Lord Heseltine and Chief Scientific Adviser to be questioned on life sciences and industrial strategy
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee will continue taking evidence for its inquiry into Life Sciences and the Industrial Strategy on Tuesday 21 November.
Lord Heseltine recently said that an effective industrial strategy should “stimulate a culture of enterprise throughout our society”. The Committee will hear Lord Heseltine's views on how life sciences can contribute to this objective and make the industrial strategy a success.
Then Genomics England and the Royal Society will give their views on how the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy's recommendations on the exploitation of health data should be implemented in order to maximise economic and health benefits to the UK.
Finally, the Committee will question the Chief Medical Officer for England and the Department of Health Chief Scientific Adviser on whether the NHS is equipped to provide the level of innovation needed to implement the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy.
The first evidence session will begin at 10.10 am, when the Committee will question:
- The Rt Hon the Lord Heseltine CH
The second evidence session will begin at 11:00 am:
- Sir John Chisholm, Executive Chair, Genomics England
- Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, Royal Society
The third evidence session will begin at 12:00 pm:
- Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England
- Professor Chris Whitty, DH Chief Scientific Adviser, interim Government Chief Scientific Adviser
Questions the witnesses are likely to be asked include:
- Much of the data within the NHS are held in different forms and in separate systems that cannot always talk to each other. How can these technical challenges be overcome?
- How do we ensure that the UK workforce has the necessary skills to make sure Sir John Bell's strategy is a success?
- Is a life sciences strategy of this kind and a 'sector deal' the best way of optimising the relationship between Government and business?
- Who should be responsible for implementing the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy and to whom should they be accountable?
The evidence session will begin at 10.10 am on Tuesday 21 November in Committee Room 4A of the House of Lords.
