Administration CommitteeWritten evidence submitted by the Royal Society of Chemistry

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the House of Commons Administration Select Committee inquiry into induction arrangements for new Members of Parliament after the next General Election.

The RSC is the UK Professional Body for chemical scientists and an international Learned Society for advancing the chemical sciences. Supported by a network of over 49,600 members worldwide and an internationally acclaimed publishing business, our activities span education and training, conferences and science policy, and the promotion of the chemical sciences to the public.

This document represents the views of the RSC. The RSC’s Royal Charter obliges it to serve the public interest by acting in an independent advisory capacity.

RSC Response

The RSC urges that an induction to the sources, and application, of scientific evidence and advice in government be included within the induction process for new Members of Parliament. Over the last century, science has played an ever increasing role in meeting the challenges of modern society. Ageing, environmental change, food security, energy, the digital revolution and security are just a few of the great challenges of today. Moreover, science performs a central role in the developed economies of the world.

In the UK, it is widely accepted by the Coalition Government and main Opposition that investment in scientific research is critical to both economic growth and the maintenance of the UK’s competitive position in the global market. This leading position can only be sustained if investment in scientific research is maintained and improved and the Government commits to actions based upon science and evidence-based policy making.

Modern governments are ever faced with conflicting demands for allocations of financial resources from stakeholders in various domains such as health, education, housing or transport. Perhaps, therefore, it is not surprising that a scientific background is not deemed to be an important consideration for the selection of MPs. In the current coalition government of 650 MPs only approximately 10% can be said to have a background or interest in science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM).1

In one respect, this lack of parliamentary expertise is not uncommon since MPs deal with a whole host of issues in which few MPs, if any, have specialist knowledge. Nevertheless, an understanding of science and evidence-based policy making is, in the RSC’s opinion, an essential requirement to effective decision-making in Government. This has been recognised in the prominent position given to evidence for policy making within the civil service reform plan,2 and the recent report from the Behavioural Insights Team in the Cabinet Office on using randomised controlled trials in policy making.3

The RSC too works to meet this knowledge deficit by running a Parliamentary Links Scheme—providing MPs with details of a named RSC member in their constituency to whom the MP can turn to for advice on chemical science issues. Currently, the RSC has 100 or so of its members “linked” to MPs.

In a report commissioned last year by the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee,4 Lord Oxburgh spoke of the wealth of resource available to parliamentarians seeking knowledge on STEM issues, whilst stating that “not all the existing resources are as well known or as accessible as they could be.”

The RSC supports calls from Lord Oxburgh and Adam Afriyie MP to offer new parliamentarians information sessions on sources of scientific advice within Parliament. Incorporating these sessions as a recommended component of a Member of Parliament’s induction to the House, and offering them periodically for current Members can only serve to assist them in their new roles and help maintain a high quality of policymaking.

The RSC would be very happy to help and support the provision of science induction sessions for MPs or indeed to discuss this submission or related matters with the House of Commons Administration Select Committee.

5 February 2013