31/07/07 Dr Peter Cotgreave
CaSE today bid a fond farewell to Dr Peter Cotgreave as he
leaves to become Director of Public Affairs at the Royal Society in
September. Peter has been director of CaSE for over 9 years, leading
an expansion in CaSE’s membership and activities. Baroness Margaret
Sharp, of CaSE’s Advisory Council, commented “That we
have been able to move on now from ‘Saving British Science’
to campaigning to maintain a high profile for science and engineering
is in no small part thanks to your diligence and leadership”.
CaSE will be advertising for a new Director in August, and Dr Hilary
Leevers will become Acting Director until the new appointment is made.
30/07/07 Peter Cotgreave and Hilary Leevers met with Clive Cookson
of the Financial Times
26/07/07 Peter Cotgreave and Hilary Leevers met with Melanie Newman
of the Times Higher Education Supplement
25/07/07 Parliamentary scrutiny
of science
CaSE was today pleased to hear the Leader of the House of
Commons say she had responded specifically to CaSE's concerns about
scrutiny of science. Speaking in a debate about the Select Committee
structure following the changes to Government departments, Harriet
Harman said CaSE's letter had influenced the decision to appoint extra
members to the Innovation, Universities and Skills Committee in order
to ensure that it could service a dedicated Science & Technology
Sub-Committee to cover the cross-departmental issues that the Science
& Technology Committee have dealt with over the past decade and
a half. "We still have reservations about the new structure,"
said Dr Peter Cotgreave, Director of CaSE, "and would have preferred
the Commons to have retained the powerful scrutiny afforded by a proper,
full Science & Technology Committee."
read
CaSE's letter to the Leader of the House
23/07/07 New Office of Science
CaSE today gave a qualified welcome to the Government's creation of
a new Office of Science. CaSE said it was extremely positive that
the importance of science was recognised by the setting up of an entity
within the Government machine, ministers had sent a strong signal.
But CaSE added: "Having the Chief Scientific Adviser's office
in the DIUS presents a danger that the incumbent could be seen as
more closely entrenched into the department, and weakening his link
to the Prime Minister. The Chief Scientist has always had a desk in
the Cabinet Office, but people may now see the DIUS as his real home".
20/07/07 Shortage
of New Specialist Teachers
CaSE was alarmed to find out that just 279 physics specialists
and 371 chemistry specialists achieved qualified teacher status in
2005/6. Although new figures announced by the teacher’s Training
and Development Agency (TDA) showed a slight increase in the number
of newly qualified science teachers, to 2,975, this rise was not in
the subjects that most need it. Furthermore, there was a slight drop
in the number of newly qualified mathematics teachers to 1,970. While
the TDA was pleased to announce “New Teachers Best Qualified
for Generations”, with an average of 58% attaining a 2.1 or
1st degree class, the corresponding figure was 48% for the sciences
and 42% for mathematics.
20/07/07 Scrutiny of science policy
CaSE today again pressed for Parliament to retain its scrutiny
of Government science policy. Joining with others in a letter to the
Guardian, 23 members of CaSE's Advisory Council and Executive
Committee point out that the Government has acquired a good reputation
in the world of supporting science, and that it could enhance that
reputation by maintaining a science committee in the House of Commons.
"This letter is signed by the Presidents of both the Royal Society
and the Royal Academy of Engineering, by several Nobel prizewinners.
You can't argue with them. The Commons has to retain proper srcutiny
of science".
read
the letter
13/07/07 Science in Parliament
CaSE today joined with other science organisations to urge Parliament
to retain its scrutiny of Government science policies. In a letter
to The Times, the chief executives of five major science
societies, including the Director of CaSE, point out the cross-governmental
nature of the Science & Technology Committee of the House of Commons,
and that fact that science is the heart of many of the leading issues
facing the UK.
read
the letter
11/07/07 Supply of scientists
CaSE today urged the Government to ensure the supply of scientists
for the economy. In an interview for Scitizen, CaSE argues that the
really big problem for UK science at the moment is ensuring that we
will have enough scientists in the future. Arguing that the recent
increases in funding for science have been highly beneficial, CaSE
points out that the world of science and innovation is highly competitive
environment, and the UK needs to ensure it can win that competition.
CaSE says the new organisation of science in Government offers some
opportunities, but the Department for Innovation, Universities and
Skills will need to work extremely closely with the new Department
for Children and Schools if the next generation of researchers and
innovators is to come up through the education system
read
the interview
10/07/07 Select Committee on science
CaSE was today pleased to learn that the entire scientific community
is strongly pressing the retention of the Science & Technology
Committee in the House of Commons. "We wrote to the Leader of
the House last week when it became clear that the reorganisation of
Government could have the unintended knock-on effect of killing off
this crucial committee," said Dr Peter Cotgreave, Director of
CaSE. "At a meeting of the Foundation for Science & Technology
today, addressed by the Chair of the current committee, it became
very plain that everyone from the science and engineering community,
including researchers, businesspeople and educationalists, all think
it would be crazy to lose an institution that has played such an important
part in debating and developing science policy.
09/07/07 Science in Government
CaSE was today delighted to hear the new science minister
say that 'science will run through the heart' of Government policies.
Speaking after a debate in science policy in the House of Commons,
Dr Peter Cotgreave, Director of CaSE said, "this was a good debate,
based on a report that CaSE contributed to with both written and oral
evidence. Many of the points we made were raised in the debate, and
the minister responded positively."
05/07/07 Knowledge Economy
CaSE today urged business and the Government to do more to
generate the skills and the research environment for a knowledge economy
to flourish. Speaking at a seminar organised by the Work Foundation,
CaSE told representatives of the Treasury and the Department for Innovation
Universities and Skills that unless the problems of science in schools
are tackled, the UK will be in danger of not having the skilled workforce
needed to operate a knowledge economy in the future. CaSE also urged
business leaders from a variety of sectors to do more to engage with
the universities to make better use of the skills and knowledge they
create.
05/07/07 Peter Cotgreave attended the Royal Society's Summer Soiree
05/07/07 Peter Cotgreave attended a meeting of the Parliamentary
Affairs Committee of the Royal Society of Chemistry
04/07/07 Peter Cotgreave attended the Royal Society of Chemistry's
Summer Party
04/07/07 Peter Cotgreave attended the Treasury's Innovation Team
Summer Party
04/07/07 New Science Minister
CaSE today welcomed the appointment of Ian Pearson as the new science
minister. Commenting after the official announcement that
Mr Pearson will have responsibility for science policy in the new
Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills, Dr Peter Cotgreave,
Director of CaSE said, "The focus on innovation in the new Government
structure means that Ian Pearson will be able to concentrate on some
of the issues that really matter, and we look forward to working with
him. He will have a lot on his plate, not least building really strong
links with the new Business ministry and the Schools ministry."
04/07/07 Science Select Committee
CaSE today urged the Government and Parliament to retain
a Science & Technology Select Committee in the House of Commons.
"I have written to the Leader of the House and I know that colleagues
in other science and engineering institutions have done the same.
The Science & Technology Committee does not Shadow a particular
ministry like other Select Committees because of the unique cross-departmental
role that science and engineering have. It's crucial that Parliamentarians
from all parties continue to be able to play this important role."
|
