Government's Chief Scientific Advisor quizzed by Lords on priorities for scientific research

The Government are set to publish their Science and Innovation Strategy for the UK in the autumn which will set out the future shape and scale of the UK's science and innovation system. The Lords Committee, which is holding its final evidence session of its short inquiry, will ask Sir Mark Walport about the key challenges that the UK needs to address to maintain its global leadership position. He will also be asked about how research priorities should be set and who should set them. 

The Committee will hold two evidence sessions. At 10:40 the Committee will hear from Professor Duncan Wingham, CEO, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) – representing the Research Councils; Professor Luke Georghiou, Vice-President for Research and Innovation, University of Manchester; and Dr Jane Osbourn, Site Leader for MedImmune in Cambridge and VP Research, AstraZeneca.

The second evidence session, starting at approximately 11.40, will be with Professor Sir Mark Walport.

Questions witnesses may be asked include:

• What are the key challenges that the Government's Science and Innovation Strategy must tackle?
• What are the UK's main priorities for scientific research?
• Should we prioritise according to direct benefit to society?
• Should we prioritise according to economic benefits to UK plc?
• Should we aim for excellence in a few areas, rather than competence across them all?
• Who should decide where we as a country should focus our research – the researchers or the funders?
• Where does the research strategy leave the overall science budget?

The evidence sessions will be in Committee Room 4 of the House of Lords, starting at 10.40am.

The session will be webcast at www.parliamentlive.tv and is also open to the public. Journalists wishing to attend should go to Parliament's Cromwell Green Entrance and should allow time for security screening.