Ian Gibson extends the wish-list

This year, the government has a new Minister for Science (Malcolm Wicks MP) in the House of Commons, and therefore available for questions from MPs.

This is a hugely important step towards making science policy accountable and making science policy count. There is now no need for the special select committee cross-questioning with a minister from the Lords. Every MP who cares about science should attend the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Questions. Outside Parliament, please lobby your MP, ask them to table questions, and help make the science debate in the Commons vibrant, interesting and relevant.

Science ministry

I welcome a science minister in the Commons but what we also need is to remove science, technology and engineering from the DTI and put in its own science ministry.

We cannot deny the massive contribution science has given and still gives to our modern world. If we are to build a knowledge-based economy for the twenty-first century, we need to enshrine the contribution of science. The importance of science in economic development and policy determination in matters of health, education, energy, climate change, development, and so on is clear. In fact, it is hard to see where science and technology will not be a major component in the national programme for prosperity. It is essential that knowledge, information, its application and communication be accompanied by sound political judgement.

It is time for us in science to resist the tendency to think that scrutiny and supervision through the odd inquiry is the best way to deliver science. The Parliamentary process suffers from the lack of serious input from scientists and technologists, is caught by the laws of parliamentary procedure and is often short term and not very cerebral. How could it be anything else? The training process itself fails to incorporate serious discussion of how policy involves scientific evidence, and young scientists rarely discuss how science takes place in a social environment.

There are several wishes I have on my list for 2007, which would advance science in the national consciousness.

Science wish-list

A Ministry of Science would coordinate science policy across Whitehall. There would be a Cabinet minister always there to ensure policy has a scientific, technological and environmental input.

Within the Department of Science, the Secretary of State for Science would have a team specialising in a climate change, science education, science and health, science and industry, scientific innovation and scientific research. Think tanks will also be an extremely useful resource to the Ministry of Science.

I remain surprised at the failure of individuals in politics to engage the whole picture when looking at an issue. The role of the Ministry would be to coordinate the science and the application of science with long-term national and global interest.

House building

For example, house building and its associated planning permission has failed to recognise the reality of saving energy and climate change for years. Only at the stage when it is potentially too late to reverse the effects of climate change, are we seeing action taken in the form of carbon neutral new-build homes by 2016.

A specialist in climate change would work closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Treasury, ensuring all new builds incorporated climate change strategies immediately. All buildings would be required to use energy saving light bulbs or energy efficient lighting systems. The planning law would also be reformed to make energy savings easier and government-supported schemes would explain how to make your home carbon neutral.

Science cities

Next, we need to see Regional Development Agencies working closely with each branch of the Science Ministry to formulate a strategy for the creation of science cities and policies involving science at all stages from school to the work environment. We must also address the issues of equality of opportunity when it comes to science: if you come from an area or a school with less or poorer quality equipment, you will be at a disadvantage.

We should have a fast track for civil servants with scientific training. And the entire training process for science technology and engineering needs rethinking. We need vocational science degrees to run alongside the more traditional research-based option, giving the student more scope for personal innovation.

Meanwhile, we proceed in this Parliament with Trident missiles, climate change, renewable and nuclear energy, drug funding, biobank and hybrid embryos. It is an important and exciting time for science.

Dr Ian Gibson is MP for Norwich North