Scientists 'kept at arm's length'

The government is keeping scientists at "arm's length" and treating science as "a peripheral policy concern," a group of MPs has said.

The Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills committee says knowledge from experts is not being properly used to make informed policy decisions.

Instead of being sidelined, scientists should be able to communicate directly with the prime minister, it argues.

Former chief scientist Sir David King said reform was "critical".

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) rejected the accusation, arguing that science was fundamentally central to government operations.

'Bargaining chip'

The current chief scientific officer, Prof John Beddington, and his staff are part of the Government Office for Science (GO-Science).

Until two years ago, GO-Science lay within the Department of Trade and Industry, but was then re-housed to the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

After another reorganisation, GO-Science has recently returned to the department responsible for industry - now (BIS).

The IUSS committee said that "shuffling the body responsible for providing cross-departmental science and engineering advice from one department to another" flew in the face of the government's stated aim of "putting science and engineering at the heart of policy"