Council for Science and Technology

Short description: Advisory non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government

Not to be confused with Science Council.

Council for Science and Technology

Non-departmental public body overview
Formed| 1993; 33 years ago (1993)
Preceding Non-departmental public body|

* Advisory Council on Science and Technology

Jurisdiction| United Kingdom
Status| Active
Headquarters| London, England
Non-departmental public body executives|

* Lord Browne of Madingley, Independent Co-Chair
* Dame Angela McLean, Government Chief Scientific Adviser Co-Chair

Website| www.gov.uk/government/organisations/council-for-science-and-technology

The Council for Science and Technology (CST) is an advisory non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government. Its role is to give advice on issues that cut across government departments to the Prime Minister. It was established in 1993 and reconstituted in 2003. It is based in London.

## Contents

* 1 Evolution
* 2 Membership
* 3 Advice
* 4 References

## Evolution

From the 1970s, reforms to government science support drew funding back into departments which had new chief scientists and reduced the role of the Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA). In order to direct this, a central committee was formed to set priorities for applied research in parallel to the advisory board for the research councils (ABRC) which advised on basic research.[1] The advisory functions now in the CST were performed by the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development (ACARD), from 1976 to 1987, and the Advisory Council on Science and Technology (ACOST) from 1987 to 1993 which included defence as well as civil research.[2][3][4]

The CST was formed in 1993 to advise the prime minister, bringing departmental chief scientists into the council and absorbing the ABRC into government.[5] The aim of the CST was set out in a white paper on science policy which recognised the role of government in funding major investments, and working internationally on the largest projects. But it also saw science as driving innovation and economic growth in a partnership with industry, which funded at least half of science. The CST was expected to integrate expertise with the new technology foresight work of the Office of Science and Technology and advise on the balance of government research.[6]

Periodic reviews have been conducted since the CST was formed, most significantly in 2003. The Royal Society responded to the call for evidence to suggest adopting the independent co-chair model used in the USA.[7] Although the review itself specified two options, an independent chair or the GCSA chairing,[8] the government response chose the co-chair model used today. The 2003 review also saw a change to include wider societal expertise, covering economics, health, and ethics which could better identify policy implications and the extent of the impact of innovation.[9]

## Membership

The Council has 19 independent members appointed by the Prime Minister, including the presidents of the four UK-wide national academies (ex-officio), and other independent experts across a broad range of expertise in science, technology, engineering and innovation.[10][11]

PM advice meeting of CST in 2022

The Council is headed by two co-chairs, an independent Co-Chair Lord Browne of Madingley who chairs meetings where advice is being developed, and Dame Angela McLean, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and head of the Government Office for Science, who chairs meetings reporting its advice to government.[12] Previous independent co-chairs include Dame Nancy Rothwell and Dame Janet Finch.[13]

Scotland has its own Scottish Science Advisory Council, so despite an intention to include devolved representation and provide advice across the UK, to the First Minister of Scotland and the First Minister for Wales,[14] the CST now advises the prime minister only.[citation needed]

## Advice

Advice is frequently published in the form of letters to the prime minister, including a series of recommendations, but also in reports or meetings.[15] Examples include the recommendation to found the Alan Turing Institute as a national centre for data science research in their 2013 letter 'the age of algorithms'[16] and the 2014 recommendation to establish a regulatory sandbox at the FCA to support FinTech innovation.[17]

As well as advice on the prospects of specific innovation, CST makes reports about the structure and strategy for the applied science ecosystem, and the approach to science advice for policy. For example, the report on dialogue with the public in 2005 recommended that dialogue inform policy

> by challenging the thinking of policymakers and scientists who contribute to policy making, as well as that of the public stakeholders and special interest groups.[18]

Government responded that this would be embedded, and made a commitment to learn from experiences, as recommended.[19]

In 2024 CST made a joint statement on shared science and technology priorities with its US counterpart, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.[20]

## References

1. ↑ Chris Sherwell (1976). "Changing the framework". Nature 264 (25 November 1976): 311-312. doi:10.1038/264311a0.
2. ↑ "Research Development". 1987. https://hansard.parliament.uk/‌Commons/1987-07-20/debates/b3c700ba-de28-4b23-b445-143ab71ed895/ResearchDevelopment.
3. ↑ "New machinery in the pipeline for British science". Nature 328 (23 July 1987): 280. 1987. doi:10.1038/328280b0.
4. ↑ ﻿The BSE Inquiry Report﻿ (Report). 2. The BSE Inquiry. 2009. section 6.21. http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/report/volume2/chaptee2.htm#825569.
5. ↑ Peter Aldhous (1993). "The Biggest Shake-up of British Science in 30 Years". Science 260 (4 June 1993): 1419-1420. doi:10.1126/science.260.5113.1419.
6. ↑ ﻿Realising our potential: a strategy for science, engineering and technology﻿ (Report). Cabinet Office. 1993. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/realising-our-potential-a-strategy-for-science-engineering-and-technology.
7. ↑ "OST: Review of the Council for Science and Technology". Royal Society. 2002-11-14. https://royalsociety.org/-/media/policy/publications/2002/9918.pdf.
8. ↑ Elizabeth Hopkins. ﻿QUINQUENNIAL REVIEW OF THE COUNCIL FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: FINAL REPORT﻿ (Report). Office of Science and Technology. http://www.ost.gov.uk/policy/bodies/Quinquennial_Review_CST.pdf.
9. ↑ ﻿THE GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE TO THE QUINQUENNIAL REVIEW OF THE COUNCIL FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY﻿ (Report). Office of Science and Technology. http://www.ost.gov.uk/policy/bodies/Quinquennial_Review_CST_Government_Response.pdf.
10. ↑ "Membership" (in en). https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/council-for-science-and-technology/about/membership.
11. ↑ Liz Evenstead (2024-09-24). "Government on the hunt for science and tech leaders". Computer Weekly. https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366611315/Government-on-the-hunt-for-science-and-tech-leaders.
12. ↑ "About us" (in en). https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/council-for-science-and-technology/about.
13. ↑ "New co-chair of the Council for Science and Technology". gov.uk. 2012. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-co-chair-of-the-council-for-science-and-technology.
14. ↑ Lord Sainsbury (2003-07-17). "Council for Science and Technology: Quinquennial Review". Hansard. Column WA177. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200203/ldhansrd/vo030717/text/30717w08.htm#30717w08_spmin2.
15. ↑ "Working with government". https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cst-ways-of-working/council-for-science-and-technology-ways-of-working#working-with-government.
16. ↑ "How expert advice inspired the national centre for data science". GO-Science. https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/how-expert-advice-inspired-the-national-centre-for-data-science.
17. ↑ "Science advice driving innovation: UK financial technology". GO-Science. https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/science-advice-driving-innovation-uk-financial-technology.
18. ↑ ﻿Policy through dialogue: informing policies based on science and technology﻿ (Report). Office of Science and Technology. recommendation 2. http://www.cst.gov.uk/cst/reports/files/policy-through-dialogue/report.pdf.
19. ↑ "GOVERNMENT COMMITS TO GREATER DIALOGUE WITH THE PUBLIC". Local Government Chronicle. 2005-09-23. https://www.lgcplus.com/archive/government-commits-to-greater-dialogue-with-the-public-23-09-2005/.
20. ↑ "Joint statement from the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology and United States’ President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, March 2024". https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/joint-statement-from-the-united-kingdoms-prime-ministers-council-for-science-and-technology-and-united-states-presidents-council-of-advisors-on-sc.

* v
* t
* e

Science and technology in the United Kingdom

Economy of the United Kingdom

Official
bodies and
personnel|

* Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Defence
* Council for Science and Technology
* DESG (Defence Engineering and Science Group)
* Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
* Food and Environment Research Agency
* Government Office for Science
* Chief Scientific Adviser
* Innovate UK
* Intellectual Property Office
* List of UK government scientific research institutes
* Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
* Science and Technology Select Committee
* UK Research Councils
* Arts and Humanities
* Biotechnology and Biological Sciences
* Economic and Social
* Engineering and Physical Sciences
* Medical
* Natural Environment
* Science and Technology
* UK Space Agency

Industry
sectors|

* Aerospace
* British space programme
* Automotive
* Computers
* Nuclear technology
* Pharmaceutical
* Renewable energy
* Telecommunications

Non-
governmental
bodies|

| Education
and museums|

* Science museums
* National Museum of Science and Industry
* National Space Centre
* Universities
* List
* Golden triangle
* Russell Group

|

Societies and
professional
bodies|

* British Mass Spectrometry Society
* British Science Association
* British Society for the Philosophy of Science
* Engineering Council
* Institute of Physics
* Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine
* Royal Academy of Engineering
* Royal Aeronautical Society
* Royal Astronomical Society
* Royal Entomological Society
* Royal Institution
* Christmas Lectures
* Royal Society
* The Association for Science Education
* Royal Society of Chemistry
* Science Council
* Royal Society of Biology

Other|

* Campaign for Science and Engineering
* EngineeringUK
* Science Media Centre
* Wellcome Trust

People|

* Engineers
* Inventors
* Nobel laureates
* Science writers
* Scientists
* Technology writers

Places|

* East London Tech City
* M4 corridor
* Science parks
* Silicon Fen
* Silicon Glen
* Silicon Gorge
* Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Other|

* Innovations and discoveries
* Science and technology awards
* Science and technology magazines
* JANET
* National Science Week

* Category
* Commons

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