A committee of MPs has called on the Government to establish a separate science and technology committee to safeguard future science policy.
They warned that the future of science scrutiny is at risk following the merger of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (IUSS) and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
“We face the reality that science could be lost in a black hole of this new, all-encompassing ‘super department’ of Business, Innovation and Skills,” said Phil Willis MP, chairman of the IUSS Committee.
According to Willis, establishing a science and technology select committee is critical both to reassure the science community that proper examination of science and engineering across government remains a priority.
“It is critical to ensure MPs have an effective and transparent arena in which to hold the Government’s science policy to account,” said Willis.