Comment on Scientific advice, Risk and Evidence Based Policy Making Report

12.01.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 8th Nov 2006

Commenting on the publication of the Science and Technology Committee's report on Scientific advice and evidence-based policy making, Dr Evan Harris, Lib Dem member of the Committee, said: [on recommendations 34 -41,48 - see below}

"It is vital that the language of evidence-based policy-making does not get corrupted by ill-founded claims by Government or, for that matter, opposition parties. There are plenty of reasons why policy may not be based on evidence or good research but to claim it is equivalent to deception, and to distort the evidence to fit the policy is scientific fraud."

"That is why it is vital that claims of evidence-based policy must be capable of checking and we recommend that ministers back up such claims with transparent statements and publication policies"

On the precautionary principle, [recommendations 60-62 - see below] where the select committee recommended ending the use of the term, he said:

"The precautionary principle is a term so vague, abused and misconstrued that it should be abandoned. Instead the Government should pioneer the development of a well-defined precautionary approach which will not be used to blight technological advance nor allow dangerous scientific adventurism."