SUMMARY OF COUNCIL MEETING ON 7 DECEMBER 1998
Purpose
The Council met on 7 December 1998 to consider the work of its three sub-groups dealing respectively with the core subjects comprising its current programme, namely:
- the education of young people in science, engineering and technology;
- exploitation of the UK’s Science, Engineering and Technology Base; and
- the S&T activities of Government Departments following the Comprehensive Spending Review.
A Press Notice about the meeting was issued on 14 December.
Attendees
In the unavoidable absence of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on Parliamentary Business, the meeting was chaired by Sir Robert May, the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser. The Minister for Science, Lord Sainsbury of Turville attended. Sir John Cadogan, Director General of the Research Councils was also present. The independent members present were:
Professor S Kumar Bhattacharyya CBE FEng, Professor Sir Alec Broers FRS FEng, Dr Chris Evans OBE DSc, Professor Julia Higgins CBE FRS, Dame Bridget Ogilvie DBE ScD, Dr Robert Margetts CBE FEng, Sir Robin Nicholson FRS FEng, Professor Keith O’Nions FRS, Mr David Potter CBE, Professor Sir Stewart Sutherland FBA, Mr J Martin Taylor and Sir Aaron Klug OM PRS.
Discussion and Outcome
(i) Education
The Council received a first report from its education sub-group which contained an analysis of the trends in the streams of A-level students entering undergraduate courses, an assessment of the research literature about young peoples’ attitudes towards science and an initial analysis of the main aspects of the UK’s education system.
In endorsing this report, the Council decided that the sub-group should focus its further work on helping schools and their science teachers improve the quality of science education, particularly among pupils aged between 9 and 14 years old. More especially, it agreed that the sub-group should:
(a) Work closely with all the principal stakeholders.
(b) Initially seek to obtain the views of science teachers themselves in order to establish the necessary evidential base for preparing its advice and recommendations.
(c) Pay particular attention to the continuous professional development of science teachers, particularly during the early years of their professional lives; the identification, sharing and spread of good practice; ways of better meeting science teachers’ needs for back up support from the numerous sponsors of school science; and the considerable potential of the National Grid for Learning.
(d) Aim to prepare its final report with recommendations for Council to consider by the end of 1999.
The Council also agreed to publish the sub-group’s report as soon as possible in the New Year.
(ii) Exploitation
The Council considered a background paper summarising the relevant developments which had occurred since its previous meeting on 14 September 1998. These included the Chancellor’s Pre-Budget Report of 3 November 1998.
The Council decided that its sub-group should start work on this subject once the Competitiveness White Paper was published with the aim of preparing a report by next autumn. More particularly, it agreed that the sub-group should:
(a) Address the over-arching question of what more could be done to take forward the policies and measures contained in this White Paper by focusing on a clear, well defined aspect such as the linkages with large companies in the growth and success of start up, hi-tec firms whose business is based on leading edge science and technology.
(b) Aim to prepare its final report with recommendations for Council to consider by the autumn of 1999.
(iii) Departmental S&T Activity
The Council received an oral progress report by the sub-group, following completion of an initial series of meetings between members and the Department of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Department of Health.
The Council decided that the sub-group should continue its work on preparing a report about Departments’ use of S&T and whether there were any lessons to be drawn for Government Policy as a whole. More especially, it agreed that the sub-group should:
(a) Focus on the philosophy and policies underpinning Departments’ S&T activities and their use of the UK’s Science & Engineering Base in discharging their respective roles and responsibilities.
(b) Aim to present their final report at the Council meeting scheduled for 7 June 1999.
Last revised: September 2001
