SUMMARY OF COUNCIL MEETING ON MARCH 5TH 2001
Purpose
1. The Council met on 5
March to
- take stock of the developments
and progress in relation to its March 2000 reports about the exploitation
of science and technology by UK business, entitled 'Technology Matters':
and about "Science Teachers".
- consider a draft report
about the Arts and Humanities in relation to Science and Technology.
- provide advice about
the U.K.'s international S&T activity other than in connection
with the EU Research, Technology and Development Programmes.
- put in hand preparations for its next work programme, starting later this year, with a view to this being focused pro-actively on the three topics of 'the Science Base's links with the Services Industries', post graduate research education and training, and higher education .
Attendees
2. The meeting was chaired
by the Minister for Science, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, supported
by the Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor David King. The independent
members present were:
- Mr. Euan Baird, Professor
Sir Alec Broers, Professor Vicki Bruce, Sir Christopher Evans, Professor
Julia Higgins, Dr. Rob Margetts, Sir Paul Nurse, Dr David Potter,
Ms Emma Rothschild, Professor Peter Schuddeboom, Sir Richard Sykes,
and Mr. John Weston.
3. Dr John Taylor (Director General of Research Councils) and Dr Miles Parker (International Directorate, OST) also attended.
Discussions and Outcomes
(i) CST Science Teachers' Report
4. Members noted that the Science and Technology Committee of the House of Lords were close to completing a short inquiry into Science in Schools by way of follow up to the CST's report, the Committee's own report on Science and Society and the DfEE's new strategy for teachers CPD.
5. In addition to providing a written memorandum on behalf of the Council, Professor Julia Higgins and her sub group colleagues had presented oral evidence to the Committee on 16 January 2001. The Committee had also received oral evidence from Ms Estelle Morris MP, Minister for School Standards, DfEE on 23 January 2001. Publication of the Committee's report was expected shortly. Members welcomed these developments and Professor Higgins' positive view of this inquiry.
6. It was agreed that the
Committee's report should be taken fully into account in the further
investigative study into CST's centre of excellence proposals which
had been discussed and approved at the Council's previous meeting
on 4 December 2000. This work should proceed as quickly as possible
with the Council continuing to play an active part throughout.
(ii) Technology Matters - The Government's Response
7. Members welcomed a letter that they had received from Lord Sainsbury, summarising the many, significant developments that had occurred over the past 12 months since this CST report to the Prime Minister had been submitted and published.
8. More especially with regard to the report's conclusions and recommendations, they took stock of the extensive range of new measures that had been contained in the Budget of March 2000, the Science and Innovation White Paper of July 2000 - Excellence and Opportunity, the Pre Budget Report in November 2000, the Science Budget Allocations for 2001-02 to 2003-04 that were also announced last November, and the joint DTI/DfEE White Paper on Enterprise, Skills, Enterprise and Innovation in February 2001 - Opportunity for all in a changing world .
9. Members agreed that these measures were very much in line with the report's recommendations and that it remained to be seen whether they would prove sufficiently powerful to achieve the step change in the UK's productivity and innovation performance. Reversing the under investment by UK businesses in research in particular was a major challenge facing the nation.
10. It was agreed that a copy of the Lord Sainsbury's letter should be placed on the Council's web site and that the Secretariat should continue to keep members informed of further relevant developments to help them fulfil their advisory role. In this latter regard, members noted that the Secretariat would be providing them with a suitable summary of the relevant parts of the Chancellor's Budget Report on 7 March 2001.
(iii) The U.K.'s International S&T Activities
11. Members considered a paper on this topic by the International Directorate of the Office of Science and Technology which presented the aims, work and activities of the Committee on International S&T ( CIST), chaired by the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser - Professor David King, the UK's embassies and high commissions overseas, and the cadre of International Technology Promoters.
12. In discussion, members emphasised the primary importance of promoting an outstanding image overseas about the U.K being a world leader in S&T for the purposes of foreign policy, inward investment, business, trade and research. They also emphasised the crucial importance of effective two-way communications between the U.K. and the staff in its embassies and high commissions overseas.
13. In these regards, they noted with approval that CIST had commenced its work and that action was being taken to increase the complement of ITPs from 8 to 16, following the Science and Innovation White Paper last July. Member suggested that the Chief Scientific Adviser might wish to consider expanding the Committee's membership to include representatives from a UK university and a UK science based multi-national company. They also agreed to receive a further factual paper about the activities of the ITPs so far.
(iv) The Arts and Humanities in relation to Science and Technology
14. Members considered a draft report on this topic, which had been prepared, as previously agreed, by a sub group comprising Ms Emma Rothschild, Professor Vicki Bruce, Mr Javaid Aziz and Dr David Potter.
15. In discussion, member noted with approval the philosophical approach which the sub-group had taken and the relevance of the draft to such related areas of present and impending work by the Council concerning the Quinquennial Review of the Research Councils, the science base's links with the services industries, and higher education. They also noted that the sub-group's consultative and other preparatory work had received a widespread, positive response.
16. Members approved the draft's description and analysis of the interrelationships between the arts and humanities with science and technology and the fact that it focused on strategic issues concerning education, the generation and use of knowledge, and science and society.
17. They agreed that the sub-group should continue, as it proposed, to complete a final version of the report for consideration and approval at the Council's next meeting on 4 June 2001 by preparing. This work would include a further round of consultations to assist in the preparation of a suitable set of recommendations to the Government about the next steps that it should take in the development of the policy framework which it had already established.
(v) Future CST Work
(a) The Science Bases' links with the Services Industries.
18. Members considered a paper by the Secretariat with outline proposals for work on this topic later this year, once existing work permitted. It was agreed that work should commence as soon as possible in view of the economic importance of these sectors and the fact that so little work has been done on the subject to date.
19. In line with this paper and discussions at the CST's two previous meetings, member agreed that the Secretariat should prepare a further paper for the Council's next meeting on 4 June 2001. Following further investigative work, the paper should contain more specific proposals for conducting the work in a sample of sectors that are not conventionally considered in relation to science and technology policy.The Media, Financial Services, Education and Training, and Transport were suggested by members as possible focal points.
(b) Post Graduate Research Education and Training: and
(c) Higher Education
20. Finally members noted with approval that the Secretariat would also be preparing papers for the Council's next meeting with proposals for work on both these topics, as suggested and discussed by member at previous Council meetings.
CST Secretariat
March 2001
Last revised: September 2001
