Appendix: Government response
The Government is pleased to respond to those recommendations
addressed to it in the House of Commons Science & Technology
Select Committee's 'Last Report'.
Inclusion of science in titles
Recommendation 1. We urge the Government to change
the title of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
to include the word 'science' to reflect the importance of science
within Government. (Paragraph 5)
The Government recognises the desire of the committee
to see the role of Science in the title of the department. However
the Government feels that a change of name after 6 months would
not represent an acceptable use of public funds. The Government
is deeply committed to promoting the role of science and it plays
a central role in the new department, and has featured strongly
in the recent Comprehensive Spending Review; over the CSR07 period
spending on the public science base will rise by an annual average
rate of 2.5 per cent in real terms to £6.3 billion by 2010-11.
Recommendation 2. In order to reflect accurately
the remit of the new committee, we recommend that the Leader of
the House bring forward Standing Order changes to change the name
of the Innovation, Universities and Skills Select Committee to
include the word 'science'. (Paragraph 7)
In respect of the nomenclature of the Committee,
the Government recognises that there has not always been a precise
match between departmental names and committee names. While it
clearly would not be helpful in maintaining the clarity of the
departmentally-related committee structure if significant divergences
were to emerge, there may be a particular case for highlighting
the significance of science issues within the IUS Committee's
activities. The Government would be willing to table the necessary
motion if the Innovation, Universities and Skills Committee were
to indicate that it supports the request.
Future science scrutiny in the Commons
Recommendation 9. We believe that in the long
term a separate Science and Technology Committee is the only way
to guarantee a permanent focus on science across Government within
the select committee system. We recommend that the House be given
an opportunity to revisit the question of science scrutiny in
the Commons at the end of session 2007-08. (Paragraph 38)
The Government recognises that the question of whether
there should be a separate select committee for science and technology
will remain a matter of interest. The Government considers that
the decision reached by the House in July, to establish the new
Innovation, Universities and Skills Committee, with full responsibility
for monitoring the work of the whole range of the Department of
Innovation, Universities and Skills' activities, was the right
one. The Government will of course consider fully any future
recommendations from the IUS Committee or any other source, but
it would not be appropriate at this stage to give an undertaking
to review the issue in the House.
January 2008
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