Recommendations & Conclusions
16 items
1
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to further explore emerging diseases and learnings from covid-19, we recommend: • Funding should be made available for diagnostic facilities to uphold contracts, maintain equipment, and run laboratories to allow for fast and accurate diagnoses and aid the surveillance of emerging diseases; and • Ensure …
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Should our successor Committee wish to further explore emerging diseases and learnings from covid-19, we recommend: • Funding should be made available for diagnostic facilities to uphold contracts, maintain equipment, and run laboratories to allow for fast and accurate diagnoses and aid the surveillance of emerging diseases; and • Ensure the UK Government focuses on multiple vaccine technologies for future pandemics and maintaining collaboration with academia and industry.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
2
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to explore the reform of the UK health data strategy, we recommend it considers: • Investigating the replication of the academic model of open and competitive funding to solve problems and develop Privacy Enhancing technologies (PETs) and other critical pieces of data infrastructure as an …
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Should our successor Committee wish to explore the reform of the UK health data strategy, we recommend it considers: • Investigating the replication of the academic model of open and competitive funding to solve problems and develop Privacy Enhancing technologies (PETs) and other critical pieces of data infrastructure as an alternative to internal or contracted software development work; • Recommending a trial comprising an over-resourced, centralised SDE covering a smaller number of trusts to build working templates, develop a skilled workforce and prove the security and privacy approaches to the public and industry. This would aid in obtaining widespread public support by swiftly demonstrating the viability and utility of the SDE model, supporting the success of further projects; • Recommending the implementation of a technical solution for the public to opt back into data sharing, and a targeted campaign to encourage those who have previously opted out to reconsider sharing their health data, now that data protection regulation and technologies have improved and tangible public benefits can be realised; • Recommending the consolidation of the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) into the NHS SDE as soon as the latter meets all reasonable user needs, as the CPRD currently provides access to NHS data circumventing the protections of a TRE with significant overlap in functionality and replication of effort; • Recommending the simplification of ethical governance structures to avoid duplication and excessive overlap, and publishing an overview of this system so that all actors know where to obtain guidance; • Investigating the establishment of a single organisation solely responsible for delivering data architecture for public projects. This would assume centralised 72 Legacy – Parliament 2019–24 responsibility for the ongoing data projects by NHS England and other government entities, removing the fragmentation of skills across different bodies and facilitatin
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
3
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to examine the governance of AI, we recommend it considers: • The powers, coordination mechanisms and capacity of UK regulators to respond to the growing prevalence of AI in their sectors; Legacy – Parliament 2019–24 73 • The case for AI-specific legislation in the UK, …
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Should our successor Committee wish to examine the governance of AI, we recommend it considers: • The powers, coordination mechanisms and capacity of UK regulators to respond to the growing prevalence of AI in their sectors; Legacy – Parliament 2019–24 73 • The case for AI-specific legislation in the UK, and what lessons can be learned from other jurisdictions as they implement their own approaches to AI governance; • The commitments outlined at the AI Safety Summit and AI Seoul Summit, and their implementation by Governments and leading developers; • The current and potential future deployment of AI in the public sector, its benefits and any associated risks; • The potential consequences of widespread AI deployment on current and future employment trends, and how to equip workers of the future with the skills to engage critically with the technology; and • How future administrations respond to the Twelve Challenges of AI Governance highlighted in our interim Report. (Paragraph 62) Digital Recommendations for future work
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
4
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to examine the cyber security and resilience of the UK’s critical national infrastructure, we recommend it considers: • Following up how the Government is monitoring the emerging threats from nation states, state-sponsored actors, and criminal organisations on the UK’s critical national infrastructure. This should include …
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Should our successor Committee wish to examine the cyber security and resilience of the UK’s critical national infrastructure, we recommend it considers: • Following up how the Government is monitoring the emerging threats from nation states, state-sponsored actors, and criminal organisations on the UK’s critical national infrastructure. This should include the threat from pre- positioning; • considering how the Government is protecting and strengthening critical national infrastructure supply chains and interdependencies; • Scrutinising the Government’s ability to meet their targets for the UK’s CNI to be significantly hardened to cyber-attacks by 2025, with all government organisations across the whole public sector being resilient to known vulnerabilities and attack methods no later than 2030; • Exploring how emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, may bring both unprecedented opportunities and threats to cyber security and resilience; • Exploring whether there is a need for a general duty for cyber resilience and it would apply to critical national infrastructure; • Investigating Whether the payment of ransoms should be made illegal for critical national infrastructure; • Scrutinising the Government’s work around improving cyber literacy across all levels; • Scrutinising the commercial viability of secure by design technologies; and 74 Legacy – Parliament 2019–24 • Considering the need to update cyber security legislation such as the Network and Information Systems regulation and the Computer Misuse Act 1990. (Paragraph 74) Energy Recommendations for future work
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
5
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to examine the role of hydrogen in achieving net zero, we recommend it considers: • Scrutinising Government decision-making relating to the deployment of hydrogen ahead of 2030; • Examining findings from trials of hydrogen in different areas of the economy (e.g. energy storage, transport) and …
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Should our successor Committee wish to examine the role of hydrogen in achieving net zero, we recommend it considers: • Scrutinising Government decision-making relating to the deployment of hydrogen ahead of 2030; • Examining findings from trials of hydrogen in different areas of the economy (e.g. energy storage, transport) and considering whether lessons have been learned and implemented by Government; • Examining what progress has been made in deciding upon the role of hydrogen in domestic heating, and the associated implications for consumers and the UK’s Net Zero target; • Examining what progress has been made in identifying which industrial settings could utilise blue hydrogen ahead of 2050, and the phase-out of grey hydrogen; and • The development of green hydrogen projects at scale in the UK, to ensure that green hydrogen can be produced and become cost-competitive with blue hydrogen.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
6
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to examine the Government’s approach to delivering new nuclear, we recommend it considers: • Examining what progress has been made towards the Government reaching FID for two new nuclear plants by the end of the next Parliament, including progress made on Sizewell C and progress …
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Should our successor Committee wish to examine the Government’s approach to delivering new nuclear, we recommend it considers: • Examining what progress has been made towards the Government reaching FID for two new nuclear plants by the end of the next Parliament, including progress made on Sizewell C and progress made towards supporting a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) developer; • Scrutinising how the role of Great British Nuclear (GBN) has developed beyond running an SMR competition and if it is bringing value to the nuclear sector; • Examining the ongoing approach to financing new nuclear projects, including the results of the consultation on “Alternative routes to market for new nuclear projects”; • Assessing the work of the Nuclear Fuels Taskforce and progress made towards bridging the nuclear skills gap; and • Reviewing the progress made towards selecting a site for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) and whether delivery is on time. (Paragraph 110) Legacy – Parliament 2019–24 75 Life sciences Recommendations for future work
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
7
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to consider the antimicrobial potential of bacteriophages, we recommend: • Seeking updates on whether the MHRA has produced guidance relating to the data that would be required to evaluate applications for clinical trials and licensed phage products promised in the Government’s response; • Asking for …
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Should our successor Committee wish to consider the antimicrobial potential of bacteriophages, we recommend: • Seeking updates on whether the MHRA has produced guidance relating to the data that would be required to evaluate applications for clinical trials and licensed phage products promised in the Government’s response; • Asking for updates on what progress the MHRA is making on producing a future ‘monograph’ - directive guidance for medical clinicians - for the compassionate use of phages; • Regularly tracking the latest phage developments from Innovate UK’s Phage Knowledge Transfer Network, which is bringing about collaboration between phage researchers, companies, research funders and regulators; • Scrutinising whether opportunities for phage research funding, phage infrastructure, including Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facilities, and access to specialist laboratories, such as those run by UKHSA, have improved; and • Questioning whether lessons are being learnt from phages that can be applied to similar personalised therapeutics that are not produced to a single formulation.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
8
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to examine the Government’s approach to fungal research, we recommend it considers: • How the Government and UK Research and Innovation can support research into the antifungal resistance in the environment, animals, and humans, to increase the evidence base; • How the Government and its …
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Should our successor Committee wish to examine the Government’s approach to fungal research, we recommend it considers: • How the Government and UK Research and Innovation can support research into the antifungal resistance in the environment, animals, and humans, to increase the evidence base; • How the Government and its agencies can support fundamental and applied fungi research in the UK. Additionally, the successor Committee could look at the provisions of funding for long-term agricultural field trials; • How the Government and its agencies should consider ways in which to better communicate the science of fungi and their potential in tackling grand challenges facing society; • The possibility of widening the scope of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 to include fungi; and • How the Government and its agencies could support the development of a UK ‘Red List of Threatened Fungal Species’ to aid in the conservation of threatened UK fungal species.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
9
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to examine the Government’s approach to insect decline and UK food security, we recommend: 76 Legacy – Parliament 2019–24 • Examining the Government and its agencies’ strategies for sustaining long- term insect monitoring research and initiating new studies to address systemic knowledge gaps; • Scrutinising …
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Should our successor Committee wish to examine the Government’s approach to insect decline and UK food security, we recommend: 76 Legacy – Parliament 2019–24 • Examining the Government and its agencies’ strategies for sustaining long- term insect monitoring research and initiating new studies to address systemic knowledge gaps; • Scrutinising the Government’s communication methods around the realities of insect decline and the steps that can be taken to tackle the decline; • Exploring whether there is need to develop a National Invertebrate Strategy, building on the successes of the National Pollinator Strategy; • Scrutinising the remit of the National Bee Unit and its work on wild bees; • Monitoring the impact of the new National History GCSE and its role in promoting entomology; • Scrutinising the monitoring and evaluation programme for Environmental Land Management Schemes; • Examining the work of the Initiative in disseminating advice to farmers on implementing Integrated Pest Management strategies; and • Assessing work towards meeting the UK’s international commitments to reducing the overall risk caused by pesticides by at least half by 2030. (Paragraph 148) Scientific research environments Recommendations for future work
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
10
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to consider levels of diversity and inclusion in STEM, we recommend it considers: • Examining whether the trends in STEM education, particularly in subject uptake and attainment, as well as the delivery of STEM curriculum content, have changed since the Committee’s inquiry, and the potential …
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Should our successor Committee wish to consider levels of diversity and inclusion in STEM, we recommend it considers: • Examining whether the trends in STEM education, particularly in subject uptake and attainment, as well as the delivery of STEM curriculum content, have changed since the Committee’s inquiry, and the potential reasons for this; • The role that neurodiverse people play in the STEM ecosystem, whether they are over-represented compared to other sectors, the reasons for this and the benefits that their participation can deliver; or • Scrutinising the implementation of UKRI’s first equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, its impact on the wider research sector, and to what extent findings from the Research and Innovation workforce survey have been made meaningfully useful across different departments, non-departmental bodies and the wider STEM sector.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
11
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to further explore the commercialisation of research, we recommend it considers: • recommending the establishment of a coherent system to facilitate interactions between businesses and research and technology organisations to make support for business more visible and accessible; Legacy – Parliament 2019–24 77 • Recommending …
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Should our successor Committee wish to further explore the commercialisation of research, we recommend it considers: • recommending the establishment of a coherent system to facilitate interactions between businesses and research and technology organisations to make support for business more visible and accessible; Legacy – Parliament 2019–24 77 • Recommending increased public investment in the development side of research and development to drive innovation and lead the way for further private investment; • Recommending an increase in the spending review period for Catapults to greater than five years to enable longer term projects and decisions to be made based on certainty of core funding; • Recommending the provision of financial support for universities to enable local businesses to collaborate and use their laboratory facilities at a more competitive price. (Paragraph 176) Space Recommendations for future work
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
12
Conclusion
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to examine UK space policy, it should consider: • Scrutinising the ongoing implementation of the spaceflight regulations and their impact on the success of the UK’s small satellite launch sector; • Exploring the progress made on the ten points set out in the Position, Navigation …
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Should our successor Committee wish to examine UK space policy, it should consider: • Scrutinising the ongoing implementation of the spaceflight regulations and their impact on the success of the UK’s small satellite launch sector; • Exploring the progress made on the ten points set out in the Position, Navigation and Timing Framework, to determine if improvements to the UK’s resilience against loss of PNT services has been achieved; • Analysing whether the UK is benefiting from its investment in OneWeb, including investigating whether manufacturing is taking place in the UK; and • Scrutinising the governance structure put in place for the space sector, including looking at how the National Space Council and Space Sector Industry Forum are functioning, as well as progress being made toward the goals set out in the 2021 National Space Strategy and Space Industrial Plan.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
13
Conclusion
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to consider UK astronomy, it could: • Consider whether funding timeframes for astronomy strategies, programmes and infrastructure need to be lengthened and if astronomy needs a single voice rather than a split between the Science and Technology Facilities Council and the UK Space Agency; • …
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Should our successor Committee wish to consider UK astronomy, it could: • Consider whether funding timeframes for astronomy strategies, programmes and infrastructure need to be lengthened and if astronomy needs a single voice rather than a split between the Science and Technology Facilities Council and the UK Space Agency; • Examine whether the UK is fully exploiting its international partnerships so that UK researchers and companies can participate and lead on collaborative programmes and projects; • Assess whether the UK astronomical instrumentation organisations and companies, especially SMEs, have the support they need to contribute to international infrastructure and missions, and to repurpose their technology for other purposes, especially where this might be exported; • Evaluate whether the UK has sufficient laboratory and data facilities to ensure that it can be a significant locus for national and international astronomy analysis and research; 78 Legacy – Parliament 2019–24 • Consider whether current arrangements for post-doctoral astronomy research are sufficient to ensure the sustainability of professional astronomy in the UK; • Examine further reports of bullying and harassment in astronomy and the diversity of those employed or participating as amateurs and how this can be addressed; and • Consider whether astronomy outreach, whether delivered by amateur or professional astronomers, as part of funded programmes or by organisations, such as Science Discovery Centres, is adequate and effective. (Paragraph 195) Technology Recommendations for future work
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
14
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to examine the UK’s telecommunications infrastructure and domestic capability, we recommend it considers: • The implementation of the 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy, and relevant policy and technical developments since the then Committee’s report; • Examining the Government’s participation in international standards bodies for critical …
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Should our successor Committee wish to examine the UK’s telecommunications infrastructure and domestic capability, we recommend it considers: • The implementation of the 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy, and relevant policy and technical developments since the then Committee’s report; • Examining the Government’s participation in international standards bodies for critical and emerging technologies; or • The rollout and uptake of 5G technology in UK infrastructure, and what lessons are being learned for future developments, i.e. the emergence of 6G.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
15
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to examine blockchain technology, we recommend that it examines in greater depth potential use cases in the public and private sectors; including the benefits, risks, potential opportunities, regulatory environment and public understanding about the technology. (Paragraph 212) Recommendations for future work
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Should our successor Committee wish to examine blockchain technology, we recommend that it examines in greater depth potential use cases in the public and private sectors; including the benefits, risks, potential opportunities, regulatory environment and public understanding about the technology. (Paragraph 212) Recommendations for future work
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
16
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Legacy – Parliament 201…
Should our successor Committee wish to examine quantum technologies, we recommend it considers: • Scrutinising how the Government is achieving the aims and objectives set out in the National Quantum Strategy and its associated Missions; • Examining how the Government and UK Research and Innovation are supporting the commercialisation of …
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Should our successor Committee wish to examine quantum technologies, we recommend it considers: • Scrutinising how the Government is achieving the aims and objectives set out in the National Quantum Strategy and its associated Missions; • Examining how the Government and UK Research and Innovation are supporting the commercialisation of quantum technologies; • Assessing how the Government is ensuring the UK regains access to future Horizon Europe funding calls for quantum technologies that it is currently shut out of; • Scrutinising the Government’s work on developing and implementing quantum skills and talents to ensure the future workforce; Legacy – Parliament 2019–24 79 • Examining the UK infrastructure needs for quantum technologies to enable continued research commercialisation; • Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the UK’s quantum supply chain; and • Evaluating the effectiveness of the Government’s UK quantum procurement initiatives. (Paragraph 223) 80 Legacy – Parliament 2019–24
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology