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Science in society:

Evidence to inquiries and consultations

Responses to Parliamentary Select Committee inquiries and public consultations by Government departments, European Commission, and other public bodies. Where topics cover the remit of more than one Research Council, a joint Research Councils UK (RCUK) response is submitted.

Research Council key

AHRC - Arts and Humanities Research Council
BBSRC - Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
CCLRC - Central Chemistry Laboratories Research Council (merged with PPARC in April 2007 to form STFC)
EPSRC - Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
ESRC - Economic and Social Research Council
MRC- Medical Research Council
NERC - Natural Environment Research Council
PPARC - Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (merged with CCLRC in April 2007 to form STFC)
RCUK - Research Councils UK
STFC - Science and Technology Facilities Council

Committee key

HCSTC - House of Commons Science & Technology Committee (replaced by Innovation, Universities and Skills Committee on 6 November 2006 )
HLSTC - House of Lords Science & Technology Committee
HCESC - House of Commons Education and Skills Committee
HCWAC - House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee
HCEFRAC - House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Inquiries (reverse chronological order)

Inquiry	Committee	Inquiry announcement and terms of reference	Research Councils responding	RCUK written evidence	Committee report	Government response
International Policies of the Research Councils	HCSTC	5 March 2007	All	16 April 2007 (PDF)	31 July 2007 (PDF)	25 October 2007 (PDF)
Hybrid and Chimera Embryos	HCSTC	10 January 2007	BBSRC, MRC (Joint with Wellcome Trust)	22 January 2007 (PDF)	5 April 2007 (PDF)
Investigating the Oceans	HCSTC	27 November 2006	BBSRC, EPSRC, NERC	26 January 2007 (PDF)	18 October 2007 (PDF)
Inquiries into Higher Education	HCESC	3 November 2006	RCUK	18 December 2006
Allergies	HLSTC	28 July 2006	BBSRC, ESRC, MRC	23 October 2007 (PDF)	26 September 2007 (PDF)
Research Council Institutes	HCSTC	22 March 2006	AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC, PPARC	5 June 2006 (PDF)	22 March 2007 (PDF)	30 July 2007 (PDF)
Human Enhancement Technologies Sport	HCSTC	1 March 2006		22 May 2006 (PDF)	22 May 2006 (PDF)	22 May 2006 (PDF)
Science Teaching in Schools	HLSTC	21 December 2005	All	27 February 2006	5 November 2006 (PDF)
Research Council support for Knowledge Transfer	HCSTC	1 December 2005	All	15 February 2006	15 June 2006 (PDF)	24 October 2006 (PDF)
Scientific Advice Risk and Evidence Based Policy Making	HCSTC	9 November 2005		20 January 2006 (PDF)	20 January 2006 (PDF)	27 February 2007 (PDF)
Pandemic Influenza	HLSTC	27 July 2005	BBSRC, ESRC, MRC & NERC	26 September 2005	16 December 2005 (PDF)
Strategic science provision in English universities	HCSTC		BBSRC, CCLRC, EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC & PPARC	28 January 2005	6 April 2005 (PDF)
Research Councils UK	HCSTC	15 November 2004	All	19 January 2005	23 March 2004 (PDF)	17 June 2005 (PDF)
The Scientific Aspects of Ageing	HLSTC	20 July 2004	BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC, MRC	4 October 2004	21 July 2005
Climate Change: Looking Forward	HCEFRAC		BBSRC, CCLRC, EPSRC, NERC	1 October 2004	1 April 2005 (PDF)	19 October 2005
RAE – follow up inquiry	HCSTC	11 February 2004	All	23 April 2004	24 November 2004 (PDF)
Scientific Publications	HCSTC	10 December 2003	All	13 February 2004	20 July 2004 (PDF)	8 November 2004
The use of Science in International Development Policy	HCSTC	21 July 2003	BBSRC, ESRC, EPSRC, MRC, NERC (via RCIN)	14 November 2003	26 October 2004	24 January 2005
The Practicalities of Developing Renewable Energy	HLSTC	18 July 2003	BBSRC, CCLRC, ESRC, EPSRC, NERC	13 October 2003	15 July 2004 (PDF)
Manufacturing and Trade in Wales	HCWAC	17 July 2003	All	4 March 2004	24 February 2005 (PDF)
Government Investment in Nanotechnology	HCSTC	2 July 2003	BBSRC, CCLRC, ESRC, EPSRC, MRC, NERC	18 September 2003	2 April 2004 (PDF)	23 June 2004 (PDF)
Science and the RDAs: SETting the Regional Agenda	HLSTC	16 January 2003	All	24 February 2003	3 July 2003 (PDF)
The Scientific Response to Terrorism	HCSTC	19 December 2002	BBSRC, CCLRC, ESRC, EPSRC, MRC, NERC	24 February 2003	6 November 2003 (PDF)
UK Science and Europe: Value for Money?	HCSTC	21 November 2002	BBSRC, CCLRC, EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC, PPARC	17 January 2003	24 July 2003 (PDF)	31 October 2003 (PDF)
Towards a Non Carbon Fuel Economy: Research, Development and Demonstration	HCSTC	16 May 2002	BBSRC, CCLRC, ESRC, EPSRC, NERC	20 September 2002	3 April 2003 (PDF)	12 June 2003 (PDF)
Short Term Research Contracts in Science and Engineering	HCSTC	9 May 2002	BBSRC, CCLRC, EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC, PPARC	24 June 2002	20 November 2002 (PDF)
OSI	HCSTC		RCUK	28 March 2007 (PDF)	28 March 2007 (PDF)	19 June 2007 (PDF)
The Work of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council	HCSTC		BBSRC		2 February 2004 (PDF)	21 April 2004 (PDF)

Consultations (reverse chronological order)

Consultation	Consulting organisation	Consultation announcement	Consultation document	RCUK submission	Report	Other comments
Green paper on bio-preparedness	European Commission	11 July 2007	11 July 2007 (PDF)			RCUK/Wellcome Trust joint submission
ERA Green Paper Consultation "The European Research Area: New Perspectives"	European Commission	27 June 2007
UK Centres of Excellence	FCO and OSI	5 June 2007
NCRI Strategic Plan Consultation	National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI)	17 May 2007
HFEA Hybrid and Chimera Embryos	HFEA	10 May 2007
Scrutiny of the Annual Policy Strategy 2008	House of Lords Select Committee on the European Union and House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee	23 March 2007
Climate Change Bill	British National Space Centre	21 March 2007
Europe Moves East: The impact of the 'new' EU member states on UK business	DTI Trade & Industry Committee	9 February 2007
Ground Level Ozone	Royal Society	7 February 2007
Influencing the Future - A level Science Reports	National Science Learning Centre	26 January 2007
Review of Science in the Home Office	Home Office	21 November 2006
Science and innovation for Scotland Consultation	SEERAD		27 October 2006
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Task Force	Conservative Party	16 June 2006		14 July 2006
Reform of higher education research assessment and funding	Department for Education and Skills	13 June 2006	13 June 2006	13 October 2006
Transnational research cooperation and knowledge transfer between public research organisations and industry	European Commission	18 May 2006		31 July 2006
Science and innovation investment framework 2004-2014: next steps	HM Treasury	22 March 2006		BBSRC response	3 April 2006	20 June 2006 RCUK response
Announcement of terms of reference for reform of higher education research assessment and funding	HM Treasury	22 March 2006
Announcement of terms of reference of Review of UK Health Research ("Cooksey Review")	HM Treasury	22 March 2006		BBSRC response (PDF 41KB)
HEFCE strategic plan 2006-11	Higher Education Funding Council for England	November 2005		13 January 2006	3 April 2006
‘What Shapes the Research Agenda?’	Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission	October 2004		BBSRC response (PDF 58KB)
Public Engagement	Council for Science and Technology	24 August 2004	CST website			Formed part of CST's response to the Science and innovation investment framework 2004-14
Interdisciplinary Research	Council for Science and Technology	12 July 2004	CST website			Formed part of CST's response to the Science and innovation investment framework 2004-14
Framework Programme 7	Office of Science and Technology	April 2004		26 July 2004		Details of Consultation includes the report
New EU Chemicals Strategy	Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs			29 June 2004		Final report in announcement document
Releasing resources to the front line (independent review of public sector efficiency)	HM Treasury	20 October 2003		21 November 2003	12 July 2004
The Future of Higher Education	Department for Education and Skills	22 January 2003
Units of assessment and recruitment of panel members	RAE 2008			20 May 2004	July 2004
Innovation Report	Department for Trade and Industry		DTI innovation website	17 December 2003	December 2003
Dual Support Reform	Office of Science & Technology		July 2004	30 September 2003
Review of Research Assessment: Initial descisions by the UK funding bodies	Funding Councils			30 September 2003	February 2004
Energy White Paper: Our Energy Future - Creating a Low Carbon Economy	Department of Trade and Industry				February 2003
SET for Success	Department for Education and Skills				April 2002
Nanotechnologies Review	Council for Science and Technology			8 September 2006	March 2007
DTI Europe Moves East
International Metrics	FCO

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