APPENDIX 7
Memorandum from Biosciences Federation[30]
SOURCES AND
HANDLING OF
ADVICE
1. The recently updated OST guidelines provide
an excellent framework for the use of scientific expertise in
formulating public policy. The guidelines recommend that Departments
develop more direct links with learned societies as a means of
broadening the range of the evidence base. We hope to see more
evidence of this in the future.
2. The installation of departmental Chief
Scientific Advisers has seen a major improvement in the quality
of scientific input into the decision-making process. However,
we strongly support detailed evaluation of departmental policy
procedures under OST Science and Innovation Strategy Assessments.
OST should examine significant policy documents of each Department
to ensure adherence to the guidelines and to assess the breadth,
quality and evaluation of the evidence that is being used to shape
policy.
3. Good policy making depends on a strong
scientific culture within Departments. Departments must ensure
that they employ well-qualified scientific staff, and that these
staff maintain and extend their competencies and their awareness
of current scientific issues. Defra in particular is failing to
maintain a high class of scientific expertise and there is a danger
that policy is driven by popular opinion rather than scientific
evidence.
4. The Defra example raises another concern
that is specific for those areas of Government that commission
research. Defra commissions research primarily to support and
inform policy. Thus, such research and will inevitably reflect
the interests of the current policy staff. Although some of these
staff have scientific qualifications they often do not possess
the depth of knowledge and expertise necessary for horizon scanning
and strategic planning. In such a highly sensitive area as agriculture
and food, where the public have many concerns, it is essential
that both the commissioning of research and its evaluation are
conducted in an exemplary and transparent manner.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
SCIENTIFIC ADVICE
AND POLICY
DEVELOPMENT
5. The relationship between scientific advice
and policy development must be made more transparent. The Home
Office took no advice from scientific experts before formulating
Clause 21 of the Drugs Bill 2005 which makes it illegal to possess
fresh psilocybe or "magic" mushrooms as well as in the
prepared state. Suggestions of establishing a working party to
formulate tenable definitions of "fresh", "prepared",
"produce" and "product" were ignored by the
Home Office. The statutory instruments, defining how the new law
will work in practice, were not available for parliamentary scrutiny
or any external consultation before the Bill was passed.
6. The recent intervention by the Secretary
of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt, on the use of Herceptin
as a treatment for early stage breast cancer was a striking example
of a "knee-jerk" reaction to the findings of preliminary
scientific studies. This intervention at ministerial level represents
a substantial deviation from the procedures set up to recommend
therapies for use in the NHS.
7. Where new evidence has a radical impact
on existing bodies of evidence, it is essential that this evidence
is shared with, and replication sought by, experts in the relevant
knowledge base. Changes in policy should only occur after thorough
consideration of all the evidence and a detailed risk assessment.
OPENNESS
8. The Biosciences Federation is pleased
for this response to be publicly available and will be shortly
placing a version on www.bsf.ac.uk.[31]
January 2006
Annex
MEMBER SOCIETIES OF THE BIOSCIENCES FEDERATION
Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
Biochemical Society
British Andrology Society
British Association for Psychopharmacology
British Biophysical Society
British Ecological Society
British Lichen Society
British Mycological Society
British Neuroscience Association
British Pharmacological Society
British Phycological Society
British Society of Animal Science
British Society for Cell Biology
British Society for Developmental Biology
British Society for Immunology
British Society for Medical Mycology
British Society for Neuroendocrinology
British Society for Proteome Research
British Toxicological Society
| Experimental Psychology Society
Genetics Society
Heads of University Biological Sciences
Heads of University Centres for Biomedical Science
Institute of Animal Technology
Institute of Biology
Institute of Horticulture
Laboratory Animal Science Association
Linnean Society
Nutrition Society
Physiological Society
Royal Microscopical Society
Society for Applied Microbiology
Society for Endocrinology
Society for Experimental Biology
Society for General Microbiology
Society for Reproduction and Fertility
Universities Bioscience Managers Association
UK Environmental Mutagen Society
|
ADDITIONAL SOCIETIES REPRESENTED BY THE INSTITUTE OF BIOLOGY
Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Association for Radiation Research
Association of Applied Biologists
Association of Clinical Embryologists
Association of Clinical Microbiologists
Association of Veterinary Teachers and
Research Workers
British Association for Cancer Research
British Association for Lung Research
British Association for Tissue Banking
British Biophysical Society
British Crop Production Council
British Grassland Society
British Inflammation Research Association
British Marine Life Study Society
British Microcirculation Society
British Society for Ecological Medicine
British Society for Parasitology
British Society for Plant Pathology
British Society for Research on Ageing
British Society of Soil Science
Fisheries Society of the British Isles
Freshwater Biological Association
Galton Institute
| Institute of Trichologists
International Association for Plant Tissue Culture and
Biotechnology
International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation
Society
International Biometric Society
International Society for Applied Ethology
Marine Biological Association of the UK
Primate Society of Great Britain
PSI—Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Royal Entomological Society
Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
Scottish Association for Marine Science
Society for Anaerobic Microbiology
Society for Low Temperature Biology
Society for the Study of Human Biology
Society of Academic & Research Surgery
Society of Cosmetic Scientists
Society of Pharmaceutical Medicine
UK Registry of Canine Behaviourists
Universities Federation for Animal Welfare
|
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ADDITIONAL SOCIETIES REPRESENTED BY THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
Botanical Society of the British Isles
| Systematics Association |
30
The Biosciences Federation was founded in 2002 in order to create
a single authority within the life sciences that decision-makers
are able to consult for opinion and information to assist the
formulation of public policy. It brings together the strengths
of 38 member organisations, including the Institute of Biology,
which represents 45 additional affiliated societies (see Annex).
The organisations that have already joined the Biosciences Federation
represent a cumulative membership of some 65,000 bioscientists
and cover the whole spectrum from physiology and neuroscience,
biochemistry and microbiology to ecology and agriculture. The
Biosciences Federation is a registered charity (no 1103894). Back
31
www.bsf.ac.uk/responses/sciadvice.pdf Back
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