise, manage oreducate in design. New for 2015: Chartership forProduct Designers (CTPD).

LGCQueens Road, TeddingtonMiddlesex, TW11 0LYTel: +44 (0)20 8943 7000 Fax: +44 (0)20 8943 2767E-mail: [email protected]: www.lgcgroup.com

LGC is an international science-based company andmarket leader in the provision of analytical, forensicand diagnostic services and reference standards tocustomers in the public and private sectors.

Under the Government Chemist function, LGCfulfils specific statutory duties as the referee analystand provides advice for Government and the wideranalytical community on the implications ofanalytical chemistry for matters of policy, standardsand regulation. LGC is also the UK’s designatedNational Measurement Institute for chemical andbiochemical analysis.

With headquarters in Teddington, South WestLondon, LGC has 36 laboratories and centres acrossEurope and at sites in China, Brazil, India, SouthAfrica and the US.

Institution ofMechanicalEngineersContact: Richard Campbell1 Birdcage WalkLondon SW1H 9JJTel: 020 7973 1293E-mail: [email protected]: www.imeche.org

The Institution provides politicians and civil servants

with information, expertise and advice on a diverse

range of subjects, focusing on manufacturing,

energy, environment, transport and education

policy. We regularly publish policy statements and

host political briefings and policy events to establish

a working relationship between the engineering

profession and parliament.

Contact: Paul DaviesIET,Michael Faraday House,Six Hills Way,Stevenage,SG1 2AYTel: +44(0) 1438 765687Email: [email protected]: www.theiet.org

The IET is a world leading professional organisation,sharing and advancing knowledge to promotescience, engineering and technology across theworld. Dating back to 1871, the IET has 150,000members in 127 countries with offices in Europe,North America, and Asia-Pacific.

Contact: Dr Elizabeth Rollinson, Executive SecretaryThe Linnean Society of LondonBurlington House, Piccadilly,London W1J 0BFTel: 020 7434 4479 ext 12E-mail: [email protected]: www.linnean.org

As the world’s oldest biological society, the LinneanSociety of London is an essential forum and meetingpoint for those interested in natural history. The Societyholds regular public events, publishes three peer-reviewed journals, promotes the study of the naturalworld with several educational initiatives and is home toa world famous library and collection of natural historyspecimens. The Society’s Fellows have a considerablerange of biological expertise that can be harnessed toinform and advise on scientific and public policy issues.

A Forum for Natural History


SCIENCE DIRECTORY

Contact: Katriona Methven, Director of

Scientific and Technical-Regulatory Affairs,

L’Oreal UK & Ireland

255 Hammersmith Road, London W6 8AZ

Tel: 0208 762 4489

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.loreal.co.uk

L’Oréal employs more than 4,000 researchersworld-wide and dedicates over €850 million eachyear to research and innovation in the field ofhealthy skin and hair. The company supportswomen in science research through the L’OréalUNESCO For Women In Science Programme andengages young people with science through theL’Oréal Young Scientist Centre at the RoyalInstitution. L’Oréal also collaborates with a vastnumber of institutions in the UK and globally.

Contact: Dr Ed HayesPolicy OfficerHodgkin Huxley House30 Farringdon LaneLondon EC1R 3AWTel: +44 (0) 20 7269 5722E-mail: [email protected]: www.physoc.org

Physiology is the science of how molecules, cells andorgans work in the body. Representing over 3000life scientists, The Physiological Society supportsscientific research through its grants schemes,conferences and its three open access journals.

The Society also supports the teaching of physiologyin schools and universities, and works to promote anunderstanding of physiology amongst policy-makersand the general public.

PHARMAQ LtdContact: Dr Benjamin P North PHARMAQ Ltd Unit 15 Sandleheath Industrial Estate FordingbridgeHants SP6 1PA. Tel: 01425 656081 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.pharmaq.no

PHARMAQ is the only global pharmaceutical companywith a primary focus on aquaculture. Our mission is toprovide environmentally sound, safe and efficacious healthproducts to the global aquaculture industry throughtargeted research and the commitment of dedicatedpeople. We have a product portfolio that includes over 20fish vaccines along with specialist feed additives,anaesthetics, antibiotics, sea lice treatments and biocidedisinfectants. Through our sister company, PHARMAQAnalytiq, we also offer a range of diagnostics services thatcan be used to help safeguard fish welfare and improveproductivity.

NationalPhysicalLaboratoryContact: Fiona AutyNational Physical LaboratoryHampton Road, TeddingtonMiddlesex TW11 0LWTel: 020 8977 3222Website: www.npl.co.uk/contact-us

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is the UnitedKingdom’s national measurement institute, aninternationally respected and independent centre ofexcellence in research, development andknowledge transfer in measurement and materialsscience. For more than a century, NPL hasdeveloped and maintained the nation’s primarymeasurement standards - the heart of aninfrastructure designed to ensure accuracy,consistency and innovation in physicalmeasurement.

Marine BiologicalAssociation

Contact: Dr Matthew FrostMarine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PBTel: 07848028388Fax: 01752 633102E-mail: [email protected]: mba.ac.uk

Since 1884 the Marine Biological Association hasbeen delivering its mission ‘to promote scientificresearch into all aspects of life in the sea, includingthe environment on which it depends, and todisseminate to the public the knowledge gained.’The MBA represents its members in providing aclear independent voice to government on behalfof the marine biological community. It also has anextensive research programme and a long history asan expert provider of advice for the benefit of policymakers and wider society.

Met Office

Contact: Dr Matt HuddlestonMet Office127 Clerkenwell RoadLondon EC1R 5LP.Tel: 020 7204 7469E-mail: [email protected]: www.metoffice.gov.uk

The Met Office doesn’t just forecast the weather ontelevision. Our forecasts and warnings protect UKcommunities and infrastructure from severeweather and environmental hazards every day –they save lives and money. Our Climate Programmedelivers evidence to underpin Government policythrough the Met Office Hadley Centre. Our MobileMeteorological Unit supports the Armed Forcesaround the world. We build capacity overseas insupport of international development. All of thisbuilt on world-class environmental science.

NaturalHistoryMuseumContact: Joe BakerHead of External AffairsNatural History MuseumCromwell Road, London SW7 5BDTel: +44 (0)20 7942 5478E-mail: [email protected]: www.nhm.ac.uk

We challenge the way people think about the natural world– its past, present and future

We use our unique collection and unrivalled expertise totackle the biggest challenges facing the world today.

We are leaders in the scientific understanding of the originof our planet, life on it and can predict the impact of futurechange.

We study the diversity of life and the delicate balance ofecosystems to ensure the survival of our planet.

We help enable food security, eradicate disease and manageresource scarcity.

We inspire people to engage with science to solve majorsocietal challenges.

Advancing the science of nature

NEF: The InnovationInstituteContact: Vicki ChenBective House, 10 Bective Place, London,SW15 2PZTel: 0208 786 3677Fax: 0208 271 3620E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.thenef.org.uk

The Innovation Institute aims to drive innovation and growthin science, technology and engineering to achieve growth,prosperity and wellbeing in the UK. Our partners, clients andstakeholders include: � Businesses� Education providers � Government bodiesNew Engineering Foundation, our charitable arm, focusses onSciTech skills development. NEF work in vocational trainingand further education is supported by a Panel drawn from keyindustries.Our Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange is aprofessional body and a “do tank”, led by the InnovationCouncil to support the role of innovation in society.

Boughton Green Road, Northampton, NN2 7ALTel: 01604 735500Fax: 01604 716502E-mail: [email protected]: www.northampton.ac.uk

The University of Northampton is a Top 50 UK

University*. We are committed to science education

through initial teacher training, a STEM

Ambassador network which works within the

community and teaching and research to doctoral

level. We are an Ashoka U ‘Changemaker Campus’

status university recognising our commitment to

social innovation and entrepreneurship.

(*Guardian University Guide 2015)

Contact: Tim Utton,Deputy Director of CommunicationsUniversity Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RDTel: +44 (0) 115 846 8092Fax: +44 (0) 115 846 6787E-mail: [email protected]: www.nottingham.ac.uk

With 43,000 students and campuses inNottingham, China and Malaysia, The University ofNottingham is ‘the nearest Britain has to a trulyglobal university’. With more than 97 per cent ofresearch at the University recognised internationallyaccording to the Research Excellence Framework2014, the University is ranked in the top 1% of theworld’s universities by the QS World UniversityRankings.


SCIENCE DIRECTORY

Prospect

Contact: Sue Ferns, Director of Communications and Research,New Prospect House8 Leake St, London SE1 7NNTel: 020 7902 6639 Fax: 020 7902 6637E-mail: [email protected]

Prospect is an independent, thriving and forward-looking trade union with 117,000 members acrossthe private and public sectors and a diverse range ofoccupations. We represent scientists, technologistsand other professions in the civil service, researchcouncils and private sector.

Prospect’s collective voice champions the interests ofthe engineering and scientific community to keyopinion-formers and policy makers. Withnegotiating rights with over 300 employers, we seekto secure a better life at work by putting members’pay, conditions and careers first.

Contact: Dr Andrew Muirc/o STFC Innovations LtdHarwell Campus Oxford OX11 0QXTel: 0121 710 1990E-mail: [email protected]: www.rainbowseedfund.com

The Rainbow Seed Fund is a £24m, early-stageventure capital fund dedicated to kick-startingpromising technology companies emerging fromthe UK science base. The Fund is backed by ten UKpublicly-funded research organisations and theDepartment of Business, Innovation and Skills andholds investments in some of the UK’s mostinnovative companies in areas as diverse as novelantibiotics, research into Alzheimer’s disease,“green” chemicals and airport security. The Fund ismanaged by Midven, a specialist venture capitalcompany. We are prepared to invest early and helpbuild a proposition to attract additional investmentand get to market.

Contact: Helen WilkinsonDallam Court, Dallam LaneWarrington, WA2 7LTTel: 01925 41 3984E-mail: [email protected]: www.risksol.co.uk

Risk Solutions provide decision-support where there is ahigh degree of complexity, uncertainty or risk. A smallhighly motivated and client focused team we deliver:

• policy design, appraisal and decision support

• strategy development and asset management

• training, coaching and guidance

• evaluation assurance and organisational review, and

• risk assessment and research.We tailor solutions to clients’ needs, combiningtraditional qualitative and quantitative methods withcutting-edge participative modelling and decisionanalysis. We work with clients from across Governmentdepartments and agencies.

Contact: Juniour BlakeExternal Relations ManagerRoyal Academy of Engineering 3 Carlton House TerraceLondon SW1Y 5DGTel: 020 7766 0600E-mail: [email protected]: www.raeng.org.uk

As the UK’s national academy for engineering, webring together the most successful and talentedengineers for a shared purpose: to advance andpromote excellence in engineering. We have fourstrategic challenges: drive faster and more balancedeconomic growth; foster better education and skills;lead the profession; and promote engineering at theheart of society.

Contact: Office of the Director of ScienceRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond,Surrey, TW9 3ABTel: 020 8332 3121Email: [email protected]: www.kew.org

RBG Kew is a centre of global scientific expertise in plantand fungal diversity, conservation, and sustainable use,housed in two world-class gardens. Kew is a non-departmental public body with exempt charitable statusand receives approximately half its funding fromgovernment through Defra. The key strategic priorities ofKew’s science programme are to: • understand and conserve biodiversity• accelerate discovery and global access to plant and

fungal diversity information• map and prioritise species and habitats most at risk• promote sustainable local use of plants and fungi• collect and store seed from 25% of plant species

through the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership• inspire interest in plant and fungal science and

conservationKew’s mission is to inspire and deliver science-based plantconservation worldwide, enhancing the quality of life.

Royal BotanicGardens, Kew

Contact: Dr Gail CardewDirector of Science and EducationThe Royal Institution21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BSTel: 020 7409 2992 Fax: 020 7670 2920E-mail: [email protected]: www.rigb.org,www.richannel.orgTwitter: ri_science

The Royal Institution (Ri) has been at the forefront ofpublic engagement with science for over 200 yearsand our purpose is to encourage people to thinkfurther about the wonders of science. We run publicevents and the famous CHRISTMAS LECTURES®, anational programme of Masterclasses for youngpeople in mathematics, engineering and computerscience, educational activities at the L’Oréal YoungScientist Centre and policy discussions with sciencestudents. And through the Ri Channel we share thestories behind cutting-edge science with peoplearound the world.

The Royal SocietyContact: Becky PurvisHead of Public AffairsThe Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House TerraceLondon SW1Y 5AG.Tel: 020 7451 2261 Email: [email protected]: www.royalsociety.org

The Royal Society is the UK academy of science

comprising 1400 outstanding individuals

representing the sciences, engineering and

medicine. It has had a hand in some of the most

innovative and life-changing discoveries in scientific

history. Through its Fellowship and permanent staff,

it seeks to ensure that its contribution to shaping

the future of science in the UK and beyond has a

deep and enduring impact.

Contact: Clare VineyExecutive Director, Communications, Policy and CampaignsRoyal Society of Chemistry, Thomas GrahamHouse (290), Science Park, Milton Road,Cambridge, CB4 0WFTel 020 7440 2267Email [email protected] Website: www.rsc.org

The Royal Society of Chemistry is the world’s leadingchemistry community, advancing excellence in thechemical sciences. With over 50,000 members and aknowledge business that spans the globe, we are theUK’s professional body for chemical scientists; a not-for-profit organisation with 170 years of history andan international vision of the future. We promote,support and celebrate chemistry. We work to shapethe future of the chemical sciences – for the benefitof science and humanity.

Society forAppliedMicrobiologyContact: Lucy HarperSociety for Applied MicrobiologyBedford Heights, Brickhill DriveBedford MK41 7PHTel: 01234 326661Fax: 01234 326678E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.sfam.org.uk

SfAM is a UK organization, serving microbiologistsinternationally. It works to advance, for the benefit ofthe public, the science of microbiology in its applicationto the environment, human and animal health,agriculture, and industry. With Wiley-Blackwell, SfAMpublishes five internationally acclaimed journals. Valuefor money and a modern, innovative and progressiveoutlook are its core principles. A friendly society, SfAMvalues integrity, honesty, and respect, and seeks topromote excellence and professionalism and to inspireyoung microbiologists.


SCIENCE DIRECTORY

Society of MaritimeIndustriesContact: John MurraySociety of Maritime Industries28-29 Threadneedle Street,London EC2R 8AYTel: 020 7628 2555 Fax: 020 7638 4376E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.maritimeindustries.org

The Society of Maritime Industries is the voice of the

UK’s maritime engineering and business sector

promoting and supporting companies which

design, build, refit and modernise ships, and supply

equipment and services for all types of commercial

and naval ships, ports and terminals infrastructure,

offshore oil & gas, maritime security & safety,

marine science and technology and marine

renewable energy.

Societyof Biology

Contact: Dr Stephen BennDirector of Parliamentary AffairsSociety of Biology Charles Darwin House12 Roger StreetLondon WC1N 2JUTel: 020 7685 2550E-mail: [email protected]: www.societyofbiology.org

The Society of Biology is a single unified voice,representing a diverse membership of individuals,learned societies and other organisations. We arecommitted to ensuring that we provide Governmentand other policy makers – including funders ofbiological education and research – with a distinct pointof access to authoritative, independent, and evidence-based opinion, representative of the widest range ofbioscience disciplines. Our vision is of a world thatunderstands the true value of biology and how it cancontribute to improving life for all.

UniversitiesFederation for Animal WelfareContact: Dr Robert HubrechtChief Executive and Scientific DirectorThe Old School, Brewhouse HillWheathampstead, Herts. AL4 8AN.Tel: 01582 831818. Fax: 01582 831414.Email: [email protected]: www.ufaw.org.uk Registered in England Charity No: 207996

UFAW, the international animal welfare sciencesociety, is an independent scientific and educationalcharity. It works to improve animal lives by:

• supporting animal welfare research

• educating and raising awareness of welfareissues in the UK and overseas

• producing the quarterly scientific journal AnimalWelfare and other high-quality publications onanimal care and welfare

• providing advice to government departmentsand other concerned bodies.

Contact: Chris EadyThe Welding Institute, Granta Park, GreatAbington, Cambridge, CB21 6AL

Tel: 01223 899614Fax:01223 894219E-mail: [email protected]: www.twi-global.com

The Welding Institute is the leading institution providingengineering solutions and knowledge transfer in allaspects of manufacturing, fabrication and whole-lifeintegrity management.

Industrial membership provides access to innovativeproblem-solving from one of the world’s foremostindependent research and technology organisations.

Non-Corporate services include membership andregistration, education, training and certification forinternationally recognised professional developmentand personnel competence assurance.

TWI provides Members and stakeholders withauthoritative and impartial expert advice, knowhowand safety assurance through engineering, materialsand joining technologies.

Society of CosmeticScientists

Contact: Gem Bektas,Secretary GeneralSociety of Cosmetic ScientistsSuite 109 Christchurch House40 Upper George StreetLuton Bedfordshire LU1 2RSTel: 01582 726661Fax: 01582 405217E-mail: [email protected]: www.scs.org.uk

Advancing the science of cosmetics is the primaryobjective of the SCS. Cosmetic science covers a widerange of disciplines from organic and physicalchemistry to biology and photo-biology, dermatology,microbiology, physical sciences and psychology.

Members are scientists and the SCS helps themprogress their careers and the science of cosmeticsethically and responsibly. Services include publications,educational courses and scientific meetings.

SCI

Contact: Reshna RadivenSCI14-15 Belgrave SquareLondon SW1X 8PS

Tel: 020 7598 1500E-mail: [email protected]: www.soci.org

SCI is an inclusive, multi-disciplinary forumconnecting scientists and business people toadvance the commercial application of chemistryand related sciences for public benefit. SCI is opento all to join and share information, ideas,innovations and research. Members can networkwith specialists from sectors as diverse as food andbio-renewables, water, waste and environment,energy, materials, manufacturing and health.

STEMNET

Contact: Kirsten Bodley, Chief Executive2nd Floor, Weston House246 High HolbornLondon WC1V 7EXTel: 020 3206 0450E-mail: [email protected]: www.stemnet.org.uk

STEMNET is an independent charity which enables youngpeople to meet inspiring role models, understand real worldapplications of STEM and experience practical activities thatbring learning and career opportunities to life. We do thisthrough three core programmes:• STEM Ambassadors - We run the UK network of STEM

Ambassadors: over 29,000 inspiring volunteers • STEM Clubs Programme - We provide free, expert advice

and support to all schools which have set up or plan todevelop a STEM Club

• Schools’ STEM Advisory Network (SSAN) - We deliver freeimpartial advice to teachers and use our business links andpartnerships to enhance the STEM curriculum in secondaryschools in the UK

Contact: Dariel BurdassDirector of Strategy and CommunicationsSociety for General MicrobiologyCharles Darwin House12 Roger Street, LondonWC1N 2JUE-mail: [email protected]: www.sgm.ac.uk

The Society for General Microbiology is the largestlearned microbiological society in Europe with aworldwide membership based in universities, industry,hospitals, research institutes and schools. The Societypublishes key academic journals, organisesinternational scientific conferences and provides aninternational forum for communication amongmicrobiologists. The Society promotes theunderstanding of microbiology to a diverse range ofstakeholders, including policy-makers, students,teachers, journalists and the wider public, through acomprehensive framework of communication activitiesand resources.

Society for UnderwaterTechnology

Society for Underwater TechnologyContact: David Liddle, BusinessDevelopment Executive1 Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1 BRTel: 020 3440 5535Fax: 020 3440 5980E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.sut.org

The SUT is a multidisciplinary learned society thatbrings together individuals and organisations with acommon interest in underwater technology, oceanscience, and offshore/subsea engineering. Thesociety was founded in 1966 and has membersfrom over 40 countries, including engineers,scientists, other professionals and students workingin these areas.


SCIENCE DIRECTORY

Economic andSocial ResearchCouncilContact: Jacky Clake, Head of Communications,Economic and Social Research Council,Polaris House, North Star Avenue,Swindon SN2 1UJTel: 01793 413117E-mail: [email protected]: www.esrc.ac.uk

The ESRC is the UK’s largest organisation forfunding research on economic and social issues andis committed to supporting the very best researchwith wide-ranging impact. Social sciencecontributes to greater knowledge andunderstanding of the many challenges our societyfaces today and by ensuring that ESRC-fundedresearch makes the biggest possible impact, ourresearch shapes public policies and makes business,voluntary bodies and other organisations moreeffective, as well as shaping wider society. We alsodevelop and train the UK’s future social scientists.

Biotechnologyand BiologicalSciences Research Council(BBSRC)Contact: Matt GoodeAssociate Director, Communications &External RelationsBBSRC, Polaris House, North Star AvenueSwindon SN2 1UH. Tel: 01793 413299E-mail: [email protected]: www.bbsrc.ac.uk

BBSRC invests in world-class bioscience research,innovation and training on behalf of the UK public.Our aim is to further scientific knowledge topromote economic growth, wealth and job creationand to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond.BBSRC research is helping society to meet majorchallenges, including food security, green energyand healthier lifespans and underpins important UKeconomic sectors, such as farming, food, industrialbiotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

Contact: Sarah Crew, Parliamentary Relations Manager, EPSRC, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1ETTel: 01793 444570E-mail: [email protected]:www.epsrc.ac.uk

EPSRC is the UK’s main agency for funding researchand training in engineering and physical sciences,investing around £800m a year in research andpostgraduate training, to help the nation handle thenext generation of technological change.

The areas covered range from informationtechnology to structural engineering, andmathematics to materials science. This researchforms the basis for future economic development inthe UK and improvements for everyone’s health,lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside otherResearch Councils with responsibility for other areasof research.

MedicalResearchCouncilContact: Sophie Broster-JamesPublic Affairs ManagerOne Kemble Street, London WC2B 4AN.Tel: 020 7395 2275E-mail: [email protected]: www.mrc.ac.uk

Over the past century, the MRC has been at the forefrontof scientific discovery to improve human health. Foundedin 1913 to tackle tuberculosis, the MRC now investstaxpayers’ money in the highest quality medical researchacross every area of health. Thirty-one MRC-fundedresearchers have won Nobel prizes in a wide range ofdisciplines, and MRC scientists have been behind suchdiverse discoveries as vitamins, the structure of DNA andthe link between smoking and cancer, as well asachievements such as pioneering the use of randomisedcontrolled trials, the invention of MRI scanning, and thedevelopment of therapeutic antibodies. We also workclosely with the UK’s Health Departments, the NHS,medical research charities and industry to ensure ourresearch achieves maximum impact as well as being ofexcellent scientific quality.

NaturalEnvironmentResearch CouncilContact: Jane McKenzieProcess Manager (Government &Parliament Communications)NERC, Polaris House, North Star Avenue,Swindon, SN2 1EUTel: 01793 411742Email: [email protected]: www.nerc.ac.uk

NERC is the UK’s leading public funder of environmentalscience. We invest £330 million each year in cutting-edgeresearch, postgraduate training and innovation inuniversities and research centres.Our scientists study the physical, chemical and biologicalprocesses on which our planet and life itself depends –from pole to pole, from the deep Earth and oceans to theatmosphere and space.We partner with business, government, the public and thewider research community to shape the environmentalresearch and innovation agenda. Our science providesknowledge, skills and technology that deliver sustainableeconomic growth and public wellbeing.

Science &TechnologyFacilities CouncilContact: Natalie BealingHead of Stakeholder EngagementSTFC Rutherford Appleton LaboratoryHarwell OxfordDidcot OX11 0QXTel: 01235 445484 E-mail: [email protected]

The Science and Technology Facilities Council is oneof Europe’s largest multidisciplinary researchorganisations undertaking and supporting a broadrange of research across the physical, life andcomputational sciences. We operate world class,large-scale research facilities in the UK and Europeand provide strategic advice to the UK Governmenton their development. We partner in two of the UK’sScience and Innovation Campuses. We also manageinternational research projects in support of a broadcross-section of the UK research community,particularly in the fields of astronomy, nuclear physicsand particle physics.


SCIENCE DIRECTORYResearch Councils UKContact: Alexandra SaxonHead of RCUK Strategy Unit Research Councils UKPolaris HouseNorth Star AvenueSwindon SN2 1ET

Tel: 01793 444592E-mail: [email protected]: www.rcuk.ac.uk

Each year the Research Councils invest around £3 billion in research covering the full spectrum of academicdisciplines from the medical and biological sciences to astronomy, physics, chemistry and engineering, socialsciences, economics, environmental sciences and the arts and humanities.

Research Councils UK is the strategic partnerships of the seven Research Councils. It aims to:

• increase the collective visibility, leadership and influence of the Research Councils for the benefit of theUK;

• lead in shaping the overall portfolio of research funded by the Research Councils to maximise theexcellence and impact of UK research, and help to ensure that the UK gets the best value for money fromits investment;

• ensure joined-up operations between the Research Councils to achieve its goals and improve services tothe communities it sponsors and works with.


Published by the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, 3 Birdcage Walk, London SW1H 9JJ. Published four times a year. The 2015 subscripton rate is £80. Single numbers £20. ISSN 0263-6271All enquiries, including those from members wishing to take the front or back covers, advertise in the journal or appear in the directory to Mrs Annabel Lloyd, Tel 020 7222 7085. Copyright ©2014 by Parliamentary and Scientific Committee. Allrights reserved. None of the articles in this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying recording or otherwise without the prior written permission ofthe copyright owner. Typeset and printed by The Bridge Press, East Sussex.

Young scientists and engineers have aQuestion Time with Sir Mark Walport,Andrew Miller MP and S&T SelectCommittee MPs, Rt Hon Liam Byrne MPand Rt Hon Greg Clark MP Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House

Wednesday 11 March 10.00-12 noonScience and the General Election 2015A debate with science spokespersons frommajor parties Moderated by Pallab Ghosh of the BBCBoothroyd Room, Portcullis House_____________________________________THE ROYAL SOCIETYDetails of all events can be found atwww.royalsociety.org/events_____________________________________THE ROYAL INSTITUTIONDetails of future events can be found atwww.rigb.org Booking is essential. For more

information and to book visit www.rigb.orgThere is a charge for tickets. Members gofree._____________________________________PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE OFSCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYFor details of events organised by POST visithttp://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/bicameral/post/post-events/_____________________________________THE INSTITUTION OFMECHANICAL ENGINEERSFor details of events visit:www.imeche.org/events_____________________________________THE LINNEAN SOCIETY OFLONDONFor details visit: www.linnean.org _____________________________________More information on P&SC members’events can be found at: www.scienceinparliament.org.uk/members-news_____________________________________

SCIENCE DIARY

OFFICERS OF THE PARLIAMENTARY& SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

President: The Lord Oxburgh KBE FRS Chairman: Mr Andrew Miller MPDeputy Chairman: Mr Tom Blenkinsop MP

Mr Stephen Metcalfe MPHon Treasurer: The Lord Willis of KnaresboroughHon Secretary: Mr Stephen Mosley MPVice-Presidents: Mr Paul Ridout

Mr Philip Greenish CBEMr John SlaterDr Stephen BennMr Atti Emecz

3 Birdcage WalkLondon SW1H 9JJT: 020 7222 7085F: 020 7222 7189

www.scienceinparliament.org.ukEditor: Professor Alan MalcolmEditorial Assistant: Annabel Lloyd


Professor Ian HainesDr Guy HemburyProfessor Colin Seabrook MBE

Advisory Panel: Dr Stuart TaylorMr David YoudanDr David Dent

Secretariat: Professor Alan MalcolmMrs Annabel Lloyd

THE PARLIAMENTARY ANDSCIENTIFIC COMMITTEETel: 020 7222 [email protected]

Tuesday 24 February 17.30A Science Legacy for the Next ParliamentSpeakers: The Baroness Finlay of LlandaffAndrew Miller MP

Monday 9 March 12.00-21.15SET for BritainPoster Competition and Exhibition

Thursday 19 March 9.30LIGHTBritish Science Week Seminar_____________________________________SOCIETY OF BIOLOGYFor details visit www.societyofbiology.org

Wednesday 4 March 9.30-12 noon Voice of the Future 2015

SET for BRITAINPresentations by Britain’s Early-Stage Researchers

in Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematical Sciencesat the House of Commons

Monday, 9th March 2015Biological and Biomedical Sciences Exhibition

12.00 noon - 2.15 pm

Physical Sciences Exhibition(Chemistry and Physics)

3.00 pm - 5.30 pm

Engineering and Mathematical SciencesExhibitions

6.15 pm – 9.00 pm

Presentation of Westminster Medal9.00 pm

Designed to deliver impact

Planned engagement

Improved talent pool

Increased producivity

Structured coherent learning

Delivered consistency in quality

Developed professional skills

Purposed to progress & achieve

A UNIQUE, NEW STANDARD THAT ASSURES THE CONSISTENT QUALITY OF THE APPRENTICE’S EXPERIENCE

www.thenef.org.uk

For more details contact: [email protected]

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