HC Deb 30 January 2004 vol 417 cc596-7W
Sue Doughty

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 15 December 2003,Official Report, column 646W, on the Science and Society Directorate, whether the objectives of the Science and Society Directorate's Public Engagement Team include the promotion of the public understanding of cultural factors impinging on and operating within scientific communities that will help the public make informed judgments. [151087]

Ms Hewitt

The Science and Society Directorate's Public Engagement Team promotes public awareness and engagement with all aspects of science. This includes the scientific 'process' in all its forms, for example: the setting of research priorities; peer review; the interaction of scientists within and across disciplines; the legal boundaries within which scientists operate; ethical considerations; and the lack of absolute certainty in science.

We believe this approach helps to set the context within which the public can consider specific science related issues as they arise.