Advising Government - OK if you only say what they want to hear
Following from the sacking of Nutt
(blogged http://a-llusive.livejournal.com/135260.html)
Government relationship with scientific advisors, among other issues
the Campaign for Science & Engineering (CaSE) in the UK debate video. Participants major party science spokesmen Lord Drayson (Lab), Adam Afriyie MP (Con), Dr Evan Harris MP (LibDem)
We ‘just don’t like them’ is adequate reason to dismiss advisers, claims shadow science minister
...
Evan Harris, who has been highly critical of the sacking of David Nutt, said the comments were equivalent to saying it was OK for George Bush to "sack every climate change adviser until he got one that agreed with him".'
(Every time I feel some ray of hope about the prospect of a Conservative election victory, it is soon snuffed out.)
Also reported here in New Scientist
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/thesword/2010/01/-normal-0-false-false.html somewhat confusingly, Afriyie then seemed to concur that disagreeing with advice wasn't grounds for dismissal (as long as you still liked the person, one supposes).
...Drayson said any deficiencies in the government's principles on independent scientific advice should be highlighted in the responses to the consultation currently under way.
NB Sense about Science * were involved in drafting the original original principles http://bit.ly/scienceadvice, had made further suggestions in November after the Nutt sacking *and were rather concerned about the new version.
Comments from Sense About Science and CaSE on the Government’s version of the principles - 15/12/09
Highly recommended 18 Dec 2009 Times article "From bad to worse - Government responds on scientific advice"
'the Government published its version of the principles for the treatment of scientific advice ( http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=409612 ). Given that the purpose of the project is to try to fix the broken relationship between the Government and independent science advisers, it is remarkable and frankly depressing that the current proposals look set to make things even worse.'
*Background: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sense_about_Science and their
Further suggestions in November after the Nutt sacking
#nuttsack debate
(blogged http://a-llusive.livejournal.com/135260.html)
Government relationship with scientific advisors, among other issues
the Campaign for Science & Engineering (CaSE) in the UK debate video. Participants major party science spokesmen Lord Drayson (Lab), Adam Afriyie MP (Con), Dr Evan Harris MP (LibDem)
We ‘just don’t like them’ is adequate reason to dismiss advisers, claims shadow science minister
...
Evan Harris, who has been highly critical of the sacking of David Nutt, said the comments were equivalent to saying it was OK for George Bush to "sack every climate change adviser until he got one that agreed with him".'
(Every time I feel some ray of hope about the prospect of a Conservative election victory, it is soon snuffed out.)
Also reported here in New Scientist
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/thesword/2010/01/-normal-0-false-false.html somewhat confusingly, Afriyie then seemed to concur that disagreeing with advice wasn't grounds for dismissal (as long as you still liked the person, one supposes).
...Drayson said any deficiencies in the government's principles on independent scientific advice should be highlighted in the responses to the consultation currently under way.
NB Sense about Science * were involved in drafting the original original principles http://bit.ly/scienceadvice, had made further suggestions in November after the Nutt sacking *and were rather concerned about the new version.
Comments from Sense About Science and CaSE on the Government’s version of the principles - 15/12/09
Highly recommended 18 Dec 2009 Times article "From bad to worse - Government responds on scientific advice"
'the Government published its version of the principles for the treatment of scientific advice ( http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=409612 ). Given that the purpose of the project is to try to fix the broken relationship between the Government and independent science advisers, it is remarkable and frankly depressing that the current proposals look set to make things even worse.'
*Background: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sense_about_Science and their
Further suggestions in November after the Nutt sacking
#nuttsack debate