Examination of witness (Questions 60-65)
WEDNESDAY 2 MAY 2001
PROFESSOR DAVID
KING
60. Do you have a timescale in mind?
(Professor King) There is more work needing to be
done on this. A report is anticipated before the end of the year,
Dr Iddon.
61. That is helpful, thank you.
(Professor King) But, I have to say, I am also planning
to get very heavily involved, because I feel this is part of my
biggest issue, which is dealing with science in Government, so
I can assure you I will be getting closely involved in that.
Dr Iddon: Thank you very much.
Chairman
62. Just before Dr Turner asks a supplementary
question, we do realise that you are new in post, but could we
just bring to your attention the fact that the Council for Science
and Technology, in their report of July 1999, suggested that this
review should take place, which is coming up for two years ago;
so, perhaps, as a new broom, you will ensure that a little bit
of cleaner sweeping does take place?
(Professor King) I will give you that assurance, Chairman.
Chairman: Thank you.
Dr Turner
63. Firstly, will you be looking at the way
in which science in Departments is organised between Departments,
because, taking the example of science and the world outside Government,
it is increasingly interdisciplinary, increasingly involves interdepartmental
collaboration, and so forth? And there is a long-standing problem
with Government, that it is very departmental, very difficult
to join up Departments, and will you be looking to see if this
is reflected in the way in which Government-promoted science in
Departments is handled and looking perhaps for new ways of structuring
interdepartmental research between Departments, because one can
think of several examples where the same sorts of disciplines
will be involved, and affecting several different Departments?
(Professor King) I am entirely with the spirit of
your question; so if I could answer this, first of all, from the
university viewpoint. It is absolutely right that interdisciplinarity
is the way forward in science. We have had a century of polarising
and we are now moving rapidly into an era when the scientific
edges are blurring, and this is really back to the point I started
with, that we are able to look at complex phenomena in a very
quantitative way, bringing mathematics and physical methods into
studying biological phenomena, for example. And in the universities
as well we have a problem, because there are empires and emperors,
and that is what leads to a silo mentality. We also have professional
institutes, which build up walls and barriers to maintain their
separateness. So in society at large there is a reflection of
the problem you referred to in Government. I have been fighting
very hard for the last 15 years of my life in academe to remove
those silo barriers and walls, and I can see that that is even
more important in Government, if anything, than it is in the other
institutions I have mentioned, and it may be even more difficult
to deal with. At any rate, that is certainly absolutely the right
question to ask the Chief Scientific Adviser. I do see that as
a significant part of my role.
Dr Iddon
64. I must declare an interest, I am a Fellow
of the Royal Society of Chemistry, but I do not think this is
just unique to that Society, but the professional societies have
said to me, and that one especially, that they need engaging a
little more in the Government's scientific processes; so I hope
that you will take that on board?
(Professor King) I take that point absolutely. I did
read that in your report. Of course, I am also a Fellow of that
illustrious Society. Interestingly, I do think that chemistry
and physics are in a rather better position than the life sciences,
in terms of societies; the life sciences, Ian, are rather Balkanised,
are they not?
Dr Gibson: That is absolute rubbish.
Chairman
65. We have come to the end of our session.
Before I sum up, may I say that I, too, am a Fellow of the Royal
Society of Chemistry. Professor King, thank you very much indeed
for coming along to this Committee this afternoon and for giving
us such an interesting session; it has been very worthwhile. I
hope that you have not found it too much of an irritation, during
your rather strenuous concentration on other matters, but life
must go on, in the normal sense as well as in the special focus
that you have at the present time. If the election is when we
all think it might be, this is the last witness session of this
Science and Technology Select Committee; we meet once more, this
time next week, but it will be a private session to look at a
report that we have written. So I think it is very appropriate
that the last session of this Committee is with the Chief Scientific
Adviser. None of us knows whether we will be on the Committee
in the next Parliament; we do not know whether we will be re-elected;
I know I will not be on the Committee because I am not seeking
re-election, but others may or may not be on the Committee; they
may have other things they wish to do. So it is very appropriate
that, as we who have tried to pursue the scientific issue over
the four years of this Parliament fade away, as it were, we have
our last session with you, who are the rising star and the person
on whom we are going to rely so much to ensure that science has
a proper focus, proper funding and receives the correct level
of attention from the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. So may I
thank you very much indeed for coming along this afternoon and
helping us. May I also wish you well in all that you do; and,
in particular, thank you for the major effort you are putting
in at the moment on this terrible disease that has beset this
country. Thank you very much indeed.
(Professor King) Thank you very much.
Lynne Jones: Chairman, before we finish, may
I say just a few words to record the Committee's thanks for the
work that you have done on the Committee and the very effective
way in which you have chaired our sessions and kept us all together,
and working, I think, very well together. We all wish you very
well for the future, in your retirement, and we send your wife
our very best wishes, too, for her health.
Chairman: How very kind. Thank you very much
indeed. Thank you.
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