Science and Technology Select Committee
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| Science and Technology Select Committee | |
|---|---|
| Name | Science and Technology Select Committee |
| Legislature | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Established | 1966 |
| Chamber | House of Commons of the United Kingdom |
| Type | Select committee |
| Jurisdiction | United Kingdom |
| Meetings | Westminster |
Science and Technology Select Committee
The Science and Technology Select Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom tasked with examining the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and associated public bodies. It conducts inquiries, publishes reports, and summons witnesses from academia, industry and public bodies such as UK Research and Innovation, National Physical Laboratory, and Met Office. The committee interacts with legislators, civil servants and external stakeholders, engaging with issues ranging from COVID-19 pandemic research coordination to broadband infrastructure and artificial intelligence.
History
The committee was created amid a series of post-war institutional reforms in the 1960s alongside changes in science funding and organization involving entities like Medical Research Council, Department of Education and Science, and the reconfiguration of advisory bodies such as the Royal Society. Early work intersected with debates shaped by reports such as the Robbins Report and developments in institutions including University of Manchester, Imperial College London, University of Cambridge and University of Oxford. Over decades the committee’s remit shifted in response to events including the establishment of European Research Council, the expansion of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and crises such as the Bovine spongiform encephalopathy crisis and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, prompting inquiries into regulation and resilience. Changes in departmental structures, for example the formation of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and later the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, have repeatedly altered the committee’s focus and witness base.
Mandate and Powers
The committee exercises powers granted by select committee procedures in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and draws on statutory frameworks that shaped public bodies such as UK Research and Innovation and agencies like Innovate UK. It issues invitations and summons to witnesses including leaders from Wellcome Trust, Max Planck Society, European Commission, and CEOs of firms such as ARM Holdings and Dyson (company), assesses departmental budgets and spending reviews tied to the Comprehensive Spending Review process, and reviews the implementation of legislation including the Digital Economy Act 2017 and regulations related to the Data Protection Act 2018. The committee can publish reports, make recommendations to ministers, and refer matters to other bodies such as the Public Accounts Committee or the National Audit Office for financial scrutiny.
Membership and Leadership
Membership comprises MPs drawn from parties represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom with chairs elected by the whole House in contests similar to those that selected chairs of committees such as the Treasury Select Committee and the Home Affairs Select Committee. Chairs have included figures who previously engaged with universities like University College London or think tanks linked to Royal United Services Institute, and members often have backgrounds associated with institutions including Science and Technology Facilities Council, University of Edinburgh, Cardiff University, and private sector employers like GlaxoSmithKline and Rolls-Royce Holdings. Leadership dynamics reflect parliamentary party balances and notable political events such as leadership contests in the Conservative Party (UK) and the Labour Party (UK) which have influenced membership turnover.
Functions and Activities
The committee conducts formal evidence sessions, ad hoc hearings, and publishable consultations engaging figures from NHS England, Genomics England, European Medicines Agency, and technology companies including Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. It commissions expert briefings from learned societies such as the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the British Academy, and liaises with international counterparts like the United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and committees in the European Parliament. Activities include scrutiny of science funding allocations, oversight of research integrity cases involving institutions like University of Oxford and University of Cambridge, examination of emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and gene editing, and assessment of infrastructure projects such as national supercomputing facilities and satellite programmes linked to European Space Agency cooperation.
Notable Inquiries and Reports
High-profile inquiries have examined pandemic preparedness and vaccine development that involved testimony from Department of Health and Social Care officials, representatives from AstraZeneca, scientists from University of Oxford and epidemiologists connected to the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The committee produced influential reports on topics including broadband access and the rollout of 5G networks, the governance of AI citing testimony from DeepMind', and regulation of clinical trials referencing the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. Investigations into research integrity and reproducibility attracted submissions from publishers such as Nature (journal), The Lancet, and funding bodies like the Wellcome Trust.
Criticism and Controversies
The committee has faced criticism over perceived politicization when inquiries intersected with partisan debates in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, and disputes have arisen over evidence selection involving institutions like Sage (UK government) and industry witnesses from Pfizer. Controversies include accusations of insufficient technical expertise among members during complex hearings on topics such as nuclear power and high-energy physics linked to facilities like CERN, and disputes about confidentiality when sensitive material related to national security or proprietary research from companies such as BAE Systems or Rolls-Royce Holdings was discussed. Calls for reform have paralleled recommendations from bodies such as the National Audit Office and scholarly critiques published in outlets such as Nature (journal) and Science (journal).