Science and ParliamentResearch Council secondments - an

opportunity for postgraduates

Dr Tamsin Mather

University of Oxfordtamsinm@earth.ox.ac.uk

Talk outline

• What parliament does

• Science and policy

• Getting involved

• A brief introduction to

POST

• Writing a POSTnote

• Previous topics

• Logistics

House of Lords House of CommonsAbout 400 646

The House of Commons

Government

e.g., ministers etc.

What Parliament does

• Scrutinises government policy

• Represents constituencies

• Agrees to taxation

• Approves new UK laws

• Examines European proposals before they become law

What Parliament does

• Scrutinises government policy

– Select committees

– All-party groups

– Individual questions in the house

The House of Commons

Government

e.g., ministers etc.

The civil service

e.g., Treasury, DTI,

DFID, OST etc.

Select

committeesAll-party

groups

Individuals

The Parliamentary civil

service

e.g., POST, clerks

Science and Parliament

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

1988

/89

1989

/90

1990

/91

1991

/92

1992

/93

1993

/94

1994

/95

1995

/96

1996

/97

1997

/98

1998

/99

Parliamentary Sessions

S&

T P

Qs

as

% o

f to

tal

PQ

s

(19

88

/89

-19

98

/99

)

Over the last 10 years, the number of S&T-related

Parliamentary Questions (PQs) has risen from 1% to

almost 6% (total number PQs : 14,459)

S&T-related PQs clasified by categories (1988/89-

1998/99)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

1988 /89

1989 /90

1990 /91

1991 /92

1992 /93

1993 /94

1994 /95

1995 /96

1996 /97

1997 /98

1998 /99

Sh

are

of

S&

T P

Qs

Life Sciences

Environment

Physics

Science Policy

Science and Parliament

S&T-related Parliamentary Questions (PQs) arisen over the last

10 years, classified by categories.

HOC Select

Committees

88/89 89/90 90/91 91/92 92/93 93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97

Agriculture 2 4 3 1 2 4 5 1 2

Defence 6 7 8 3 5 6 4 1 4

Education, Science

& Art

1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 No

Energy 5 7 7 5 No No No No No

Environment 7 5 8 2 2 1 5 2 4

Health No No 1 2 2 1 1 3 2

Science &

Technology

No No No No 1 2 3 5 4

Trade & Industry 1 1 0 0 2 1 2 4 3

Transport 2 1 3 2 0 1 1 3 1

Welsh Affairs 1 3 0 2 1 2 3 2 1

Public Accounts 11 9 9 6 22 16 8 6 6

Northern Ireland

Audit Office

No No No No 24 16 10 12 5

European

Documents

No No No No 27 14 14 10 8

Virtually all select committees have dealt with some aspect of

S&T during the past ten years

Science and Parliament

Select

committee

inquiries

Science and society

• First, science is vital to our country's continued future prosperity.

• Second, science is posing hard questions of moral judgement and of practical concern, which, if addressed in the wrong way, can lead to prejudice against science, which I believe would be profoundly damaging.

• Third, as a result, the benefits of science will only be exploited through a renewed contact between science and society, based on a proper understanding of what science is trying to achieve.

PM’s speech, ‘Science Matters’ 2002

What’s in it for scientists

• Future research funding

• Future research directions

• Kudos

• Career development

• Satisfaction of a job well done!

How you can get involved

• Reactive

– Respond to Committees’ calls for evidence

– Be a specialist adviser

• Proactive

– Alert Parliamentarians to important issues

– Making and maintaining links

How to have an influence –

examples:

• Online consultations - http://www.tellparliament.net/

• Submit written evidence to Parliamentary Committee inquiries -Calls for evidence are usually given as press releases which can be accessed from the web pages of the individual Committees (committees whose remit covers science include: The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee and House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee) http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/parliamentary_committees16.cfm

• Royal Society MP-scientist pairing scheme –www.royalsoc.org.uk

How to present ideas to

policymakers• In general, focus message:

– on key issues

– on current issues

– on solutions, not problems

– executive summary

• For oral presentation:– wrap up with a summary of your main points

– encourage follow-up questions

– put facts & figures in writing; detail is not effective in oral evidence

– think of the person drafting the report: give them a good quote

– hint at questions to ask the Minister

• For written presentation:– keep it brief, certainly within word/page limit if there is one

– but, explain even the basics; why does your topic matter?

A brief introduction to POST

An office of both Houses of Parliament

providing balanced and independent

analysis of science and technology

based issues of relevance to

Parliament

POST’s History

• 1972 US Congress set up OTA

• early 1980s UK office first suggested

• 1989 POST launched (with charitable funding)

• 1992 POST adopted as Parliamentary body

• 2001 POST gains permanent status

POST’s Administration

• Serves both the House of Commons and Lords

• Total funding ~£300,000 per year

• Staff of 9 (Director + 6 Advisers + 2 Secretaries)

• Parliamentary civil servants

• Interns - postgraduate students, fellows

Current POST Board• Officers Chair – Dr Phyllis Starkey MP

Vice-chair – Lord Flowers David Cope (director)

• House of Lords The Earl of ErrolLord WinstonLord Oxburgh

• House of Commons Richard Allen, Michael Connarty, Paul Flynn,Ashok Kumar, Andrew Murrison, Ian Taylor, Desmond Turner Richard Taylor

• Non-Parliamentary Frances Balkwill, Tom Blundell, David Davies, Jim Norton

• Ex-officio Representatives of Clerk of the House, Librarian of the House of Commons

What POST does:

• Briefings and reports

• Assist Select Committees

• Organise seminars and meetings

• Arrange, assist and monitor public dialogue

POST’s work aims to be:

• Independent

• Balanced

• Comprehensive

• Relevant

• Informative

• Timely

Publications:

Two main types of ‘product’

• POSTnotes - generally 4 or 8 pages, typically 20 per year

• Reports - up to 100 pages (with 4 page summaries), typically 1 or 2 per year

Writing a POSTnote

IDEAS

from Parliamentarians

S&T community, POST

PARLIAMENTARY

RELEVANCE

considered by POST Board

CONSULTATION

POST consults expertise

from informed sources

DRAFTING

POST produces draft

document

PEER REVIEW

draft reviewed by experts and

Parliamentary Board

PUBLICATION

distributed to Parliamentarians

and experts/ public

REDRAFTING

Draft revised to take account

of reviewers’ comments

POST’s work aims to be:

• Independent

• Balanced

• Comprehensive

• Relevant

• Informative

• Timely

Writing a POSTnote

IDEAS

from Parliamentarians

S&T community, POST

PARLIAMENTARY

RELEVANCE

considered by POST Board

CONSULTATION

POST consults expertise

from informed sources

DRAFTING

POST produces draft

document

PEER REVIEW

draft reviewed by experts and

Parliamentary Board

PUBLICATION

distributed to Parliamentarians

and experts/ public

REDRAFTING

Draft revised to take account

of reviewers’ comments

Consultation:–Government

–Academia

–Industry

–NGOs

Structuring a POSTnote:–Facts

–Issues

Writing a POSTnote

Environment and Energy -

Publications in 2004/5• The bushmeat trade

• Marine nature conservation

• UK health impacts of climate change

• The future of UK gas supplies

• EU chemicals policy

• Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

• Climate change and business

• Environmental policy and innovation

NERC fellows topics last year

• Carbon Capture and Storage

(CCS)

• Early warnings for natural

disasters

• Rapid climate change

• Sustainable fisheries

Finding ideas:

• Hansard (http://www.parliament.uk/hansard/hansard.cfm)

• Select committee enquiries (http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/parliamentary_committees

16.cfm)

• Government department reports (http://www.defra.gov.uk/, http://www.dti.gov.uk/, http://www.dfid.gov.uk/)

• Media

• Colleagues

• Your own work

Logistics• 3-months

• one 4-page briefing paper (POSTnote)

• Salary same as PhD but London weighting

• Work in Westminster

• NERC covers additional living expenses (e.g., rent) where necessary (i.e., not living in London)

• 2 positions open to 3rd and 4th year NERC PhD students (apply in your 2nd or 3rd year)

• Assessed on how well the application is written, relevant experience and the suitability of the proposed topic

CLOSING DATE 30th JUNE

Websitewww.parliament.uk/post/home.htm