Category Archives: Parliament
Government Office for Science: roles, responsibilities and programmes
Government Office for Science: roles, responsibilities and programmes It was all change at the top of evidence based policy in Government this month, with Sir Mark Walport replacing Sir John Beddington as Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA). This role is … Continue reading
Defra updates Chalara policies
Defra updates Chalara policies With spring finally approaching, the threat of Chalara to ash across the UK is greater than ever. As mentioned in a previous post, the fungus that causes the disease lies dormant over winter, and sporulates in the … Continue reading
A countryside fit for pollinators
Pollinators are vital to the natural environment and economy in the UK, providing services worth over £440 million per year. Recent declines in their numbers and health are concerning, and evidence linking neonicotinoid pesticide use with these has prompted further … Continue reading
Bees and neonicotinoids: moving towards a Europe-wide ban?
It’s been an exciting week for bee health both in the UK and Europe. Progress towards the removal of neonicotinoid pesticides from use is advancing rapidly, with several UK companies banning these products from sale, and the European Commission setting … Continue reading
Bees and neonicotinoid pesticides: acute risks identified by EU’s food safety authority
Bees are vital parts of our ecosystems in the UK, providing irreplaceable pollinator services for both crops and wildflowers. Worrying declines in the number of bee populations have been observed recently, and have been attributed to a number of causes … Continue reading
Tackling Tree Disease in the UK
It isn’t simply Ash Dieback that’s threatening the forests and woodlands of the UK. A plethora of pests and pathogens are on the horizon, with the numbers of diseases afflicting our trees having increased markedly over the past twenty years. … Continue reading
Tree Disease Biosecurity
The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), together with the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, is organising a seminar in Parliament on 28th November to consider the highly topical issue of ‘tree disease biosecurity’. Entrance is free and open to … Continue reading
Sandy’s trying to telling us something
With ‘Sandy’ raging for all she’s worth across the pond, flooding the streets of New York and making the headlines for the all the wrong reasons; we should remind ourselves of the increasing frequency at which extreme weather events have … Continue reading
Government must boost STEM skills for UK competitiveness
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has today published a report that calls upon the Government to take immediate action to ensure enough young people study science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects at university. Without this, the … Continue reading
Cross-party committee challenges “Greenest Government Ever”
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) has published a report of an inquiry into the Natural Environment White Paper (NEWP) today, challenging ministers to put nature in the heart of economic decision-making. EFRA is appointed by the House … Continue reading