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Forthcoming events

Annual Review of Climate Change Policy

Tuesday 13 December, 08:50 – 13:00, Attlee Suite, Portcullis House

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The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology and the Westminster Energy Forum invite you to a seminar to discuss recent developments in climate change policy. The event will follow the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, and is intended to give UK parliamentarians and their staff, London-based foreign diplomats, and selected corporate representatives the opportunity to discuss topical issues with experts in the field.

Past Events

Foresight Project on Migration and Global Environmental Change

Wednesday 26th October 2011, 2.30 - 4.30pm, Attlee Suite, Portcullis House
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The government's new Foresight project addresses the issues of global environmental change and human migration over the next 50 years. In particular, it has:

  • examined the latest evidence and research on the drivers of global migration
  • considered how environmental change might directly or indirectly influence the patterns and volume of human movement
  • investigated the consequences of migration influenced by environmental change, for low lying coastal areas, drylands and mountain regions
  • assessed key issues for policy makers in areas including humanitarian assistance, international governance, climate change policy, urban development and sustainability agendas

This meeting, chaired by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer, was an opportunity to discuss the project's final conclusions and options for policy in the UK and internationally.

Programme
3.00pm Welcome by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
3.10pm Presentations

  • Professor Sir John Beddington, Government Chief Scientific Adviser
  • Professor Richard Black, Head of the School of Global Studies and Professor of Geography at the University of Sussex

3.40pm to 4.15pm Questions and Answers

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology special event for MPs' staff

Wednesday 19th October 2011, 2.00 - 4.00pm, Attlee Suite, Portcullis House 

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Find out the range of science advice and resources available in Parliament for Members and their staff 

The Fukushima Dai-ichi incident: Implications for the international community

July 2011
Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House, House of Commons
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The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology held a special seminar, bringing together leading international experts on nuclear power, safety and security from the UK, Japan and France, including:

  • Professor Tatsujiro Suzuki, Vice-Chair, Atomic Energy Commission, Japan
    Professor Suzuki is one of Japan's leading experts on nuclear power and nuclear safety. His daily blog on the nuclear situation in Japan, published on US Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is widely respected. Among his observations, is the belief that a third party panel, rather than the government's Nuclear Safety Commission, should be encouraged to investigate the causes of the accident and evaluate the crisis management steps taken by the government in order for Japan to regain the trust of the international community. He is a member of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs in Japan and has previously studied at Sussex University, UK and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. Click here for a copy of Prof. Suzuki's presentation.  Click here for a copy of Prof. Suzuki's evidence to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee.
  • Mr Claude Birraux, President of the Office Parlementaire d'Evaluation des Choix Scientifiques et Technologiques (OPECST), France
    Mr Birraux is chairing the OPECST special inquiry into nuclear security, its place in French energy supply and the future of nuclear technology. The first part of the inquiry will focus on nuclear security and was completed in June 2011.  Click here for a copy of Mr Birraux's presentation.
  • Mr Denis Flory, Head of Nuclear Safety and Security, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Mr Flory joined the IAEA in June 2010. Previously he was Head of the Department for the Security of Radioactive Materials at the Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire in France, where he was responsible for the transport safety of nuclear materials, the application of international nuclear inspections and other nuclear and safety issues. He has also worked at the Joint European Torus Facility at Culham, Oxfordshire and as a Nuclear Advisor at the French Embassy in Moscow.  Click here for a copy of Mr Flory's statement. 
  • Mr Mike Weightman, HM Chief Inspector, Nuclear Installations and Executive Head, Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR)
    In March 2011, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change requested the ONR to produce a report on the implications of the Fukushima Dai-ichi incidents on the UK nuclear industry. The report aims to identify any lessons to be learnt and for the work to taken forward in co-operation and co-ordination with national stakeholders and international colleagues. The interim report was released in May 2011; the final report is due in September 2011. Click here for an ONR presentation on the IAEA fact finding mission.

 

Examining Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths Education for Ages 14-19

Tuesday 14 June, 12 - 2pm, Attlee Suite, Portcullis House
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The uptake of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects by young people is strategically important to the future economic competitiveness of the UK.  It is also vital to the country's social development, with STEM skills increasingly required to help to improve the quality of people's everyday lives.  After a long period of decline, uptake of STEM subjects post-16 is currently rising and is projected to reach 2014 government targets.  However, there continue to be several barriers to uptake at school, with notable gender, ethnic and socio-economic disparities.  This seminar featured keynote speeches from a number of leading experts in science education, focusing on the state of national STEM education and policies aimed at encouraging greater participation.  It provided an opportunity to discuss the various initiatives taking place and the policy challenges that lie ahead.

Programme

 

Landscapes of the Future

Wednesday 8 June, 10-12pm, Committee Room 12, House of Commons
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Many pressures, such as population increase and climate change, will exacerbate competition forland in the next few decades. The UK National Ecosystem Assessment, due to be published at the start of June, is the first assessment of the benefits UK society gains from the natural environment, as well as options to secure delivery into the future. Additionally, the government is expected to publish ambitious plans to protect the natural environment at the start of June in the Natural Environment White Paper. Multifunctional landscapes, which balance competing demands for space, can help adaptation and increase resilience to environmental change. This crosses many sectors and policy areas, but in particular land use planning.

This Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology seminar discussed the major factors driving landscape change and policy and management options for the future. This event was intended to give Parliamentarians and their staff the opportunity to discuss this topical issue with leading experts in the field.

Programme:
10.00 am Welcome by Chair, Barry Gardiner MP, Member of the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee; Chair of the GLOBE International Commission on Land Use Change & Ecosystems.Click here to listen to introduction.

10.10 am Keynote Speeches:

British Science Association, Science Communication Conference

May 2011
The role of scientific advice in policy-making has been thrown into the spotlight in recent years.  Events such as the BSE crisis, foot and mouth outbreaks and more recently the dismissal of David Nutt from his position within the Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs have brought to light the sometimes uneasy relationship between government and scientific expert

The result was a governmental review of the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees, CoPSAC, due to be finalised in the coming months. But many questions remain: Will the new code be able to clarify the boundaries of the relationship between independent scientific adviser and policy-maker? How can the concept of “mutual trust” be defined in a productive working relationship? And what does the recent “bonfire of the quangos” mean for scientific advice as many committees are abolished or re-absorbed as internal departmental committees?
This panel debate, organised by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, brought together representatives from the scientific community, policy makers and the media to discuss some of these key issues.

Energy Futures: The Research Councils UK Energy Programme

May 2011, Download Flyer
The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology and Research Councils UK (RCUK) hosted an interactive exhibition on some of the latest developments in UK energy research.The RCUK Energy Programme is currently investing over £530M in research to help develop secure, low-carbon and affordable energy systems for the future. Leading research groups supported by the Energy Programme were on hand to discuss their work and role in supporting policy development and economic growth. Exhibits included research on renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency, fuel cells, nuclear energy, low-carbon transport and carbon capture and storage.

Programme:
Chair, Dr. Alan Whitehead MP, Member of the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee; Chair of the Associate Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group
Speakers:

  • Representative of the Department of Energy and Climate Change TBC
  • Professor Nigel Brandon, Director of the Energy Futures Lab at Imperial College London

Foresight Project Global Food and Farming Futures

Wednesday 9 February
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The government Foresight project Global Food and Farming Futures has considered how a future global population of 9 billion people can all be fed sustainably and healthily. This event was an opportunity for MPs to discuss the project's final conclusions, based on five critical future challenges:

  • balancing future demand and sustainable production
  • addressing the threat of future volatility in the food system
  • ending hunger
  • meeting the challenges of a low emissions world
  • maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services while feeding the world,

and to hear the reflections of ministers involved with the development of the project. Speakers included:

Biodiversity Offsetting

Tuesday 25 January
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Environmental legislation protects endangered species and habitats, but does not protect the low-priority biodiversity that supports the functioning and processes of ecosystems. Low priority biodiversity is being depleted rapidly as a result of human development activities, including agriculture, forestry, transport, industry, and housing development. Conceptually similar to carbon credit schemes, biodiversity offsets are market-based conservation strategies that place economic value on low-priority habitats by measuring human impacts on nature as credits and debits.

This Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology seminar discussed biodiversity offsetting and the potential benefits and risks of market-based conservation strategies within a UK context with representatives of key groups involved. The event was intended to give UK Parliamentarians and their staff the opportunity to discuss this developing policy area.

Programme
Chair: Angela C. Smith MP, Chair of the Conservation and Wildlife, All-Party Parliamentary Group
Speakers:

Biodiversity Offsetting
Bronwen Jones, Biodiversity Offsetting Team, DEFRA

Accounting for Losses and Gains in Biodiversity
Dr Jo Treweek, Partner, Treweek Environmental Consultants

Investing in making offsets work for the natural environment
Professor David Hill, The Environment Bank Ltd.

Michael Oxford, Project Officer, Association of Local Government Ecologists

Radio Spectrum Licences and Auctions

Thursday 20 January, 2.00pm
Jubilee Room, House of Commons,
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The daily usage of wireless devices contributes an estimated £42Billion1 to the UK economy, with uses ranging from smart-phones to air traffic control.  Consumer demand for wireless technology has increased dramatically and so has the demand for radio spectrum licences.   Ofcom, the spectrum regulator, now auctions licences, and allows licences to be traded. 
With the government's commitment to universal broadband access expected to further increase demand for spectrum and a major auction of licences early 2012, radio spectrum management is now a key issue for UK industry and consumers.   This event gave members the opportunity to explore critical decisions on spectrum licensing.

Critical Mineral Resources – Rare Earth Metals and Beyond

January 2011, Download flyer (PDF 443 KB)

Rapid global industrialisation and population growth are placing increasing pressure on global mineral resources. For example, currently “rare earth” metals, used widely in high-tech products and low carbon energy technologies, are experiencing both increasing global demand, and supply issues. This has caused as much as ten-fold price increases over the last six months, giving rise to debate over longer term security of supply.

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology held this seminar to discuss global mineral resource availability, with particular focus on “rare earth” metal supply issues relevant to the UK and EU. This event was intended to give UK Parliamentarians and their staff the opportunity to discuss this topical issue with leading experts in the field.

Programme
Chair: Lord Oxburgh

Rare Earth Metal Availability Issues (PDF 964KB)
Judith Chegwidden, Managing Director of Roskill Information Services Ltd.

Securing Resources around the Globe (PDF 35KB)
Dr. Jonathan Di John, School of Oriental and African Studies, London

Critical Resources for the European Union
Angus Gunn, British Geological Survey

Sustainable Resource Management (PDF 222KB)
Nick Morley, Oakdene Hollins (sustainability consultancy)

Developments in Energy Technology and Climate Change

December 2010, Download flyer

UK parliamentarians and their staff along with other key players in the field participated in a seminar to examine the political and market factors affecting developments in energy technology and climate change.  Chris Lambert, Director of the Westminster Energy Forum chaired the first session of the seminar which consisted of presentations from Prof. Sir Brian Hoskins, Director of the Grantham Institute, David Kennedy, Chief Executive of the Committee on Climate Change and Oliver Graham of the Boston Consulting Group.  Following a lively discussion over coffee, Prof. David Cope, Director of POST chaired the second session with presentations from Adrian Haworth from GE Energy, Huw Irranca-Davies MP, Oppostion Minister of State for Energy and Fiona Harvey, Environment Correspondent for the Financial Times.

Health of Military Personnel

November 2010 download flyer (PDF 475 KB)

James Arbuthnot MP, Chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee, chaired a seminar organised jointly by POST and the British Psychological Society on the Health of Military Personnel. Invited guests heard presentations by:

    Colonel John Etherington, Director of Defence Rehabilitation, Headley Court, Ministry of Defence;
    Dr Jamie Hacker-Hughes, Head of Defence Clinical Psychology & Defence Consultant Advisor (download presentation);
    Professor Matthew Hotopf, Professor of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London (download presentation).  

Science in the New Parliament

October 2010 download flyer (PDF 761 KB)

Adam Afriyie MP hosted an interactive exhibition organised by POST in collaboration with seven of the leading public sector bodies that fund research in the UK. The packed audience heard short presentations from the Universities and Science minister David Willetts MP, from Professor Henrietta Moore of the European Research Council and from Professor David Delpy of the EPSRC.  The reception gave guests the opportunity to enjoy the hands-on exhibits and to learn more about the science involved from the researchers present. 

 

Living with Environmental Change

July 2010

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Lord Selborne hosted a reception on environmental change and particpants heard about the major challenges to both the natural world and society, and the opportunities for business and the emerging green economy.The Living with Environmental Change programme of 22 UK public sector research and policy partners is optimising the coherence and effectiveness of UK environmental research. 

Genetically Modified Insects

June 2010 download flyer (PDF 445 KB)

Recent advances now allow scientists to modify the genes of mosquitoes and other insects that carry diseases such as dengue fever and malaria. Scientists believe that GM insects could provide a powerful tool to prevent deaths. However there are concerns about how this technology fits in with other approaches to managing insect-borne disease and the long-term consequences of releasing GM insects into the wild. Particpants heard leading experts discuss the scientific and policy challenges. 

MPs and Science: Science, Uncertainty, Evidence and Policy

June 2010 download flyer

A distinguished panel including David Willetts, Minister of State for Science and Universities, Professor John Beddington, Government Chief Scientific Adviser and Phil Willis, former chair of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee discussed a wide range of topics including:

  • why science is important to MPs, including constituency issues
  • the role of science in evidence-based policy making in government departments and the role of Parliament in scrutinising policies to ensure they are evidence-based
  • how scientific uncertainty can affect policy debates
  • the use and abuse of statistics
  • key science issues for the new Parliament and the range of science advice and resources available to Members.

Details of previous POST events.