§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 2 April 2001,Official Report, column 68W, if he will list the (a) individuals that sit on the Defence Scientific Advisory Council, (b) qualifications and employment profile of each member, (c) remuneration paid to each member and (d) terms of reference of the Council. [158041]
§ Mr. SpellarI have been asked to reply.
The Defence Scientific Advisory Council (DSAC) is an advisory body offering independent advice to Ministers and senior officials. Currently it has over 170 members drawn from industry and academia. It reports annually to the Secretary of State. It also sets up working parties comprising some of its members, to draw up advisory reports, or assessments, on particular scientific topics from time to time. One such assessment was referred to in the written answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department on 2 April 2001, Official Report, column 68W. I am withholding details of individuals undertaking this work in accordance with Exemptions 2 and 4 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Current remuneration of DSAC members is according to the table.
91W
£ per day DSAC Chairman 315 Sub-committee Chairman 265 Members 210 DSAC members are also paid travel and subsistence. The terms of reference of the DSAC are as follows:
- a. To review the scientific and technological aspects1 of research and development programmes being undertaken in, and on behalf of, the MOD to meet the needs of the armed forces cost effectively.
- b. To advise on the most effective uses of scientific resources within the defence research programme.
- c. To advise on changes to the scope and balance of the defence research programme in MOD.
- d. To advise on the quality and value for money of research carried out for the MOD.
- e. To advise on scientific and technological developments from outside the MOD, including emerging new threats and opportunities for beneficial international collaboration.
- f. To advise on problems referred to it.
1Includes medical science and technology.
In performing these tasks it will take account of relevant advances in the civil field including opportunities for technology transfer in both directions between MoD and the civil sector.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 2 April 2001,Official Report, column 68W, if he will place in the Library (a) the three unpublished statements of the Defence Scientific Advisory Council and (b) the Ministry of Defence and ACPO terms of reference of each. [158043]
§ Mr. SpellarI have been asked to reply. I am withholding the information requested in accordance with exemptions 2 and 11 of the code of practice on access to Government information which relate respectively to internal discussion and advice and to incomplete analysis. The key conclusions of the statements requested can be found in the report of the DSAC sub-committee placed in the Library on 2 April.