| Abstract: |
The Chancellor recently announced that he views science as vital to Britain’s future economic success. The science budget remains ring-fenced and protected from the worst cuts. However, there will be a real-term reduction in the science budget of 10% over four years and questions remain about £2 billion of other research funding and capital budget. Politicians frequently refer to "evidence based policy" and rely on a range of different kinds of evidence to support their positions in debates. We inevitably hear more about instances where science and statistics are misused in Parliamentary debate, but, in the round, what is the status of science in Parliament and how do politicians decide what evidence to use? Dr Evan Harris, the former MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, and Dr Julian Huppert, the MP for Cambridge gave our fourth Distinguished Lecture. Both are passionate and effective campaigners for science and the use of evidence in policy, and they gave a thoroughly entertaining and thoughtful, if slightly alarming, presentation. |
