my #scipolicy news archive: november 2010

8/8/2019 My #scipolicy News archive: November 2010

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1 | P a g e VOLUME 15

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2010/11/02 Exquisite Life: Analysing the Government's Response to the Browne Review .... 4 2010/11/02 case: Party politics for scientists and engineers ............................................... 10 2010/11/02 in verba RS blog: Big Science, Big Society ......................................................... 10 2010/11/03 HOC S&T COMMITTEE TRANSCRIPT: The Government Office for Science AnnualReview 2009 ........................................................................................................................ 14 2010/11/03 CASE: Higher Education plans leave questions unanswered ............................. 27 2010/11/03 alicerosebell BLOG: Science, public engagement and The Big Society ............ 27 2010/11/03 House of Commons transcript: Higher Education Funding ............................... 36 2010/11/04 Exquisite Life: Browne really is the biggest gamble. In the whole world. Ever. . 47 2010/11/04 TIMES HE: Research intelligence - Freeze won't stop bleeding ......................... 48 2010/11/04 GUARDIAN SCI BLOG MARTIN: Does torture work? ......................................... 50 2010/11/04 Girl, Interrupting: US politics are not UK politics, dont believe the hype! ....... 52 2010/11/04 Exquisite Life: How to read David Cameron's Tech City speech in Shoreditch .. 54 2010/11/05 Exquisite Life: Simon Hughes decision on Browne ............................................ 61 2010/11/05 GUARDIAN: Where's the female Brian Cox? ..................................................... 61 2010/11/05 The Home Secretary's immigration speech ...................................................... 63 2010/11/05 genome web: 'Gooooooo Science!' .................................................................. 69 2010/11/05 CHERWELL OXFORD: Science dons jump ship over cutbacks ............................ 69 2010/11/05 GUARDIAN BAD SCIENCE: Good scientific research often ends up making aglorious mess ....................................................................................................................... 72 2010/11/05 alicerosebell BLOG: the nerds are on the march .............................................. 73 2010/11/08 Exquisite Life: Making a virtue out of obscurity - the Lib Dems' secret path outof the tuition fees crisis ........................................................................................................ 75 2010/11/08 CASE blog: Doctor Cables Surgery: Science is Vital .......................................... 77 2010/11/09 Exquisite Life: Oh no! Government dabbles with cold fusion ........................... 79 2010/11/09 GUARDIAN SCI BLOG MARTIN: Nadine Dorries vs. Science ............................... 84 2010/11/10 CASE: Defence R&D Budget Spared Cash Cuts .................................................. 86 2010/11/10 nature editorial: Unknown quantities .............................................................. 87 2010/11/10 Exquisite Life: What the demo violence means for higher student fees ........... 88 2010/11/10 S word: A failing future: UK Government lacks high-tech vision ....................... 89 2010/11/10 HOUSE OF COMMONS TRANSCRIPT: Science Research .................................... 91 2010/11/10 Girl, Interrupting: Its not about you, its about the data! ................................ 97 2010/11/10 GUARDIAN SCI BLOG EVAN: Libel reform on the internet - We need it now .. 104 2010/11/10 in verba RS blog: Is that a banana in your pocket? ......................................... 106 2010/11/10 GUARDIAN SCI BLOG MARTIN: Reflections of an atheist teaching in faithschools ............................................................................................................................... 107

2010/11/10 alicerosebell BLOG:Does my brain look big in this? ........................................ 109 2010/11/10 in verba RS blog: A Nuclear Reactor in Gabon! ............................................... 114 2010/11/11 Exquisite Life: Impact pilot recommends only minor tweaks to HEFCE plans . 115 2010/11/11 HEFCE: Pilot paves the way for impact as a key element in UK's new researchassessment framework ...................................................................................................... 116 2010/11/11 GUARDIAN SCI BLOG MARTIN: The War on Irony (on the Twitter joke trial) .. 118 2010/11/11 TIMES HE: REF impact will be lighter but also more widespread .................... 120 2010/11/11 NATURE: Experts will assess UK research 'impact' to award funding .............. 121 2010/11/12 Exquisite Life: Its the final countdown on raising student fees ...................... 123 2010/11/12 GUARDIAN CIF: Twitter jokes: free speech on trial ......................................... 125 2010/11/12 CASE: Pale, stale and male ............................................................................. 127

2010/11/12 Exquisite Life: How to read Richard Lambert's big speech on universities andbusiness ............................................................................................................................. 128


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2010/11/13 GUARDIAN BAD SCIENCE: Missing from the lifestyle pages: the evidence of howBoob Job works .................................................................................................................. 138 2010/11/15 GUARDIAN SCI BLOG MARTIN: Review: Written in Stone ............................... 139 2010/11/15 alicerosebell BLOG: The plagiarism business .................................................. 141 2010/11/15 GUARDIAN SCI BLOG MARTIN: USB - Satan's Data Connection ...................... 143 2010/11/15 Exquisite Life: Student fees and numbers that don't add up .......................... 145 2010/11/16 Girl, Interrupting: The dangers of unconscious bias ....................................... 146 2010/11/16 Exquisite Life: Top government science and research post axed in civil servicereshuffle ............................................................................................................................ 148 2010/11/16 CASE: Press release: Whitehall reorganisation may spell trouble for science . 149 2010/11/16 TIMES HE: Stupid, ignorant, foolish: peers express dismay at potential loss of scientific expertise in merged BIS post ............................................................................... 150 2010/11/16 in verba RS blog: A problem shared: securing a future for our planet ............ 151 2010/11/17 GUARDIAN SCI BLOG MARTIN: Pop psychology versus the Chandlers ............ 153 2010/11/17 S WORD: UK research spending decisions set for a shake-up ......................... 154 2010/11/17-8 HOL S&T: Lords write to PM about merger of BIS Director General of Scienceand Research role .............................................................................................................. 156 2010/11/18 NATURE: Scientists wanted ............................................................................ 158 2010/11/18 TIMES HE: Research intelligence - The new rules of the game ....................... 159 2010/11/19 Exquisite Life: Oops. Cameron dismisses the one man indispensible to rapidreform of student fees ....................................................................................................... 161 2010/11/19 CASE: Press Release: Science stays at the top in BIS .................................... 162 2010/11/19 S WORD: UK coalition to downgrade scientific advice .................................... 163 2010/11/19 TIMES HE: Peer relief: merged BIS post goes to Adrian Smith in wake of scientists protest to Downing Street ................................................................................. 164 2010/11/19 BIS: Key appointments at Department for Business, Innovation and Skills ..... 165 2010/11/19 GUARDIAN SCI BLOG MARTIN: A libel guide for bloggers ............................... 166 2010/11/19 GUARDIAN IAN SAMPLE: The 10 greatest discoveries of zoology ................... 168 2010/11/20 GUARDIAN BAD SCIENCE: How to make people 'love' nuclear power ............ 170 2010/11/21 Exquisite Life: Universities UK suggests Coalition in crisis over student fees .. 171 2010/11/21 GUARDIAN SCI BLOG MARTIN: A challenge to homeopaths: how does oneoverdose? .......................................................................................................................... 173 2010/11/21 Exquisite Life: Have the Lib Dems broken their promise on fees? .................. 175 2010/11/22 Exquisite Life: Revised IFS analysis of student fees will be bad news for students- and ministers ................................................................................................................... 176 2010/11/22 GUARDIAN SCI BLOG MARTIN: 'Rockstars of Science' should be 'Scientists of Rock' .................................................................................................................................. 177 2010/11/22 S WORD: UK science minister: next steps for science policy ........................... 180 2010/11/22 Exquisite Life: Is it back to the 1980s as Cameron ditches white paper ongrowth? ............................................................................................................................. 181

2010/11/22 GUARDIAN SCI BLOG MARTIN: Opening up climate science can cut off theskeptics .............................................................................................................................. 182 2010/11/23 CASE: Migrant scientists get due recognition but is it en ough? ................ 183 2010/11/23 ATHENE DONALD: Do we need a Female Brian Cox? Inspiration, Role Modelsand the Media ................................................................................................................... 184 2010/11/23 Exquisite Life: How to read Nick Clegg's speech on student fees .................... 186 2010/11/23 alicerosebell BLOG: Finding the lost women of science .................................. 188 2010/11/23 guardian env: Climate change scepticism is about more than just science ..... 190 2010/11/23 in verba RS blog: ............................................................................................. 192 Scientists in the seat of power: the MP-Scientist pairing scheme ...................................... 192 2010/11/23 GUARDIAN POLITICS: Politics live blog - Tuesday 23 November ..................... 194

2010/11/23 bubble chamber: Between history of science and science policy: Moving fromthe war room to the shop floor ................................................................................... 204


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2010/11/24 GUARDIAN SCI BLOG: Why placing an immigration cap on talent will be bad forUK science.......................................................................................................................... 207 2010/11/24 SCIENCE: U.K. Opens New Visa Route for Foreign Scientists, But May Still CurtailTheir Number..................................................................................................................... 209 2010/11/24 TIMES HE: Salami -sliced budget is more palatable than abandoning entireresearch fields, Brian Cox argues ....................................................................................... 210 2010/10/24 HOC S&T COMMITTEE: ................................................................................... 211 2010/11/25 TIMES HE: There's more to a story than facts and figures .............................. 224 2010/11/25 CASE: Scientists, Engineers and the Immigration Cap ..................................... 229 2010/11/25 Campaign for Science and Engineering in the UK: Science, Engineering, and theImmigration Cap Preliminary Reaction & Proposals ....................................................... 230 2010/11/25 Exquisite Life:If this isn't a crisis, what is? ...................................................... 234 2010/11/25 TIMES HE: New model grants: fund the chosen few ....................................... 234 2010/11/25 TIMES HE: Leader: Embrace the burden of truth ............................................ 238 2010/11/25 alicerosebell BLOG: Science and FOI............................................................... 240 2010/11/25 TIMES HE: Higher study's social benefits back case for state funding ............. 242 2010/11/25 NEWS DISTRIBUTION SERVICE: R&D spend of leading UK companies holds upduring downturn ................................................................................................................ 244 2010/11/25 opendemocracy.net: We need a Public Commission of Enquiry on the future of higher education ................................................................................................................ 245 2010/11/26 Girl, Interrupting: Brief thoughts about academic honesty ........................... 246 2010/11/26 GUARDIAN SCI BLOG: Five things I learnt when shadowing an MP................. 248 2010/11/26 Exquisite Life: Why students should join the Lib Dems ................................... 250 2010/11/26 RESEARCH FORTNIGHT: UK government axes annual industrial R&D survey .. 251 2010/11/27 GUARDIAN BAD SCIENCE: Stonewall's 'coming out' data falls into statistical trap........................................................................................................................................... 252 2010/11/28 GUARDIAN CIF: Nick Clegg getting a good kicking? Could anything be more joyous? .............................................................................................................................. 253 2010/11/29 alicerosebell BLOG: Unlocking the future of education .................................. 255

2010/11/29 the independent: 'Star chamber' to foster UK growth .................................... 259 2010/11/29 DCs IMPROBABLE SCIENCE: Higher education needs a pu bliccommission before fees are trebled .................................................................................. 261 2010/11/29 REF: Impact pilot exercise .............................................................................. 263 2010/11/29 HM TREASURY: Growth Review ...................................................................... 265 2010/11/30 Exquisite Life: Cable promises new written promises on fees before Christmas........................................................................................................................................... 267 2010/11/30 Exquisite Life: Another gaffe by Cable as he again struggles to master his brief ........................................................................................................................................... 267 2010/11 Manifesto for the Public University ..................................................................... 269 2010/11 BLUEPRINT FOR TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................ 271

2010/11 Review of climate science advice ......................................................................... 271 2010/11 technology and innovation futures ...................................................................... 271


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2010/11/02 EXQUISITE LIFE: ANALYSING THE

GOVERNMENT 'S RESPONSE TO THE BROWNE

REVIEW Ministers will announce the Government's response to the Browne Review of student fees at 12.30tomorrow (Wednesday).

Bookmark this page and come back at 12 noon tomorrow for instant analysis and comment on what is said.

We'll also be providing links to the official documents, and other commentary from around the web.

Join us to debate the merits of the government's approach here - before, during and after the statement -in the Comments section.

***

LIVE BLOG STARTS NOW

Refresh your browser for updates. Read from the bottom up.

WEDNESDAY

17:42 - OK. That's it folks. More later in the form of considered analysis and reporting at ResearchFortnight. Please comment below, about Browne and indeed about this experiment by us in live blogging.

17:33 - Hefce response hints at the mass of detail to be worked out.

17:32 - CBI welcomes the announcement.

17:31 - To sum up, both the Spectator and Mike Baker at the BBC have speculated that this is a deal thatmay please no one. But we can be more precise. What the goverment has announced is a deal that isacceptable to Conservative ministers, Clegg and Cable, the Russell Group and most other universities. Thepeople it's not acceptable to are some Lib Dems and the NUS. Simon Hughes, the key to the swing Lib DemMPs, gave no ground today. So we still have the question that has been hanging around from Day 1 - howmuch muscle do the refuseniks have and will they play hardball? I think if ministers were more confidentabout this then they would have announced they were aiming for a simple vote to raise the cap on feestoday.

17:17 - From yesterday, but interesting. FT says "Nick Clegg is still battling to convince at least four LiberalDemocrat ministers to break their election pledges and back a rise in student fees". Apparently, one of them is Jenny Willott, MP for Cardiff Central and a parliamentary private secretary, who told the Guardian:I will not support an increase in tuition fees and Im deeply concerned about increasing levels of st udentdebt.

17:15 - Aaron Porter on the BBC [video ].

17:11 - Reaction coming in. Daily Mail unmoved by tweaks to Browne: "Millions of middle-class families tobear brunt as coalition agrees 9,000 cap on tuition fees". Mail also has interesting "kite marks" for bestcourses story from interview with Willetts.
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2010/funding.htmhttp://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2010/funding.htmhttp://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2010/funding.htmhttp://bit.ly/cKr290http://bit.ly/cKr290http://bit.ly/cKr290http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c232418c-e6c0-11df-99b3-00144feab49a.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c232418c-e6c0-11df-99b3-00144feab49a.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c232418c-e6c0-11df-99b3-00144feab49a.htmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11682014http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11682014http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11682014http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326248/Coalition-agrees-9k-tuition-fee-cap-Millions-middle-class-families-suffer.htmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326248/Coalition-agrees-9k-tuition-fee-cap-Millions-middle-class-families-suffer.htmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326248/Coalition-agrees-9k-tuition-fee-cap-Millions-middle-class-families-suffer.htmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326248/Coalition-agrees-9k-tuition-fee-cap-Millions-middle-class-families-suffer.htmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326071/Ministers-declare-war-university-fees-set-hit-9-000-year.html?ito=feeds-newsxmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326071/Ministers-declare-war-university-fees-set-hit-9-000-year.html?ito=feeds-newsxmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326071/Ministers-declare-war-university-fees-set-hit-9-000-year.html?ito=feeds-newsxmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326071/Ministers-declare-war-university-fees-set-hit-9-000-year.html?ito=feeds-newsxmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326248/Coalition-agrees-9k-tuition-fee-cap-Millions-middle-class-families-suffer.htmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326248/Coalition-agrees-9k-tuition-fee-cap-Millions-middle-class-families-suffer.htmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11682014http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c232418c-e6c0-11df-99b3-00144feab49a.htmlhttp://bit.ly/cKr290http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2010/funding.htm


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14:04 - UCU table setting out impact of repayments on different kinds of graduates. Not sure if this is up-to-date with the latest announcement though...

13:59 - So come on everyone, what do you think? Will research intensive universities be OK - or evenbetter off? What about the other universities? Will students be put off? What about the humanities andsocial sciences? And does it look progressive to you? The Comments section is waiting for you...

13:55 - It's all over now.

13:44 - Willetts: I hope this system will help to give students a better experience at university

13:39 - Willetts: graduates will not be tempted away from public sector into higher paid jobs to pay backfees sooner, they will be paying back less than they do now on a 21k w age

13:37 - Willets promises there will continue to be a level playing field for STEM subjects with contnuationof some teaching grant.

13:28 - We started Willetts' speech with five questions, to which we now have answers.

Are Cable and Clegg on board? Yes.

Is the cap on student numbers being lifted? No news.

Is Simon Hughes on board? He had the chance to say so, and didn't take it.

Is the government going to push for a simple vote on raising the fees cap or legislate? No decision.

What are the access ties on fees over 6,000? OFFA can take away all the extra income if you don't meetyour targets.

13:25 - Dipping into the published details for a moment, there are several progressive tweaks to thearrangements set out by Browne. Maintenance grants rise for fa milies with incomes up to 25,000.Maintenance loans rise for students from families with income up to 60,000. Interest rate tapersaccording to graduate income, rising from 0 at 21,000 to 3% above RPI at 41,000. Consultation on earlyrepayment penalties.

13:17 - Julian Huppert, Lib Dem for Cambridge, welcomes progressive improvements on Browne but sayshe does not support raising the cap on fees.

13:13 - Threshold will act as a discipline on universities.

13:12 - Universities to come forward with proposals for widening participation. OFFA will then look atthem.

13:11 - Willets: today + CSR means universities can go forward on a firm footing.

13:10 - Lammy: will there be debate and a vote on the floor? Willetts: yes.

13:09 - Simon Hughes asks a question. What students will be better off? Willetts says about a quarter of students will be better off. Half will pay less [not sure what that means].

13:03 - A 150m National Scholarships Programme for students from poor backgrounds. It will guaranteestudents benefits such as a free first year or foundation year.

13:01 - intensely important to keep communication open with Scottish Government, says Kennedy. Thiswill affect Scottish institutions
http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/html/g/q/studentcontributions.htmlhttp://www.ucu.org.uk/media/html/g/q/studentcontributions.htmlhttp://www.ucu.org.uk/media/html/g/q/studentcontributions.htmlhttp://www.ucu.org.uk/media/html/g/q/studentcontributions.html


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13:00 - Charles Kennedy says he can't get on board

12:58 - Univeristies will be required to make provisions for widening participation if charging higher fees.OFFA will have the power to remove a university's right to charge 6k fees if they fail

12:54 - The government's plans are now up on the web.

12:51 - Aaron Porter tweets - David Willetts is living on another planet if he thinks this is good for students!

12:50 - Thomas asks if cash from extra patyments made by higher earners will flow back into HE or gostraight to the Treasury

12:47 - worst of all possible worlds, says Thomas. Many students will be forced to choose cheapest courserather than what is right for them

12:46 - Gareth Thomas - Conservatives want 'crude ad competitive market'

12:43 - changes will be implemented for 2012-13 academic year. Proposals to the House before Christmas

12.41 - part-time students entitled to loan on same basis as full timers

12.39 - higher earners could pay levy of 5% on early payments

12.38 - the rate of interest paid back will be related to the grad's earnings. those earning below 21kthreshold will pay no interest. Those earning between 21k and 41k wil pay a maximum of inflation 3%.Above 41k there will be a larger rat e of interest but still well below commercial rates.

12.36 - as per Browne, repayments start at 21k earnings at 9% or earnings. Payment right -off after 30 yrs

12.35 - Confirms 'basic threshold' of 6k and 'exceptional' threshold of 9k

12:34 - Willetts has entered the chamber.

12:23 - Now taking over blogging duties, Laura Hood. We're just minutes away from the announcement.

12:15 - Sparring between PM and Miliband turns, briefly, to fees.

12:05 - Aaron Porter tweets: "To all MPs - if you break your pledge to students, NUS will pledge to organiseagainst at the next election. We won't break ours!"

11:41 - While we wait for the announcement, you may want to catch up on my briefing, What to expectfrom the Government's response to the Browne Review of student fees . I thought some of these optionswere fading into the background, but until Cable and Clegg turn up, they remain very much on the table.

For what all this may mean for the Coalition, see "Why Cameron may have to nuke the Lib Dems on fees". 11:36 - UCU now also asking "Where is Cable?"

11:33 - Phil Willis, who is the thick of it for the Lib Dems, was tight-lipped at our conference this morningon Browne. Unlike the CSR and TICs, where he was in glorious, sweepingly enlightening mode.

11:31 - Richard Jones, PVC for Research at Sheffield, tweets that one key question for today is whether thecap on the number of students universities can take is lifted.

11:26 - The Spectator says the policy to be announced is a compromise but "the question remains: will itend up pleasing no-one".
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=416343&SubjectId=2http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=416343&SubjectId=2http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=416343&SubjectId=2http://bit.ly/cgIlWVhttp://bit.ly/cgIlWVhttp://bit.ly/cgIlWVhttp://bit.ly/cgIlWVhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/why-david-cameron-may-have-to-nuke-the-lib-dems-on-student-fees.htmlhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/why-david-cameron-may-have-to-nuke-the-lib-dems-on-student-fees.htmlhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/why-david-cameron-may-have-to-nuke-the-lib-dems-on-student-fees.htmlhttp://twitter.com/#!/RichardALJoneshttp://twitter.com/#!/RichardALJoneshttp://twitter.com/#!/RichardALJoneshttp://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/6439273/the-tuition-fees-compromise.thtmlhttp://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/6439273/the-tuition-fees-compromise.thtmlhttp://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/6439273/the-tuition-fees-compromise.thtmlhttp://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/6439273/the-tuition-fees-compromise.thtmlhttp://twitter.com/#!/RichardALJoneshttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/why-david-cameron-may-have-to-nuke-the-lib-dems-on-student-fees.htmlhttp://bit.ly/cgIlWVhttp://bit.ly/cgIlWVhttp://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=416343&SubjectId=2


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08:29 - Putting it all together, then right now I don't see any reason to believe Cameron and Clegg havesealed the deal. I'm not seeing any substantial progress on the progressive social mobility agenda Cleggwants beyond what we had a week ago. Plus there's a degree of confusion over what we will hear today. If anything, ministers are falling back on Labour's plans for widening participation. Plus NUS are not onboard. So I suspect Clegg and Cable are hiding today because they have not got enough out of theConservatives to give unqualified backing to the policy. If so, we are in for a white knuckle ride through therapids of brinksmanship.

08:23 - Gove told us No Quotas and No More than the 150m already announced for scholarships. And allthe stuff on widening participation sounds like a work in progress.

08:21 - Nice to hear Lee Elliot Major, a Research Fortnight alumnus, being quoted in the Gove interview.(Another one, Anna Fazackerly, is a key thinker on Team Willetts.

07:40 - Blimey. It's Michael Gove to do tuition fees on the Today programme at 07:50. And Willetts in theCommons. Where are Clegg and Cable? Presumably Gove's going to talk about how the government plansto widen participation by doing stuff in schools.

07:34 - I'm wondering how united the Russell Group will be in its position on what we see today. I suspectthat what seems like unacceptable interference in Oxford or Cambridge may be more acceptable inLiverpool or Sheffield.

07:33 - Gimpyblog reminds us that there's other big stuff going on that could also impact universities, forexample what will the impact of the immigration cap be on recruitment of overseas students?

07:25 - The Independent reports Universities UK saying most universities will charge 7,000 - 8,000 ayear. Which with a cap of 9,000 would pretty much destroy any idea of a market.

07:23 - Same story also appearing elsewhere. Telegraph the only recipient outraged enough by theprospect of "social engineering" to put story on its cover. Guardian leads on the rebellion Clegg is facingbut hasn't got anything out of Simon Hughes.

06:57 - Good morning. The Telegraph story is now online . The essence is that once fees go over 6k,universities risk being forced to spend a third of the income on widening participation if they fail to meetaccess targets by the Office for Fair Access. These targets don't sound very different to the ones thatuniversities already have - and in the case of Oxford and Cambridge routinely miss. The story also makeswhat we're getting today sound much less like a "deal" that I had imagined. It says the Russell Group is noton board, and suggests that Lib Dems will split an embarrassing three ways on the votes.

TUESDAY

23:51 - Final round up this evening. Tomorrow I think it's all about how progressive the package is(Question 3 below). Quotas as per the Telegraph headline would be a huge concession by the RussellGroup and is one thing that would definitely make a difference. But how solid is that story? I'm wonderinghow nailed down the progressive bits will be tomorrow. If it's a case of concrete announcements onfinance and "we'll look at" statements on quotas and the like, then I wonder how ready Lib Dems will be togive the government unambiguous support. The tell tale signs are Questions 1 and 2 below. If the swing LibDem MPs hold back, then the government's still not out of the woods and sure of victory.

23:47 - Lucy Manning on ITV News has a good round up . Like the BBC and PA, she doesn't mention quotas.Its bursaries, and summer courses for her.

22:52 - Now this is news. Telegraph front page tomorrow promises "Universities get quota of poorstudents".
http://twitter.com/#!/gimpyblog/status/29549603331http://twitter.com/#!/gimpyblog/status/29549603331http://twitter.com/#!/gimpyblog/status/29549603331http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/universities-to-charge-fees-of-1637000-to-1638000-a-year-2123429.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/universities-to-charge-fees-of-1637000-to-1638000-a-year-2123429.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/universities-to-charge-fees-of-1637000-to-1638000-a-year-2123429.htmlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/nov/03/clegg-liberal-democrats-tuition-feeshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/nov/03/clegg-liberal-democrats-tuition-feeshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/nov/03/clegg-liberal-democrats-tuition-feeshttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/8105947/Universities-to-be-forced-to-meet-quota-of-underprivileged-students.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/8105947/Universities-to-be-forced-to-meet-quota-of-underprivileged-students.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/8105947/Universities-to-be-forced-to-meet-quota-of-underprivileged-students.htmlhttp://www.itv.com/news/tuition-fee-plans00257/http://www.itv.com/news/tuition-fee-plans00257/http://www.itv.com/news/tuition-fee-plans00257/http://www.itv.com/news/tuition-fee-plans00257/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/8105947/Universities-to-be-forced-to-meet-quota-of-underprivileged-students.htmlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/nov/03/clegg-liberal-democrats-tuition-feeshttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/universities-to-charge-fees-of-1637000-to-1638000-a-year-2123429.htmlhttp://twitter.com/#!/gimpyblog/status/29549603331


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22:26 - Aaron Porter tweets "The fight is on!"

22:24 - Presumably Cable or Willetts will be on R4 Today programme in the morning. One odd thing, BBC issaying Willetts will make the announcement tomorrow in the Commons. Why not Cable?

22:12 - Reuters has the same story on the same embargo.

22:00 - Oops, news agenda risks slipping out of control so government leaks 6k/9k formula to BBC with

10pm embargo.19:00 - And for something more erudite, try Stefan Collini' sdeconstruction of Browne.

18:45 - Fairly tactical analysis by me of what's going on at the moment, What to expect from theGovernment's response to the Browne Review of student fees

18:40 - BBC story also mentions a tussle over quotas for disadvantaged students, red rag to Russell Group.

18:20 - And here we go with the agenda-setting briefing war. Th ePress Association and BBC run with NUSsurvey on the impact of fees a t 10,000. 78 per cent say they would be deterred. It's a weak point for theCoalition's claims of being progressive - the Browne panel produced no evidence to support its assertionthat higher fees would not deter students, especially poor ones.

18:15 - If the Coalition spinners are on top form, what stories would they want to see running in the papersin the morning? They'd want a Lib Dem to get the Guardian to say it will be a "genuinely progressiveoutcome". They'd want a Conservative to get the Telegraph to say "Cameron has forced the Lib Dems toface up to reality". They'd want the BBC to go with both of the above, plus something like "it shows theCoalition can negotiate even the stormiest waters of dispute". And they'd probably just wince at thethought of the Daily Mail's fury at the higher interest rates being dumped on middle class students.

17:40 - Tony Blair devoted most of a chapter in his autobiography to the introduction of variable fees. Howmany pages do you think Browne will make in Cameron's memoirs? While Blair took months locked awaywith Howard Newby at Number 10, Cameron has done it much more quickly amidst a whirl of other stuff.And the final deal seems to have been sealed while he was at the EU summit in Brussels.

17:30 - Other people with copies of the government response - spotty SPAD youths at Number 10. Officialsat BIS. When you add them and all their mates up, it's practically an open secret.

15:30 - After the conference, we will be moving to a private room in a pub to discuss the government'sresponse to Browne. We'll be at the Marlborough Arms off Gower Street from 6pm. Informal, but with agreat collection of people who, for fear of irretrievable damage to our research base, are not permitted tofly together. If you're not at the conference but would like to come to the drinks, you're welcome but

please email me in advance for confirmation at wocb [at] researchresearch.com - there's a limit to howmany people we can take.

15:05 - Of course, if you can't be bothered to wait until tomorrow to find out what the government'sposition is, you could just phone one of the people who already know. That means pretty much any LibDem MP plus a decent selection of senior party members, some of whom are academics. Or the RussellGroup that hammered out the compromise via its backers in the Conservative Party. (And if your RussellGroup VC doesn't know what's in the government response, why don't they?) Or Aaron Porter at NUS. Orthe Hefce folk. Or any of the people these people have told.

14:42 - Channel 4 has some of the background to the announcement, from Gary Gibbon, who's followed it

all quite closely.
http://twitter.com/#!/AaronPorter/status/29509741293http://twitter.com/#!/AaronPorter/status/29509741293http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6A163Q20101102http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6A163Q20101102http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6A163Q20101102http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11677862http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11677862http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11677862http://www.lrb.co.uk/v32/n21/stefan-collini/brownes-gamblehttp://www.lrb.co.uk/v32/n21/stefan-collini/brownes-gamblehttp://www.lrb.co.uk/v32/n21/stefan-collini/brownes-gamblehttp://bit.ly/cgIlWVhttp://bit.ly/cgIlWVhttp://bit.ly/cgIlWVhttp://bit.ly/cgIlWVhttp://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hd0pykywYyTlOYoyxmw2ofX4yiLQ?docId=N0121281288713488222Ahttp://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hd0pykywYyTlOYoyxmw2ofX4yiLQ?docId=N0121281288713488222Ahttp://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hd0pykywYyTlOYoyxmw2ofX4yiLQ?docId=N0121281288713488222Ahttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11675502http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11675502http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11675502http://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/hepis-critique-makes-browne-look-shallow.htmlhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/hepis-critique-makes-browne-look-shallow.htmlhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/hepis-critique-makes-browne-look-shallow.htmlhttp://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/marlborough-arms-londonhttp://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/marlborough-arms-londonhttp://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/marlborough-arms-londonhttp://blogs.channel4.com/gary-gibbon-on-politics/university-funding-coalition-to-cap-tuition-fees/13998http://blogs.channel4.com/gary-gibbon-on-politics/university-funding-coalition-to-cap-tuition-fees/13998http://blogs.channel4.com/gary-gibbon-on-politics/university-funding-coalition-to-cap-tuition-fees/13998http://blogs.channel4.com/gary-gibbon-on-politics/university-funding-coalition-to-cap-tuition-fees/13998http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/marlborough-arms-londonhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/hepis-critique-makes-browne-look-shallow.htmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11675502http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hd0pykywYyTlOYoyxmw2ofX4yiLQ?docId=N0121281288713488222Ahttp://bit.ly/cgIlWVhttp://bit.ly/cgIlWVhttp://www.lrb.co.uk/v32/n21/stefan-collini/brownes-gamblehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11677862http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6A163Q20101102http://twitter.com/#!/AaronPorter/status/29509741293


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14:40 - What questions do you want to see answers to? Please use the Comments section below to tell uswhat things to look out for.

14:28 - Things I'll be watching for, No 3: What are the ties when fees go over 6,000 a year, and do theylook likely to widen participation at our most prestigious universities?

14:25 - Things I'll be watching for, No 2: Is the government going to go for a simple vote on raising the feescap before Christmas?

14:23 - Things I'll be watching for, No 1: Simon Hughes. Will he say, "This is a good, progressive result thatLib Dems should welcome." Or will he reserve his position. I'm expecting the former...

14:18 - Wondering what the stakes are tomorrow? Read Alan Langland's speech from last week, allow forthe moderate tone a Hefce chief executive has to use, and then consider his warnings carefully.

14:12 - You can watch Vince speak live via Parliament's TV playe rhere . The stream should be live by 12noon. Open that in one browser window and join us here in another!

14:02 - Not entirely by coincidence, we are hosting our first conference tomorrow, "From Recession to

Recovery" at the British Museum. It's sold out. But if you are attending, we will be showing Cable'sstatement live during lunch! We're also looking into finding a nearby venue for an early-evening discussionof Browne at the end of the conference. We'll keep you posted.

13:57 - I haven't seen anything from BIS yet on Cable's statement tomorrow.

13.53 - We're expecting a cap on fees at 9,000 a year, and for strings to be attached to any fees over6,000 a year. That should give research- intensive universities enough money to cover the 7,600 a year orso they say they need to replace the teaching money they just lost in the Comprehensive Spending Review(or CSR from now on).

13.50 - Welcome to Research Fortnight's coverage of the government's response to the Browne review -and the biggest decisions for decades on the future of our universities. In the seat for now, WilliamCullerne Bown.

Posted by William Cullerne Bown at 13:31:24 in Browne review ,Vince Cable

COMMENTSHi,a technical point, could you please darken your text as the grey you have chosen, although aesthetically pleasing with youroverall format is quite difficult to read.Posted by: Kav | November 03, 2010 at 11:59 AM Though the Russell Group's statement athttp://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/russell-group-latest-news/121-2010/4563-new-tuition-fee-cap-proposals/ - does not say anything specific, one assumes their default position is likely to be to charge 9K across the board. At least,that would be my prediction. Any other opinions?Posted by: Dr Aust | November 03, 2010 at 02:24 PM The amount of time they spend justifying their existing programmes to attract poorer students in the statement certainlysuggests they all plan to jump straight to charging the maximum allowed.Posted by: Brian Owens | November 03, 2010 at 02:31 PM "the bread we will eat is not baked now and stored in the garden shed; it will be baked by the younger generation and we willhope to get some of it, either by taxing them or owning a stake in what the produce" David WillettsPosted by: tom young | November 03, 2010 at 03:03 PM what will happen to the arts and humanities, i'm an education student and Goldsmiths and already some of our bestacademics are being forced outPosted by: tom young | November 03, 2010 at 03:04 PM Agreed, Brian. I think (speaking from an observer's POV within the Russell Gp, though too lowly to be privy to the thoughts

of the Univ's Great'n'Good) their line will be:"We have the programmes to improve access, and will do more of the same, and you must judge us on that, i.e. we are tryingour best"
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more sense for some government departments than others. People might be able to gang together andstart a school. Theyd be less good at building a police force, an army or a rail network.

So what does the Big Society mean for science?

Scientific research is increasingly specialised, a trend accelerated by the emergence of Big Science anexpensive, equipment-heavy team sport in the second half of the 20th century. This means its prettyhard to democratise much scientific research. Big Society science probably wont therefore involve streetgene- sequencing parties or the Womens Institute designing a par ticle accelerator.

And yet science is amenable to new forms of collaboration, with experts and non-experts. At the marginsof scientific research, some interesting partnerships have formed, under the umbrella of what issometimes called Citizen Science. The spectrum of citizen science activity runs from wide-but-shallow tonarrow-but-deep:

1. At its broadest, citizen science takes the form of things like SETI@home, which borrows the massedcomputing resources of the public to speed up calculations.

2. Then you have things like Galaxy Zoo , that have members of the public as eyes on the street,asking them to do the scientific legwork of data collection.

3. In the middle are things like science shops (the recent UK incarnation of which is the Beacons forPublic Engagement ). This is where citizens help scientists set research agendas and researchquestions at Universities.

4. Next, there are amateur naturalists, astronomers and others who have become used to engagingwith professionals in the shaping of scientific research. Here, citizens are experts too. See, for anillustration of this, the Amateurs as experts (pdf) project run by the Natural History Museum andLancaster University. Looking to innovation more broadly, there is plenty of evidence for user -driven design and engineering . And the Open Source computing movement is pretty well-established.

5. There are a number of cases of patient engagement in research, where citizens i nterest in sciencehas been thrust upon them by circumstance. The best-told story of this is from Steve Epstein, whodescribes how AIDS patients in the 1980s grabbed scientists research agen das and twisted themtowards greater relevance, becoming experts themselves in the process.

6. Finally, youve got the really disruptive stuff, in which particular circumstances reveal a knowledgevacuum that concerned citizens act to fill. My favourite example is of the parents of a child with arare genetic disorder who initiated and managed their own research programme and did some of the science. The mother, Sharon Terry, is now a patent holder on the gene for the disease .

Public engagement in the production of science is one side of the story. The other side of Big Societyscience is the governance of science. Here, the trend is towards greater engagement as policymakers and

the scientific community take the lessons from controversies around GM crops and Mad Cow Disease intodebates on nanotechnology, synthetic biology and geoengineering. The emerging realisation is that thegroup of people involved in discussions about the how, what and why of science needs to be expandedbeyond the scientific community. Philosopher Bruno Latour, writing in Science , throws down a gauntlet:

Scientists now have the choice of maintaining a 19th -century ideal of science or elaborating withall of us, the hoi polloi an ideal of research better adjusted to the collective experiment on whichwe are all embarked.

Latours suggestion is that science moves, like medicine is starting to do, beyond paternalism. Innovation,in this way of thinking, becomes a task for society at large, steered by its social, as well as economic,

value (Simon Denegri from the AMRC has an interesting take on this here ). Maybe this collectiveexperimentation is the real task of the Big Society science.
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/http://www.galaxyzoo.org/http://www.galaxyzoo.org/http://www.galaxyzoo.org/http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/projects/ieppp/amateurs/docs/nature%20who%20knows.pdfhttp://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/projects/ieppp/amateurs/docs/nature%20who%20knows.pdfhttp://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/projects/ieppp/amateurs/docs/nature%20who%20knows.pdfhttp://web.mit.edu/evhippel/www/books.htmhttp://web.mit.edu/evhippel/www/books.htmhttp://web.mit.edu/evhippel/www/books.htmhttp://web.mit.edu/evhippel/www/books.htmhttp://web.mit.edu/evhippel/www/books.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_sourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_sourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_sourcehttp://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520214453http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520214453http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520214453http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520214453http://jonasoberg.net/files/jonasoberg.net/Citizen_Scientists_-_web.pdfhttp://jonasoberg.net/files/jonasoberg.net/Citizen_Scientists_-_web.pdfhttp://jonasoberg.net/files/jonasoberg.net/Citizen_Scientists_-_web.pdfhttp://jonasoberg.net/files/jonasoberg.net/Citizen_Scientists_-_web.pdfhttp://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/305/5688/1226ahttp://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/305/5688/1226ahttp://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/305/5688/1226ahttp://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/280/5361/208http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/280/5361/208http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/280/5361/208http://ceoamrc.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/science-in-a-big-society/http://ceoamrc.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/science-in-a-big-society/http://ceoamrc.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/science-in-a-big-society/http://sciencestudies.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/dep_sciencestudies/pdf_files/taking_european_knowledge_society_seriously.pdfhttp://sciencestudies.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/dep_sciencestudies/pdf_files/taking_european_knowledge_society_seriously.pdfhttp://sciencestudies.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/dep_sciencestudies/pdf_files/taking_european_knowledge_society_seriously.pdfhttp://sciencestudies.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/dep_sciencestudies/pdf_files/taking_european_knowledge_society_seriously.pdfhttp://sciencestudies.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/dep_sciencestudies/pdf_files/taking_european_knowledge_society_seriously.pdfhttp://sciencestudies.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/dep_sciencestudies/pdf_files/taking_european_knowledge_society_seriously.pdfhttp://ceoamrc.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/science-in-a-big-society/http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/280/5361/208http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/305/5688/1226ahttp://jonasoberg.net/files/jonasoberg.net/Citizen_Scientists_-_web.pdfhttp://jonasoberg.net/files/jonasoberg.net/Citizen_Scientists_-_web.pdfhttp://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520214453http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520214453http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_sourcehttp://web.mit.edu/evhippel/www/books.htmhttp://web.mit.edu/evhippel/www/books.htmhttp://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/projects/ieppp/amateurs/docs/nature%20who%20knows.pdfhttp://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/http://www.galaxyzoo.org/http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/


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(P.S. For French social theory fans, Michel Callon is another obligatory passage point).

Posted in Policy for science

2010/11/02 Exquisite Life: What to expect from the Government's response to the Browne Review of student fees

The dominating feature of the Coalition's response to the Browne Review is velocity. Ministers seem

determined to move at speed to get stability on the financial questions. Consequently, the government'sposition has been evolving day by day as it has sought to build support among Liberal Democrat MPs for acompromise policy. All questions of substance have to be seen in the context of the political drive for anearly settlement.

The high-tempo choreography was outlined in his speech to vice chancellors by David Willetts two weeksago. The Coalition is aiming for a three step legislative process that, if things go badly for ministers (anduniversities), might end up being two steps.

Timetable

The first step is to bring proposals forward before Christmas on "regulation of graduate contributionlevels". This clearly involves the level of any cap on fees. Legislatively, there seem to be two options here.The government can push for a simple vote to raise the current fees cap, a procedure enabled by theexisting legislation, and combine this with proposals (vague or detailed, soft or solid) for other aspects of regulation of fees that can be worked into the later legislative steps. Or it can push forward with primarylegislation on this specific question.

The second step is to bring forward "early" proposals to change the rate of interest and repaymentmechanism for loans, in line with Browne's proposals. Willetts' language leaves open the possibility thatthis step could be at the same time as the first step above. But if so, all of this will be primary legislation,excluding the option of a simple vote on the fees cap.

The third step is to get a general higher education bill through at leisure next year.

There are powerful reasons for the velocity. The sooner there is a guarantee that student-based finance isavailable to replace cuts in government teaching grants, the sooner the Treasury and universities can relax.The Treasury can stop worrying that the spending settlement for the Department of Business Innovationand Skills will get reopened amidst a Coalition crisis . Universities can start to believe in and plan for higherfees. Never mind that it is the abrupt cuts at BIS that make the velocity necessary, student prospectusesare due at the printers in April.

Honeymoon

High velocity also provides political momentum. By keeping the pace up, ministers can try to stay a stepahead of opposition and use the lingering honeymoon with voters to complete their deals with a minimumof damaging media coverage.

Plan A for ministers must be to start with a simple vote on raising the fees cap. This is the one thing thatcan be done quickly. It is also the crucial hurdle, the hardest to muster the votes in the House of Commonsfor and the one involving the big reputational hit for the Lib Dems. If they can get this through, then theodd instability of the Coalition's situation on fees will have been neutralised. The potentially government-defeating Lib Dem rebellion will be history. Fees and Browne will just become another area of policy, to bedealt with like everything else. Velocity will have triumphed.
http://sts.sagepub.com/content/4/1/81.extracthttp://sts.sagepub.com/content/4/1/81.extracthttp://sts.sagepub.com/content/4/1/81.extracthttp://blogs.royalsociety.org/in-verba/category/policy-for-science/http://blogs.royalsociety.org/in-verba/category/policy-for-science/http://blogs.royalsociety.org/in-verba/category/policy-for-science/http://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/what-is-stunning-about-this-speech-is-the-difference-between-what-willetts-said-here-in-front-of-the-audience-of-vice-chancel.htmlhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/what-is-stunning-about-this-speech-is-the-difference-between-what-willetts-said-here-in-front-of-the-audience-of-vice-chancel.htmlhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/what-is-stunning-about-this-speech-is-the-difference-between-what-willetts-said-here-in-front-of-the-audience-of-vice-chancel.htmlhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/why-david-cameron-may-have-to-nuke-the-lib-dems-on-student-fees.htmlhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/why-david-cameron-may-have-to-nuke-the-lib-dems-on-student-fees.htmlhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/why-david-cameron-may-have-to-nuke-the-lib-dems-on-student-fees.htmlhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/08/coalition-politics-graduate-taxes-and-the-browne-review.htmlhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/08/coalition-politics-graduate-taxes-and-the-browne-review.htmlhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/08/coalition-politics-graduate-taxes-and-the-browne-review.htmlhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/why-david-cameron-may-have-to-nuke-the-lib-dems-on-student-fees.htmlhttp://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/10/what-is-stunning-about-this-speech-is-the-difference-between-what-willetts-said-here-in-front-of-the-audience-of-vice-chancel.htmlhttp://blogs.royalsociety.org/in-verba/category/policy-for-science/http://sts.sagepub.com/content/4/1/81.extract


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But it is also the riskiest path. A simple vote to double or treble the cap on fees inevitably paints the policyin a harsh light. Everything ministers want to say about the reforms being progressive will fade into thebackground. All that will be visible will be a number such as 9,000 a year that, to most families, will lookexpensive.

Betrayal

The harsh light will also cast a shadow of pure betrayal over any Lib Dem MPs who don't vote No. Therecould be no more stark way for these MPs to tell voters they are breaking their pledge to vote aginst a risein fees, a point the National Union of Students is ready to reinforce. In addition, what makes this routeattractive to ministers makes it unattractive to Lib Dem MPs who want to shift the reforms in a progressivedirection. Once this vote is through, they have lost most of their ability to affect events.

For this reason, this route risks maximising both the number of Lib Dem rebels and, more importantly, the(seemingly receding) possibility that Lib Dem MPs - including ministers - will be whipped to abstain on thevote. On this point, Simon Hughes , the deputy leader of the parliamentary party, is the key figure amongthe key swing group of Lib Dem MPs. These are the MPs that are not either Clegg loyalists or committed toa No on a vote to raise fees.

Crisis

And this route also guarantees that Labour (and probably the minor parties) will vote unanimously againstthe proposal. So this is the route with the largest probablity of the government suffering a defeat. Hence,this route will bring the debate over higher fees, like a fever, to a rapid crisis. Either the Lib Dem MPs'resistance collapses and they face a humiliation of honour. Or the government loses the vote and it suffersa humiliation of power.

Plan B presumably is to deal first with just the core financial questions listed by Willetts, ie the move tohigher fees, real interest rates on loans and the repayment mechanism. This is the two-step approach. Itrequires primary legislation, but without all the subsidiary detail involved in the full range of reforms. Thismeans no votes until 2011, though presumably by April when the marketing presses are due to startrolling. That looks tight in terms of drafting and committees. And by this point cuts will be biting, thehoneymoon will be over, the papers may have become bored by saying how good Browne is and criticismbased on detailed critiques of the reforms will have had time to build. As a strategy for winning trickyvotes, it lacks velocity.

So much for timing. What about substance?

Expensive concessions

In keeping with a high-velocity strategy, the Coalition has already made a series of rapid - and expensve -concessions to Lib Dem opinion.

First, ministers agreed to lift the threshold at which graduates start repaying fees from 15,000 to 21,000.That ramps up the likely cost of loans that are never repaid in full. In turn, this ramps up the cost of the"insurance premium" required to cover that loss.

Then they agreed to scrap Browne's plans for a levy on high fees to pay the insurance premium.

Then they came up with 150m to pay for scholarships for poorer students.

Then they agreed to impose a cap on fees.

All that's in the public record, straight from ministers themselves. In addition, a 9k cap on fees withstrings attached from 6k is likely to be announced. Along with a higher interest rate on loans, in order to
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cover the funding gap left by the abandonment of the levy. And Lib Dems have been pushing for a biggerscholarship fund and stronger provisions to widen participation. And early redemption penalties forwealthy students who want to pay off loans early.

Whatever Cable tells us tomorrow, he's already told us a lot of it.

See also our live blog of the government's response to Browne.

Posted by William Cullerne Bown at 18:35:36 in Browne review ,David Willetts , Vince Cable

2010/11/03 HOC S&T COMMITTEE

TRANSCRIPT: THE GOVERNMENT O FFICE FOR

SCIENCE ANNUAL REVIEW 2009UNCORRECTED TRANSCRIPT OF ORAL EVIDENCE To be published as HC 546-i

HOUSE OF COMMONS

ORAL EVIDENCE

TAKEN before THE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Committee

The Government Office for Science Annual Review 2009

Wednesday 27 October 2010Professor Sir John Beddington

Members present:

Andrew Miller (Chair)

Stephen Metcalfe

Stephen Mosley

Pamela NashGraham Stringer

Roger Williams

________

Examination of Witness

Witness: Professor Sir John Beddington, Government Chief Scientific Adviser, gave evidence.

Q1 Chair: Sir John, thank you very much for coming this morning. I am sure you would have liked to be a flyon the wall at our earlier session, no doubt.
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Professor Sir John Beddington: Regrettably, I wasnt, Chairman.

Q2 Chair: We want to cover the Government Office for Science this morning in some detail. How effectivedo you think the Government Office has been in the past 12 months?

Professor Sir John Beddington: Thats actually quite a difficult question because Im a modest man. I thinkwe have done well. I think you can see the benefit of a lot of the ways in which the Government Office forScience has operated in the result of the CSR. I think it was absolutely essential that we were able toprovide at the highest level to the Government appropriate information about the importance of thescience and engineering base in the country, and the evidence base that was produced in part by theGovernment Office for Science but also by Adrian Smith and his team in BIS has been enormouslyimportant in achieving what I believe to be a very successful settlement. If you ask me what the successeswere in the Government Office for Science, I would point to that one as being reasonably important.

There are a number of things also which are of importance. One of them is the acceptance by the CivilService Board that I should take up a programme of reviews of the quality of science and engineeringacross all Government Departments. To an extent, I inherited that from my predecessor, Sir David King, buthis reviews were of a rather different type and we are actually in the process of conducting those reviews

on all Departments, including those Departments which you wouldnt see, prima facie, as a major user of science, in the labcoat mathematics sense. Those reviews have now extended, and I think that has beenvery successful, to involve other heads of analysis and concerns. For example, we did a review of theDepartment for Education in which we had people from the statistics field and the social science field aspart of the review team. Those are on-going.

We have had to slightly alter the programme. The aim was to finish the entire period of reviews so thatevery Government Department would have had a review by March 2011. Resource constraints, which youwill be fairly familiar with, means that is going to extend probably into the autumn of 2011. I think thatwould be a second thing I would point to as a success and importance for the Department.

The network of Chief Scientific Advisers has done well. As you know, and I wont repeat it, we now have itin each of the main scientific Departments. We meet regularly. We meet every Wednesday for a breakfastmeeting. Clearly, not everybody can attend because of diaries but we usually have a good attendance.Today we had 10. The Science Minister, David Willetts, comes to these occasionally. In fact, he was at thebreakfast meeting this morning, so it is a good way of actually getting a proper network acrossGovernment of science and engineering. That is another thing I would point to that is an on-going andcontinuing success.

The other area that has expanded, and it was started in the previous year but I think it is now working verywell, is the Governments Science and Engineering Community. We now have well in excess of 3,000members. Weve had regular meetings. My job as head of the science and engineering profession inGovernment has been recognised and we are taking it forward. We have 3,000 or so fairly active members.We have had, I think, three conferences this year. Another one is planned for early next year, and we willhave an on-going programme dealing with a whole range of matters. The forthcoming one is actually onScience in the International Domain. One of the ones we have had this year was, for example, ConveyingUncertainty in Science. So thats another area that I am proud of.

I could go on but I will not, I promise you. I would also single out the Foresight work that is going very well.We will be reporting on the Foresight Study on the Future of Food and Farming almost certainly early inJanuary. The work is pretty much finalised but I think we will be reporting on that in January. We have aForesight Study on International Migration looking at issues of the major drivers of international migration.

That is likely to be reporting round about this time next year. We also had reports during the year-one onLand Use and one on Mental Capital and Wellbeing.


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We have just started and had the first meeting of the Lead Expert Group for this study, which is sponsoredby Her Majestys Treasury, which is looking at the future of computer trading in financial markets andposing questions about the increasing use of high speed computers, high speed trading and the increasingproportion of trades on many markets which are being done by algorithms rather than human traders. Weare posing too, in a sense, I suppose, engineering questions about the financial system. We had our firstmeeting at the Bank of England this week. So that is where the Foresight Group is going.

Next week we will be publishing some work on Horizon Scanning, looking at new technologies which willhave the potential for a significant benefit to Britain-technologies where, essentially, the necessaryconditions are that there is some degree of comparative advantage in our science and engineering basebut also the potential for working forward.

Finally-and I do promise you, Chairman, that I will then stop but you asked me a very open-endedquestion-the Council for Science and Technology has put in a number of reports. In particular, the one Iwould want to highlight is that on infrastructure, which has been accepted. The Treasury has nowresponded. There is a programme on developing and looking at the future of our infrastructure. BrianCollins, the Chief Scientific Adviser, both in BIS and the Department for Transport, chaired an expert groupat the Treasury this week to look at the problems of getting proper science and engineering advice and

how we develop the infrastructure in the UK. I will pause there, Chairman.

Chair: That was very helpful.

Professor Sir John Beddington: I am very sorry, but it is a very open-ended question.

Q3 Chair: Just to comment on the first part of your comments in terms of the settlement, it was interestingto contrast your response there with David Willetts yesterday, who said that the science community,including the protesters outside the Treasury, did a good job. Perhaps all the science community did.

Professor Sir John Beddington: I am very proud of the science community as a whole, Chairman.

Q4 Chair: In which areas do you think you could have improved your working?

Professor Sir John Beddington: I think the area where I feel we could do better is actually making certainthat we link in better with the social science analysis community. We have a number of Departmentswhere social science or statistics or, I suppose, economics are the main scientific activities and to anextent, historically, we have been neglecting that. We now have Chief Scientific Advisers in thosedepartments, many of whom have a background usually in economics, sometimes in statistics, but that isan area where, I believe, we need to build on it. Social science needs to be built up more and I think on thatI could have done better. It is, arguably, a question of resources.

We were slightly presented with a difficult problem in the sense that Sir Paul Wiles, who was Chief Scientific Adviser at the Home Office and also Head of Social Science in Government retired. We recruitedBernard Silverman as the Chief Scientific Adviser in the Home Office, but Bernard is a statistician, withprimarily a mathematical rather than a social science background. So that has left a bit of a gap and this iswork in progress. It is difficult. We have two people who are acting as heads of the social science researchprofession in Government and they are doing an excellent job. But I do think we need to be thinking aboutit.

The attraction of this is that we now have a new head of the ESRC, Paul Boyle, with whom I have alreadyhad conversations about trying to engage with the social science community to deal with some of these bigissues in Government. So I singled that one out as one area where I think "Could do better" would be a

reasonable comment.


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I won t go on as long. I can think of other areas where I could do better but I think they are more to do withresources and so on. I dont think we made what I would perceive as any significant mistakes and I dontbelieve that we have actually had enormous omissions other than those that are driven by resources.

Q5 Chair: Should the Committee, perhaps, re-think its position on the desirability of a Chief ScientificOfficer at the Treasury, or do you think the need is even greater now?

Professor Sir John Beddington: I do believe it would be sensible to have a Chief Scientific Adviser in theTreasury. It is a thing I have discussed with Nick Macpherson, the Permanent Secretary in the Treasury. Inthe run-up to the CSR I did have meetings with the Senior Management Board of the Treasury, which Nickchairs. We were discussing primarily the Science Settlement and there are people in the Treasury who doabsolutely know a lot about science and the importance of science, but I dont think that is a substitute foractually having somebody who comes in from outside who has an appropriate external experience of science and engineering. I do think it is still important. The last month or so has been quite busy, so it is nota thing I have been pursuing with much energy, I confess.

Q6 Roger Williams: I was very pleased that the Comprehensive Spending Review process identified scienceas important in ensuring that the economy in this country flourishes. But, of course, it did have some more

negative effects as well, particularly in cutting administration. Could you perhaps say how cuts inadministration might affect your particular role and your department?

Professor Sir John Beddington: Yes. We all have to recognise that we need to do more with less. Within myown department, it forms, as you will know, part of BIS, not in the sense that I report to BIS Ministers butwe are part of BIS, if you like, for pay and rations. The agreement I have within BIS is that we will be takingexactly the same proportional cut on administration as it will. There will be no special preferences.

Within my own department, obviously, we have a big agenda. One of the implications I mentioned earlierwas that we are having to slow the pace of our reviews of science and engineering in departments. Thatwill take six months longer now than it would have done if we had not had to cut back on resources. The

current structure is that I have a deputy and four senior people in the senior Civil Service who report viahim to me. I think that will drop from four to three, and 25% is the figure. That, obviously, will presentproblems but we will have to address it.

On the extent that I feel we are not viable, I dont believe that. I think we can deliver on what theexpectations are with a reduced group. I think the way I am going to try to organise it is that some thingsmay take a bit longer, rather than us omitting things. I think that is my philosophy of dealing with theseproblems.

Q7 Roger Williams: You have already said that there may be a delay in a review of the effectiveness of scientific advice across the Departments. Are there any other particular areas, given the fact that BIS said it

was going to reduce expenditure on administration by 400 million?

Professor Sir John Beddington: We will take our proport ional hit. My budget is of the order of 5 million, of that sort, so we will be taking a hit. It is early days yet. The CSR is just out. Quite how exactly that is goingto be working needs still to be worked out. I think the concerns I have are that we will have to cut back inparticular areas, we will have to make choices, but my aim will be that nothing is omitted. But sometimes itwill take a little bit longer to actually do. That will be the way I will try to address those issues.

Q8 Roger Williams: Could you give us an overall view on how the outcome of the Comprehensive SpendingReview will affect UK science?

Professor Sir John Beddington: Yes. I can give you my view. I wouldnt say it would be definitive, MrWilliams. First of all, since the review, I have been talking to a lot of senior scientists and engineers out in


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the community. I have also had the opportunity to talk to a number of senior industrialists. I think, by andlarge, the overall view is that this is an excellent settlement and shows its commitment to science andengineering in taking it forward.

In the context of how British science is, we have always been highly productive but there are always goingto be some efficiencies. I think over the next couple of months we have got to be thinking about ways of doing things in a more efficient and more cost-effective manner. I think the message that it sends out,though, in the context of a very significant reduction in Government spending, is that there is a flat-cashsettlement and potential efficiency savings. I think Bill Wakeham identified some in his Review of Physicswhere we could actually improve things. Some of the assistance in terms of some of the capital spend, the200 million from the Department of Health going into the CMRI, will a lso help things.

I think it is looking attractive. If you look across to other areas, one of the major spenders in R&D is theMinistry of Defence. You would have to talk to the Ministry for exact details- I dont think it is publiclyknown-but my understanding is that there is a relatively good settlement for R&D at the Ministry of Defence.

What I am concerned about and I am actively engaged in at the moment is the research base-the

universities, the science base and the research councils and their institutes. Where we have not got agreedfunding and where we have not got, as it were, a ring-fence to defend that is within the research anddevelopment in Government Departments themselves. So it was agreed earlier on this year by the newcoalition Government that where Departments were actually having plans to cut their R&D spend theywould be required to consult with the Treasury and myself. Most of the plans that were going up to theCSR were at too general a level to be able to actually assess that. So I have discussed that with NickMacpherson, the Permanent Secretary in the Treasury, and we will be starting a programme of engagingwith each of the Departments over the next couple of months to look at their R&D spend and see how theyare changing it.

The key thing here is that we are trying to ensure that what is optimal for an individual Department is notsub-optimal for the Government as a whole, because cuts in one Department will have knock-on effects inanother. So part of the job of the Treasury, and which I will be taking on, is to ask questions about thesevarious proposals.

We will put a timetable really led by Departments. Some Departments have already well articulated theirplans and they are wanting to have that examination starting very soon. We will probably be starting it atthe latest the week after next but probably next week. We will just have to explore the Departments. Sothat process is going to be on-going. It will enable us to look, at the end of that process, at what the overallscience spend has been, not just in terms of the research councils but also in terms of the actual sciencethat goes on in Government Departments. At the end of that process, I think we will be in a position to

indicate what that looks like.Quite clearly, given the administrative problems and the overall cut to a number of Departments there willbe an issue in which they will be making choices. The good thing, I think, is that at least we will have achance for the Treasury and me to debate those choices with them and pose issues about cross-Government work.

Q9 Roger Williams: If you had real reservations about the way in which a particular Department wasplanning to continue expenditure and investment in science, how would you make your views known andwhere does the influence come along that line?

Professor Sir John Beddington: I would, first of all, make it known to the Permanent Secretary.

Q10 Roger Williams: In the Department?


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Professor Sir John Beddington: In the Department concerned and say, "Look, Im really worried about thisfor the following reasons", and, hopefully, one could have a debate that would resolve it. That would bethe first way. Permanent Secretaries will have a letter. They know this is happening and will be expecting it.

In the event that there was a real problem, and I suspect the main problem will be cross-Government, Iwould try to engage the discussion between the Permanent Secretaries in the Departments concerned towiden it and hope to get it resolved there. Ultimately, I suppose, it is a question for Ministers to decide.Then I would raise it with the appropriate Secretaries of State. That doesnt mean to say they would agreewith me but I do, at least, have the measures to raise the issue and have a rational discussion about it. Ithink the fact that this is being done jointly with the Treasury is obviously important.

Q11 Roger Williams: People have argued that one of the strengths of the system of quangos that we havehad in this country is that Government were able to receive very independent scientific advice on somedifficult issues. The perception amongst the people of this country was that that was independent. Thereare proposals to reduce the number of quangos that would give that sort of advice. What are your viewson that?

Professor Sir John Beddington: I engaged very early on with the Cabinet Office in these discussions. One of

the main issues is that, first of all, some of the organisations had lost their function. So I think that theclosure of those will have no particular deleterious effect and in fact the benefit of some money-saving.However, quite clearly, across Government there are a number of areas where we do need independentscientific advice. What I have actually got is a complete assurance that where there has hitherto been, as itwere, a non-department public body-a quango, if you will-providing scientific advice, if the terms of reference of that are moved to the Department and you have, as it were, within particular Departments anadvisory committee, those committees will still operate in exactly the way that is determined by theCOPSAC formula that we have actually set out and by the principles for underlying scientific advice toGovernment, which were accepted by the previous Government and have been endorsed by the currentGovernment and, indeed,

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