§ Dr. MoonieTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps she is taking to ensure that the Office of Science and Technology's guidelines on "The Use of Scientific Advice in Policy Making", are implemented effectively by each Government Department. [18267]
§ Mrs. BeckettThe Government has given a firm commitment to strengthen the role which science plays in its decision making. One important aspect of this is ensuring that the OST's guidelines are taken fully into account across Government and, following consultation with Ministerial colleagues, I am now introducing a number of measures to achieve this. A Minister is being designated within each Department with special responsibility for ensuring that the Department's general procedures for taking account of scientific advice are consistent with the guidelines. In addition, departmental Chief Scientists will be reporting regularly to Sir Robert May, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, on how the guidelines are being taken into account by departments and on any emerging scientific issues of which other departments should be aware.
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