‘TOO MUCH FOR BUSINESS, TOO LITTLE FOR SOCIETY’
IN 10 YEAR SCIENCE PLAN
Web version of a press release issued on
30th April 2004 by SGR
In a response to a consultation paper, Scientists for Global Responsibility
(SGR) has heavily criticised the Government's framework for a ten-year science
and innovation investment strategy, because it contains:
- Too much focus on economic growth at the expense of social and environmental
concerns;
- Too great an emphasis on expanding business-university partnerships; and
- No recognition or discussion of the dominant role of the military in shaping
UK science and technology policy.
SGR is deeply concerned that the strategy does not do enough to support the
use of the UK's scientific and technological expertise in tackling, in particular,
serious environmental problems such as climate change. Instead, because of the
focus on business-university partnerships and economic growth, it will further
erode the independence and reliability of science, whose credibility has already
been damaged by controversies over GM crops, the MMR vaccine, and BSE. In addition,
the strategy sidesteps any discussion of the huge level of military involvement
in UK science and technology - illustrated by the fact that one-third of the
public funding for science and technology is spent by the Ministry of Defence,
amounting to a massive £2.4 billion per year.
SGR has made a series of recommendations aimed at rectifying these shortcomings,
including the following:
- Make sustainable development the driving force behind UK science and technology
policy;
- Begin a large-scale transfer of military funding for science and technology
to civil work;
- Create protected sources of independent, scientific expertise by, for example,
designating a large number of university research centres to be supported
exclusively by broad-based, public interest funding bodies (e.g.
the Research Councils);
- Provide much greater support for individuals and small businesses involved
in the commercialisation of technologies with clear environmentally or socially
beneficial aims, especially "intermediate" technologies;
· Create a multi-million pound science and technology fund for use
by civil society organisations and community groups.
SGR Director, Dr Stuart Parkinson said: “The Government's 10 year science
and innovation strategy has too much for business, and too little for society.
It needs fundamental change if the benefits of science and innovation are to
outweigh the costs.”
Notes:
- SGR is a UK organisation of approximately 600 scientists and technologists
promoting ethical science and technology - based on the principles of openness,
accountability, peace, social justice, and environmental sustainability. For
more information see http://www.sgr.org.uk/
- Gordon Brown's 10-year science and innovation investment strategy was announced
in March, and will be published by the Treasury as part of the Spending Review
in the summer. It will incorporate responses (of which SGR's is one) gathered
during the consultation period which ends Friday 30th April 2004. See:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/consultations_and_legislation/science_innov/consult_sciinnov_index.cfm
- SGR's full response can be read here.
For paper copies please contact Stuart Parkinson at StuartP@sgr.org.uk
