§ Sir W. Wakefieldasked the Lord President of the Council whether he will now make a further statement on the central Government machinery for dealing with broad scientific questions.
§ Mr. Arthur GreenwoodI have been asked to reply. During the war there was established a Scientific Advisory Committee, consisting of the officers of the Royal Society and the heads of Government research organisations which advised the Government on general or 235W specific scientific questions, particularly those affecting the war effort. The Government have had under consideration the permanent arrangements for ensuring that, in addition to departmental bodies, there shall be available centrally the best scientific advice on the many problems on which it is needed. The House has already been informed of the establishment of the Defence Research Policy Committee. It has now been decided to set up on the civil side an Advisory Council on Scientific Policy to advise the Lord President in the exercise of his responsibility for the formulation and execution of Government scientific policy. The Chairman will be Sir Henry Tizard, who is also Chairman 236W of the Defence Committee, and the staffs of the two bodies will work in close association. The Council will include the heads of the principal Government scientific organisations and a number of scientists from outside the Government Service. The names will he announced shortly.
I should like to pay a warm tribute to the work of the outgoing Scientific Advisory Committee, which will now cease to exist. Their advice on a great variety of problems, both military and civil, has been invaluable, and both the present and former Governments have been greatly indebted to them for their help.