Parliamementary Select Committee - an update

As we pointed out back in August, changes have been afoot in the way that the House of Commons scrutinises research issues.  Finally, a few days ago, the new Innovation, Universities and Skills Select Committee was formally appointed.  Details about its membership (8 Labour, 4 Conservative, 2 Lib Dem) can be found on the UK parliamentary website. 

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They’re an eclectic bunch of MPs.  Here is the breakdown of their pre-parliamentary careers (in no particular order): a head teacher, two chemistry researchers, a cancer researcher, a doctor, an IT businessman, a nurse-turned-businesswoman, a communications entrepreneur, a social policy academic, a computer analyst, a journal editor, an analytical chemist, a management consultant and a trade union official. Any reader of this blog who has nothing better can do can spend a fun ten minutes trying to match the jobs to the parliamentarians.

In the meantime, still no news about the Committee’s subcommittee which is supposed to look specifically at science and technology issues.