Annex 7
TRENDS IN THE NUMBER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-RELATED
QUESTIONS ASKED IN PARLIAMENT OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS
The figure below is taken from research conducted
at POST and reported in the leading science journal Nature[11].
It draws on an analysis of 14,459 written, oral and supplementary
Parliamentary Questions (PQs), in both Houses, asked over the
past decade. PQs classified as related to science were normalised
against total numbers of PQs in each session. The results show
that the percentage of science and technology related questions
has risen from less than 1 per cent in 1988-99 to about 6 per
cent in 1998-99. The decline in this trend in the sessions 1992-93
and 1997-98 is attributed to these being election years, reflecting
the change in focus of PQs as an election approached.
The main subject areas contributing to this
rise in coverage are the life sciences and the environment. The
research also examined trends in debates, Early Day Motions and
Select Committee Activities.
11 Science Moves to Centre Stage, A Padilla &
I Gibson MP, Nature, 403, 357-359, 27 January 2000. Back
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