SipSCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT - www.scienceinparliament.org.uk - Medical Testing Designs for Life

Page created by Lois Rodgers
 
CONTINUE READING
SipSCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT - www.scienceinparliament.org.uk - Medical Testing Designs for Life
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09   5/10/09   10:21   Page 1

                                                sip

                                                                        Autumn 2009
    Medical Testing                             SCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT

    Designs for Life
    Nanotechnology
    Carbon Capture and Storage

               The Journal of the
               Parliamentary and
               Scientific Committee

    www.scienceinparliament.org.uk
SipSCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT - www.scienceinparliament.org.uk - Medical Testing Designs for Life
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09   5/10/09   10:21   Page 2

                                                ‘ Now more than ever we need to celebrate
                                                  our country’s achievements in science and
                                                  we need to foster new generations that
                                                  understand, appreciate and practise scientific
                                                  method. Hurrah for the Science Museum!’

                                                Stephen Fry
                                                Actor, writer, comedian, presenter

      www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
SipSCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT - www.scienceinparliament.org.uk - Medical Testing Designs for Life
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09         5/10/09     10:16      Page 3

                                                                                                                      sip
        The Government has listened; the HoC Science and Technology Committee                                               SCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT
        is re-established and meets for the first time in October. It will have the
        same Chairman and membership as the Innovation, Universities, Science
        and Skills Committee had, which it replaces, although the Whips will need to
        do a bit of work to fill the vacancies that exist.
        On 23 September I attended the joint 10th Anniversary Celebration of the
        University of Manchester Incubator Company (UMIC) and 5th Anniversary
        Celebration of the University of Manchester’s Intellectual Property
        Commercialisation Company (UMIP). However their success is measured
        this ’portfolio of incubators, based around the Manchester city region,
        catering for companies in the medical/life science and high technology                                              The Journal of the Parliamentary and Scientific
        sectors’ has been remarkably successful. Congratulations to all those             Dr Brian Iddon MP                 Committee.
        pioneers who were brave enough to launch the first Manchester                     Chairman,                         The Committee is an Associate Parliamentary
        bioincubator in 1999, one of the first of its kind.                               Editorial Board                   Group of members of both Houses of
                                                                                          Science in Parliament             Parliament and British members of the
        The requirement for Full Economic Costs (FEC) in research grants in the UK                                          European Parliament, representatives of
        appears to be shifting some industrial research money away from British                                             scientific and technical institutions, industrial
        universities to universities abroad. In any case, what are our Vice-Chancellors                                     organisations and universities.
        doing with this money currently? When the call comes, will they be able to
        produce it to keep their laboratories and workshops at the cutting edge,
        which was the reason for requiring FEC in the first place?
        As we enter the final straight leading to the General Election the dominant
        discussion appears to be how each party will address the need for cuts to
        pay for the debts caused by the ’credit crunch’. Will the science budget
        remain ring fenced, even if Labour can earn a fourth term? In talks with
        academics and other professionals in the education and health sectors I get
        the impression that they are looking for cuts now. For example, the                                                 Science in Parliament has two main objectives:
        University and College Union tell me that they are engaging in some                                                 1. to inform the scientific and industrial
        vigorous discussions with some of our Vice-Chancellors, who are proposing                                              communities of activities within Parliament
                                                                                                                               of a scientific nature and of the progress of
        significant ’restructuring’ in their universities.
                                                                                                                               relevant legislation;
        According to the Trans Atlantic Think Tank for Toxicology at John Hopkins                                           2. to keep Members of Parliament abreast of
        University in Baltimore the cost of REACH compliance may be six times                                                  scientific affairs.
        previous estimates and use twenty times more animals. It comes as no
        surprise therefore that animal rights activism is on the rise again. Novartis
        employees have been targeted recently in France and Switzerland, with
        renewed demands that the company severs its links with Huntingdon Life
        Science.

        CONTENTS
        BIOETHICS AND DEMENTIA                            2    CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE –                        POTENTIAL HAZARDS OF
        Professor Albert Weale                                 WILL IT WORK?                20                     NANOTECHNOLOGY                                         38
        SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING AT THE                         Addresses to the P&SC by Charles Hendry MP          Professor Vicki Stone and Dr Rob Aitken
        HEART OF A FUTURE CONSERVATIVE                         and Dr Andy Read                                    SUSTAINABLE ELECTRICITY,
        GOVERNMENT                     3                       ERGONOMICS AT 60 –                                  TRANSPORT FUELS AND HEAT                               40
        Adam Afriyie MP                                        A CELEBRATION                                24     Gordon Taylor
        STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE                           4    Reg Sell                                            HOUSE OF COMMONS SELECT
        Sir Alan Langlands                                     POSTCARD FROM AUSTRALIA                      26     COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND
                                                               Robert Freer                                        TECHNOLOGY                     42
        REGULATING FORENSIC SCIENCE
        QUALITY STANDARDS                                 6    CHINA – SCIENCE AND INNOVATION 27                   HOUSE OF LORDS SCIENCE AND
        Andrew Rennison                                        Dr David Bacon                                      TECHNOLOGY SELECT COMMITTEE 43
        THE GRAND OPENING OF YOUR MIND8                        SCIENCE AND EDUCATION AT THE                        HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARY
        Dr Michael Dixon                                       EDEN PROJECT                                 28     SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT SECTION
                                                               Professor Sir Ghillean Prance                                                      44
        KEW’S MILLENNIUM SEED BANK                      10
        Simon Linington                                        BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY 30                   PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE OF SCIENCE
                                                               Professor Charles Sheppard
                                                                                                                   AND TECHNOLOGY                 45
        MEDICAL TESTING – DO WE WANT
                                                                                                                   SELECTED DEBATES AND
        MORE OR LESS OF IT?          12                        DESIGNS FOR LIFE                             32
                                                                                                                   PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS AND
        Addresses to the P&SC by Professor Michael Baum        THE PARLIAMENTARY AND SCIENTIFIC                    ANSWERS                        47
        and Professor Karol Sikora                             COMMITTEE                      34                   EURO-NEWS                      54
        NANOTECHNOLOGY – SHOULD WE BE                          EPSRC IMPACT!                                35
        WORRIED?                    16                                                                             SCIENCE DIRECTORY              55
        Addresses to the P&SC by Dr Alec Reader,               ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY LINKS                    PARLIAMENTARY AND SCIENTIFIC
        Dr Mike Fisher and Dr Stephanie Lacour                 DAY                            36                   COMMITTEE NEWS                 63
                                                                                                                   SCIENCE DIARY                  64

                                                                                                    Science in Parliament     Vol 66 No 4      Autumn 2009                      1
SipSCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT - www.scienceinparliament.org.uk - Medical Testing Designs for Life
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09      5/10/09      10:16     Page 4

        OPINION

        BIOETHICS AND DEMENTIA:
        A CHALLENGE FOR SCIENCE
                                              Hope, Professor of Medical          However, these criteria alone are   Scotland but not in England or
                                              Ethics at Oxford, spent almost      not enough to make sure that        Wales. The Council will be
                                              two years considering the           there is a fair distribution of     discussing these findings with
                                              difficult dilemmas that people      research funding between the        the major funders of research
                                              with dementia, their carers and     needs of very different parts of    and others in the coming weeks.
                                              healthcare professionals have to    the population. We concluded
                                              face on a day-to-day basis.         that the major research funders
                                                                                                                      THE FUTURE OF
                                                                                                                      DEMENTIA CARE
                                              These include:                      should explain more clearly how
                                                                                  and why they divide their               The report ties in with current
                                              • deciding when and how to
                                                                                  research funds between areas of     policy discussions. A Green
                                                communicate a diagnosis;
        Professor Albert Weale FBA                                                research that have the capacity     Paper ‘Shaping the Future of
        Chair of the Nuffield Council on      • balancing a person’s safety       to benefit very different groups    Care Together’, published in
        Bioethics and Professor of              with their need for               of the population. If necessary,    July, sets out long-term reform
        Government, University of Essex
                                                independence and freedom;         they should take active steps to    proposals on how we as a
                                                                                  support and encourage               society provide care for older
        Chairing the Nuffield                 • deciding what is in the best
                                                                                  researchers to carry out high-      people. To help them prepare
                                                interests of the person with
        Council on Bioethics, a                 dementia, for example when
                                                                                  quality research in dementia.       for future debate around adult
        position which I was                    making decisions about their
                                                                                  More research into the              care, Parliamentarians and other
        honoured to take up                                                       experience of living with           policy makers are invited to
                                                care and treatment;
                                                                                  dementia and how people with        discuss the issues raised by
        in January 2008 for                   • recognising that the needs of                                         caring for people with dementia
                                                                                  dementia can be supported to
        five years, is an                       the person with dementia may      live the best possible lives is     at the Council’s annual
        exciting and unique                     sometimes conflict with the       particularly needed.                ‘Bioethics in Parliament’ event in
        opportunity for                         needs of others, especially                                           the Houses of Parliament. The
                                                carers;                           RESEARCH                            event, to be held on 10th
        someone like me who                                                       PARTICIPATION
                                              • tackling discrimination against                                       November 2009, is supported by
        works on social values                                                                                        Evan Harris MP, Brian Iddon MP,
                                                people with dementia; and             People with dementia who
        and public policy.                                                                                            Earl Howe and Lord Harries of
                                                                                  understand what is involved in a
                                              • deciding what priority to give                                        Pentregarth, and will entail
            It allows me to debate                                                particular research project
                                                to dementia research.                                                 presentations and debate,
        cutting-edge issues in science                                            decide for themselves whether
        and medicine, and to do so with           The Working Party published     or not to take part. Those who      followed by a drinks reception.
        some of the most interesting          its report Dementia: ethical        cannot decide for themselves        For more information contact
        (and pleasant) people in the          issues in October 2009. It found    may be able to take part as long    Catherine Joynson at
        UK. Eminent lawyers, scientists,      that there are many ways in         as a number of legal                cjoynson@nuffieldbioethics.org.
        clinicians, journalists and           which we can work together as       requirements are met. We                Over the next two years the
        philosophers are brought              a society to help people with       concluded that more should be       Council will be considering the
        together. After a thorough            dementia, and their carers, have    done to make it easier for those    rise of genetic testing and online
        process of consultation and           a better quality of life.           who have expressed a wish to        medicine; the implications of
        deliberation, the Council                                                 take part in research to do so.     advances in biofuels; and the
        publishes reports that aim to         RESEARCH PRIORITIES                 For example, clinical trial         donation and use of bodily
        clarify bioethical issues and            One important conclusion         networks, which bring together      material such as gametes, blood,
        influence the development of          was that the amount of funding      doctors and people with             tissue and organs in medical
        policy.                               available for dementia research     dementia who want to take part      treatment and research. At a
                                              appears low, given both the         in research, should be              time when the biosciences
        THE ETHICS OF                         number of people with               encouraged; and the possibility     present us all with challenges
        DEMENTIA                              dementia and the effect             of giving welfare attorneys the     and opportunities, all those on
            Most recently, the Council        dementia has on people’s lives.     power to decide if a person with    the Council hope that their work
        considered the ethical dilemmas       Research funding bodies rightly     dementia should take part in        will be of public benefit and
        raised by dementia. An expert         choose to fund research that is     research should be considered.      advance the public
        Working Party, ably led by Tony       important and high quality.         At present, this is possible in     understanding of bioethics.

        2          Science in Parliament   Vol 66 No 4   Autumn 2009
SipSCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT - www.scienceinparliament.org.uk - Medical Testing Designs for Life
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09        5/10/09   10:16    Page 5

                                                                                                                                        OPINION

        SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
        AT THE HEART OF A FUTURE
        CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT
                                               I was delighted to join with            Second, with the latest              Science and engineering
                                            members of the Innovation,             machinery of government               belong at the heart of
                                            Universities, Science and Skills       changes, science now competes         government policy, and I am
                                            Committee to campaign for a            for attention in a bigger             deeply conscious of the
                                            new science and technology             department than ever before.          contribution they will make to a
                                            committee. And it was                  With both the Science Minister        future Conservative government.
                                            enlightening to speak at the           and the Secretary of State            That’s why I am taking action
                                            recent Parliamentary Links day in      tucked away in the Lords –            now to raise the profile of the
                                            support of the annual exchanges        distant from the usual                STEM subjects in the
                                            between MPs and professional           Commons scrutiny – I will             Conservative Party.
        Adam Afriyie MP
                                            scientists.                            certainly look to the select
                                                                                                                             At this year’s party
                                                                                   committees for help in holding
                                               These events reminded me                                                  conference I will be launching
                                                                                   ministers to account.
                                            that Britain is not just a nation of                                         the Conservative Friends of
                                            bankers and borrowers. We also             Third, Parliament will            Science. The idea has been
                                            have a proud scientific tradition.     continue to rely on its select        greeted warmly and
        The expenses scandal                That tradition deserves                committees and organisations          enthusiastically, and we’re
        shook Parliament to its             recognition in public life on          such as POST to underpin the          delighted that Simon Singh has
        core. The fallout has               more than merely historic              rigour of scientific debate. In the   agreed to say a few words at
                                            grounds.                               course of the next Parliament,        the reception. The group will
        been extensive, and
                                                                                   MPs may be required to tackle a       provide a forum for
        there are now                           I have hopes that the new
                                                                                   range of tricky issues. This could    Parliamentarians, party activists,
        justifiable calls for               Science and Technology
                                                                                   involve anything from the             corporate and individual
        change.                             Committee will rise to that
                                                                                   presence of nano-particles on         members to debate scientific
                                            challenge like its predecessors.
                                                                                   the high street to the use of         issues and inform policy. And it
        One area of                         In fact, there are at least three
                                                                                   genetic information by insurers.      will enable members to help
        Parliamentary activity              reasons why the committee will
                                                                                   So Parliament will need a             promote the STEM subjects
        retains its vitality:               probably gain influence over the
                                                                                   dedicated, cross-departmental         alongside the many
        science. Over the                   coming months and years.
                                                                                   select committee to weigh up          organisations already active in
        course of the year it                   First, the policy focus is quite   the evidence and deliver sound        the field.
        has been a pleasure to              rightly shifting away from the         recommendations.
                                                                                                                             Effective policy is based on
        work with POST (the                 failed economic model of the
                                                                                       This cross-departmental role      sound evidence. That’s why
        Parliamentary Office of             past decade. Attention is quite
                                                                                   is critical. Science is not           science and engineering matter.
                                            rightly turning to the role that
        Science and                                                                restricted to just one Whitehall      The Conservative Friends of
                                            science and innovation can play
        Technology) to                      in rebalancing our lop-sided
                                                                                   department. Whether it’s social       Science will be making a strong
        develop a programme                 economy. Effective scrutiny of
                                                                                   science in the Home Office or         case for science and engineering
        of science literacy                                                        climate science in DECC,              at the heart of Conservative
                                            government science policy will
                                                                                   ministers, officials and              policy-making.
        training for new                    be essential in the years to
                                                                                   Parliamentarians all depend on
        Conservative MPs.                   come.
                                                                                   reliable scientific advice.
                                                                                                                         Adam Afriyie is the Conservative MP
                                                                                                                         for Windsor and Shadow Minister
                                                                                                                         for Science and Innovation.

        . . . events reminded me that Britain is not just a nation of
        bankers and borrowers . . .

                                                                                              Science in Parliament   Vol 66 No 4   Autumn 2009               3
SipSCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT - www.scienceinparliament.org.uk - Medical Testing Designs for Life
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09      5/10/09      10:16     Page 6

        STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE
                                                   I have taken on the Chief          categories in England has             recent data show that the UK
                                               Executive’s role at the Higher         increased from 1.57m in 1998-         arts and humanities community
                                               Education Funding Council for          99 to 1.99m in 2007-08. The           publishes nearly as many
                                               England (HEFCE) at a testing           higher education participation        scholarly papers as the US –
                                               time – universities and colleges       rate increased by two                 33% of the world’s output is
                                               face very tough financial              percentage points to 43.3%            from the UK versus 37% from
                                               conditions and yet they are            between 1999-2000 and 2007-           the US in the period 2006-
                                               crucial to delivering the country’s    08.                                   2008.
                                               twin aims of a vibrant economy
                                                                                          Universities in England are       FUTURE CHALLENGES
                                               and a just society. HEFCE has a
                                                                                      autonomous, self-governing
        Sir Alan Langlands FRSE                key role to play in promoting                              This strong position achieved
                                                                                      bodies. They derive income
        Chief Executive,                       high quality, cost effective                           in recent years is at risk from
        Higher Education Funding Council                                              from multiple sources and the
                                               teaching and research to meet                          intense competition from many
        for England                                                                   overall turnover for 2007-08
                                               the needs of students, the                             other countries, reductions in
                                                                                      (the most recent year for which
                                               economy and society. This                              growth in public spending,
                                                                                      full figures are available) was
                                               needs sustained investment and                         threats to university income and
                                                                                      £19.4bn. HEFCE funding in that
                                               of course university funding will                      fluctuations in the financial and
                                                                                      year was £7.37bn. HEFCE
                                               be centre stage when the fees                          property markets affecting
                                                                                      therefore funds about 37% of
                                               review gets under way later this                       endowment funds and the
                                                                                      the total activity in universities.
                                               year. In the mean time, it is                          redevelopment of our
                                                                      This level of investment –
                                               important to galvanise the                             campuses. In these times of
                                                                  coupled to the Government’s
                                               intellectual, financial and physical                   hard choices, Government, the
                                                                  long-term commitment to
                                               assets in higher education to                          universities, employers, the
                                                                  science and publicly-funded
                                               best effect, striving for excellence                   Research Councils, HEFCE and a
                                               in all that we do. research, and the introduction of wide range of representative
                                                                  variable fees – has enabled UK bodies need to work together to
                                VITAL STATISTICS                  universities to maintain their      build on the international
                                    HEFCE recurrent funding for   international competitiveness       standing of higher education. At
                                2009-10 is £6.4bn – including     whilst supporting the               the very least this means striking
                                £4.7bn for learning and           Government’s policy of              a new balance between public
                                teaching, and research            widening   participation  in higher expenditure and student/
                                allocations of £1.6bn. We also    education.                          employer contributions,
                                provide non-recurrent funding of      There are 17 UK universities developing a sustainable system
                                £1.5bn including capital          in the world’s top 100, 14 of       of student support and, even
                                allocations of £1.2bn. Separate   which are in England. The UK        with some further
                                arrangements exist in the rest of played host to 284,260              improvements in efficiency,
                                the UK, vested in the Higher      international students in 2007-     recognising that quality may well
                                Education Funding Council for     08 and the UK share of              have to be protected at the
                                Wales, the Scottish Funding       international trade in higher       expense of increased volume
                                Council and the Department for education is stable at 11%, the        and new initiatives which fall
                                Employment and Learning in        second-highest country share        outside our core mission of
                                Northern Ireland. HEFCE funding behind the United States. With        higher education and research.
                                has grown by 60% in real terms 1% of the world’s population,
                                since 1998-99 and the total                                           ACTION NOT WORDS
                                                                  the UK achieved 12% of the
                                number of students in all         world’s scientific citations, and       The debate about higher
                                                                                                      education funding will take its
                                                                                                      course over the next twelve to
                                                                                                      twenty-four months but there is
            . . . With 1% of the world’s population, the UK achieved                                  plenty to do in the mean time
                                                                                                      and I envisage that HEFCE,
            12% of the world’s scientific citations. . .                                              universities, colleges and other
                                                                                                      partners will work hard to
                                                                                                      ensure that the quality of

        4          Science in Parliament   Vol 66 No 4   Autumn 2009
SipSCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT - www.scienceinparliament.org.uk - Medical Testing Designs for Life
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09      5/10/09      10:16     Page 7

        teaching continues to be trusted      RESEARCH IN HIGHER
        for the future, that we maintain      EDUCATION
        excellence in research and that
        we work with others for positive
                                                  The plurality of funding for           . . . higher education has proved
                                              university-based research, from
        economic and social results.
                                              public and other sources, is a             to be an asset at national,
        QUALITY AND                           major strength of the UK
                                                                                         regional and local level –
        STANDARDS                             system. HEFCE funding,

            The quality and standards
                                              provided as one leg of dual                generating value of £55bn to
                                              support, enables institutions to
        achieved in higher education                                                     the economy. . .
                                              maintain a dynamic and
        have been in the spotlight over
                                              responsive research base of
        the past year with no shortage
                                              world-leading quality. This
        of media comment about
                                              enables ground-breaking basic
        admissions criteria; the role of
                                              research, with the potential to
        the Quality Assurance Agency                                              WORKING WITH OTHERS                   benefit 50,000 people and
                                              drive future innovation and
        for higher education; and                                                                                       11,700 businesses. Universities
                                              respond quickly to changes in          In return for all this public
        concerns about a dumbing-                                                                                       and colleges have also
                                              the external environment.           investment higher education has
        down of academic standards.                                                                                     demonstrated an ability to
                                              Challenges include:                 proved to be an asset at
        The House of Commons                                                                                            stimulate new markets through
                                                                                  national, regional and local level
        Innovation, Universities, Science     • maintaining the balance                                                 programmes which are co-
                                                                                  – generating value of £55bn to
        and Skills Select Committee and         between funding for curiosity-                                          funded by employers. In 2008-
                                                                                  the economy, and promoting
        a high level sub-committee of           driven research and for work                                            09, employers will be funding
                                                                                  important health and social
        HEFCE have recently reported.           targeted on identified national                                         £7m towards the course costs
                                                                                  benefits.
        The emerging consensus is that          needs and priorities. The                                               of 6,000 FTE on top of HEFCE’s
        there is no evidence of systemic        leading funders (HEFCE, the           HEFCE, working with BIS           £17m. We expect this to
        failure in the present                  UK Research Councils, the         encourages close working              increase to the target of 35,000
        arrangements, but that some             NHS and major charities) are      relationships between higher          entrants by 2010-11.
        improvements need to be                 committed to working together     education and business, public
        made.                                   and engaging with industry to     services and the voluntary            AND FINALLY………
                                                achieve this                      sector. The higher education              Over nearly twenty years I
           Action is required to ensure                                           innovation fund (HEIF) has            have worked for about half my
        that:                                 • developing the new research
                                                                                  been used to establish an             time in and around Whitehall
                                                excellence framework – the
        • the QAA has a more public-                                              institutional infrastructure for      and half as the Principal and
                                                REF – to assess the quality of
          facing remit, re-assuring the                                           commercialisation, innovation         Vice-Chancellor of a University.
                                                research outputs, their impact
          non-expert and adopting a                                               and enterprise. Universities and      My task now is to help broker
                                                on the economy and society
          more flexible approach in its                                           colleges generated £10.3bn in         the partnership between
                                                and the vibrancy and
          audit methodologies                                                     value from users in the period        Government and universities
                                                professionalism of the research
                                                                                  2001-07; and the return on the        and colleges to ensure that we
        • applicants, students, parents         environment. A consultation
                                                                                  HEFCE investment has been             make best use of public money
          and employers should have             document on this new
                                                                                  evidenced at between £4.9-£7.1        and have the high level skills
          ready access to information           approach to assessment has
                                                                                  for every £1 of HEIF.                 and the research base we need
          about programmes of study             just been published
                                                                                      Higher education also plays a     for long-term success. I doubt if
          and what is expected of
                                              • continuing to develop the                                               life will be dull………….
          students who undertake these                                             fundamental role in delivering
                                                infrastructure and human
          programmes                                                               the knowledge and skills
                                                capital required to support
                                                                                   required in a rapidly changing
        • the external examiner system          industry collaborations,                                                Sir Alan Langlands was formerly the
                                                                                   economy, through the supply of       Principal and Vice Chancellor of the
          (a key part of the system of          technology transfer and inward                                          University of Dundee (2000-2009)
                                                                                   graduates but increasingly
          self-regulation and peer review       investment                                                              and Chief Executive of the NHS in
                                                                                   through flexible higher education    England (1994-2000). He also has
          at institutional level) should be
                                                  Strong basic research is a       designed around the needs of         a particular interest in the scientific
          reviewed and sharpened up                                                                                     basis of health services and he
                                              cornerstone of Britain’s success     employers. Universities have
                                                                                                                        chairs the boards of UK Biobank –
           HEFCE and universities will        and, over time, it can make a real shown that they can respond            a major genetic epidemiology study
        also maintain their commitment        difference to our everyday lives. It quickly to business needs,           funded principally by The Wellcome
                                                                                                                        Trust and The Medical Research
        to promoting study in science,        is valued by industry and by         leveraging an additional £31m        Council – and the Health
        technology, engineering and           society but it will continue to      on top of HEFCE investment of        Foundation, a UK-wide charity
        mathematics – boosting                need long term commitment,           £25m to offer rapid support for      committed to improving the quality
                                                                                                                        of healthcare. He is also a co-opted
        demand and provision to meet          time and money. There are no         business and graduates through       member of the Office for the
        the needs of employers and            short cuts on the journey from       the Economic Challenge               Strategic Co-ordination of Health
                                                                                                                        Research.
        new industries.                       the laboratory to the marketplace. Investment Fund. The fund will

                                                                                             Science in Parliament   Vol 66 No 4   Autumn 2009                5
SipSCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT - www.scienceinparliament.org.uk - Medical Testing Designs for Life
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09      5/10/09      10:17     Page 8

        REGULATING FORENSIC
        SCIENCE QUALITY
        STANDARDS
                                                  What are the challenges I        These three facets do not           nothing but help and support
                                              face as the Forensic Science         operate in isolation but are, for   from the forensic science
                                              Regulator? This is a common          the vast majority of forensic       community and from wider
                                              question and one that I              science, interdependent and in      stakeholders such as the Crown
                                              regularly ponder on as my            terms of oversight and              Prosecution Service. I have the
                                              role matures and the                 assessment benefit from a           benefit of continuous and
                                              challenges become clearer; I         single process that is designed     constructive advice from my
                                              stepped into the role in             to assess all three, more on this   Forensic Science Advisory
                                              February last year and always        later.                              Council, the Association of
                                              knew it would take time to                                               Forensic Science Providers, and
                                                                                      In England and Wales we
        Andrew Rennison MSc                   unravel all the issues and                                               the Forensic Science Society as
                                                                                   now have a commercial supply
        Forensic Science Regulator            challenges to be faced in a                                              well as expert advice from the
                                                                                   market with the police operating
                                              changing forensic science                                                many and varied members of
                                                                                   procurement frameworks
                                              landscape. My principal task is                                          the specialist groups I have
                                                                                   leading to contracts with a
                                              to set and monitor quality                                               established to work on different
                                                                                   number of commercial
                                              standards for forensic science                                           aspects of the standards
                                                                                   suppliers. We also have the
                                              used in the investigation of                                             framework. Naturally there are
                                                                                   police and other law
                                              crime and prosecution of                                                 issues to be debated and
                                                                                   enforcement bodies providing
                                              offenders in England and                                                 different views to consider,
                                                                                   aspects of forensic science
                                              Wales. From the outset it was                                            which is why consultation is so
                                                                                   services through their own in-
                                              clear that any standards had                                             important. I like to think that I
                                                                                   house resources. In Scotland
                                              to be UK-wide so we have                                                 am able to reach all those that
                                                                                   and Northern Ireland all forensic
                                              reached agreements with the                                              want to be consulted and that
                                                                                   science services are provided by
                                              Scotland and Northern Ireland                                            their views are heard.
                                                                                   the police and government
                                              authorities to work together
                                                                                   laboratories. Suffice to say that       But why do we need a new
                                              such that any standards we
                                                                                   we have different supply models     standards framework?
                                              develop can and most likely
                                                                                   with a mix of police, state and     Historically, and prior to the
                                              will be adopted in those
                                                                                   commercial provision, all of        commercial market for forensic
                                              jurisdictions.
                                                                                   which, in my view, should           science, achieving quality and
                                                 In setting quality standards I    operate within a single quality     standards at the laboratory level
                                              want to be sure that                 standards framework.                was one of the responsibilities
                                              organisations have effective                                             of the Chief Scientist of the
                                                                                      The notion of a single quality
                                              quality management systems,                                              Forensic Science Service (FSS).
                                                                                   standards framework for all UK
                                              that their forensic science                                              The FSS was a leading member
                                                                                   forensic science is, to me, an
                                              practitioners are competent and                                          of the European Network of
                                                                                   obvious one. I am pleased to
                                              that the science methods they                                            Forensic Science Institutes
                                                                                   say that in developing such a
                                              use are valid and fit for purpose.                                       (ENFSI) set up in 1995 to
                                                                                   framework I have received
                                                                                                                       establish common quality
                                                                                                                       standards for European forensic
                                                                                                                       science laboratories. I applaud
                                                                                                                       the work done by ENFSI and the
        . . . The notion of a single quality standards framework for                                                   role the FSS played in setting
        all UK forensic science is, to me, an obvious one. . .                                                         high standards for state, and
                                                                                                                       now the commercial
                                                                                                                       laboratories, across the UK, all of
                                                                                                                       which are accredited by the
                                                                                                                       United Kingdom Accreditation

        6          Science in Parliament   Vol 66 No 4   Autumn 2009
SipSCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT - www.scienceinparliament.org.uk - Medical Testing Designs for Life
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09     5/10/09      10:17     Page 9

        Service (UKAS) against the           general and understandable
        standards recommended by             concern is that of the costs
        ENFSI. I also applaud the work       associated with assessment by
        undertaken by the Custodian of       UKAS against the standards
        the National DNA Database to         leading to accreditation. UKAS
        set high standards for the use of    are by far the best equipped                   . . . A challenge has been to
        DNA technology used to supply        organisation for this role and
                                                                                            develop a standards framework
        DNA profiles to the database. By     save me the expense and
        working closely with UKAS the        logistical problems of                         that meets the needs of the UK
        Custodian improved on the            establishing a compliance team.
        ENFSI standards such that all UK     Accreditation by UKAS covers in                criminal justice systems and to
        DNA laboratories are accredited      depth and in a single process
                                                                                            achieve the support of all
        and constantly assessed against      the three aspects I covered
        what I think are world class         earlier: organisational                        stakeholders. . .
        standards.                           competence, the individual
                                             competence of practitioners and
            However, much of what we
                                             the validity of the science they
        term as ‘forensic science’ is
                                             use.
        conducted outside of the
                                                                                     report following that review          new framework and have
        laboratory environment, for              When I arrived in post we
                                                                                     recommended a standards               received broad support. We are
        example police crime scene           had the Council for the
                                                                                     model that did not include            currently considering the
        examinations for forensic            Registration of Forensic
                                                                                     CRFP; the report is available on      excellent and varied responses
        evidence, and some law               Practitioners (CRFP) as a body
                                                                                     my website as are the                 we received following
        enforcement bodies have small        setting and monitoring
                                                                                     responses I received following        publication and will have a final
        in-house forensic laboratories;      competency standards for
                                                                                     publication1. The net result is       version available for publication
        most police forces have              individual practitioners.
                                                                                     that the police, whose staff          by the end of this year.
        fingerprint development              Established in 1998, with full
                                                                                     made up the majority of the
        laboratories using process and       government support, CRFP had                                                      A challenge has been to
                                                                                     registered pool, decided to
        methods to develop and               a role to assess the competence                                               develop a standards framework
                                                                                     withdraw from CRFP. This in turn
        enhance finger and palm prints.      of individual practitioners and to                                            that meets the needs of the UK
                                                                                     led to significant funding
        Most of this work does not           register those that were found to                                             criminal justice systems and to
                                                                                     problems and the CRFP board
        operate within the same              be up to standard in their work.                                              achieve the support of all
                                                                                     were left with no choice but to
        accreditation based standards        CRFP had, since its inception,                                                stakeholders. There is still fine
                                                                                     cease trading (CRFP operated as
        framework that the larger            failed in its targets to register the                                         tuning to be done, but with the
                                                                                     a company limited by
        laboratories do. The police do       majority of forensic practitioners                                            continued support I have
                                                                                     guarantee). In my view,
        operate ISO 9001 quality             and to become self-financing.                                                 received so far and with the
                                                                                     supported by other stakeholders
        management systems for their         CRFP made no assessment of                                                    continued involvement of the
                                                                                     and in advice I gave to Ministers,
        fingerprint analysis with some       organisational competence or of                                               broad range of experts and
                                                                                     losing CRFP caused no risks to
        forces extending this to cover all   the validity of the science used                                              practitioners that we rely on we
                                                                                     the criminal justice system.
        their forensic science work. I am    by individual practitioners. Their                                            will have a world leading quality
        grateful for the on-going support    role was reviewed by the Home               We are now moving from an         standards framework for forensic
        and advice I receive from the        Office in 2004; Ministers then          ad hoc and largely unco-              science. The UK has a proud
        police lead on forensic science,     decided to continue with grant-         ordinated approach to quality         reputation for innovation and
        Chief Constable Chris Sims, also     in-aid but with a very clear            and standards to one based on         use of science in the
        from the Chief Executive of the      stipulation that this was to end        a single coherent framework, in       investigation of crime and the
        National Policing Improvement        by March 2010 as CRFP                   turn with a single compliance         prosecution of offenders. The
        Agency, Chief Constable Peter        registered more practitioners           assessment mechanism. An              most obvious and best example
        Neyroud. Both recognise the          and achieved self-financing.            example of the lack of co-            of this is DNA technology. As the
        need for a standards framework       When I started in my work CRFP          ordination was the competence         new model for the supply of
        that includes the police. Mr Sims    had registered about 3,000              assessment of senior scientists       forensic science services
        recently wrote to all chief          people making up about 35%              within the laboratories that was      continues to develop we can be
        constables to explain my             of the current forensic                 duplicated through UKAS               assured that a new and up-to-
        proposed standards framework         practitioner population and was         accreditation and CRFP                date quality standards
        and received general support         unlikely to meet the targets set        registration, added to which the      framework is also developing.
        but with some requests for           in 2004; soon after I started           junior scientists were covered by
        further work to understand the       they wrote to Ministers seeking         accreditation but were not            1 http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/
        impact, in terms of costs and        further funding at which point I        eligible for CRFP registration. I     operational-policing/forensic-science-
                                                                                                                           regulator/
        benefits, for the police if they     was tasked with reviewing the           have published the standards I
        move to adopt the standards. A       registration of practitioners. My       propose to be the basis for this

                                                                                                Science in Parliament   Vol 66 No 4    Autumn 2009                  7
SipSCIENCE IN PARLIAMENT - www.scienceinparliament.org.uk - Medical Testing Designs for Life
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09     5/10/09      10:17     Page 10

        THE GRAND OPENING OF
        YOUR MIND
                                             THE SCIENCE OF                      • we explore the deep sea to        catastrophe. It has never been
                                             NATURE                                understand how environmental      more important to understand
                                                                                   changes affect this important     our planet and to engage as
                                                Our science, taxonomy and
                                                                                   ecosystem                         many people as possible with
                                             systematics, underpins all of the
                                                                                                                     appreciating and protecting the
                                             natural sciences and is a vital     • we study mosquitoes to help
                                                                                                                     natural world. This is why we
                                             part of the nation’s science          prevent such diseases as
                                                                                                                     opened our state-of-the-art
                                             capability. We also work on more      malaria and Dengue fever
                                                                                                                     Darwin Centre on 14 September,
                                             applied science, such as the        • we study nanoparticles to         named after Charles Darwin to
                                             control of parasitic diseases,        support safe use of this          mark his bicentenary and
                                             sustainable mineral extraction        revolutionary technology
        Dr Michael Dixon                                                                                             celebrate his work that continues
                                             and forensic entomology. We are
        Director,                                                                                                    by the Museum as we look from
                                             supporting the development of       • we study comet dust to trace
        Natural History Museum                                                                                       the origin to the future of
                                             innovative technologies in            the origins of the solar system
                                                                                                                     species.
                                             emerging areas such as the use     • we are working with the first
                                             of nanoparticles.                                                           Darwin Centre is a hub of
                                                                                  Indian space mission to reveal
                                                                                                                     world-class scientific research,
                                                Our science is firmly rooted in   the geological history of the
        For more than 200                                                                                            allowing visitors to marvel at the
                                             the collections themselves. We       Moon.
                                                                                                                     amazing diversity of life on our
        years, scientists at the             are focused on six main lines of       Next year, the Museum and        planet, to view our science in
        Natural History                      enquiry:                           our science will be centre-stage     action, understand the extent
        Museum have been                     • assembling the Tree of Life       as we, with support from Defra,     and research use of our
        exploring and studying                                                   will run the 2010 International     collections and to explore the
                                             • the relationship between          Year of Biodiversity UK
        the natural world,                                                                                           natural world for themselves.
                                               genetic diversity and             Partnership that aims to promote
        using our incredible                   environment and evolution         wider understanding of our
                                                                                                                         The visitor experience in this
        internationally                      • how large-scale geological        impacts on our planet.
                                                                                                                     new London landmark will begin
                                                                                                                     in the spacious atrium, where
        important collection of                processes have influenced
                                                                                                                     people can orientate themselves
        over 70 million                        evolution                         THE DARWIN CENTRE
                                                                                                                     while admiring the views into the
        specimens to address                 • what determines biological           Today we are facing a large-     wildlife garden and the
        the big questions of                   diversity                         scale biodiversity crisis and       enormous cocoon towering
        our time, such as                                                        potential environmental             above. The climate change wall
                                             • the relationship between
        tracing the origins of                 biodiversity and ecosystem
        our solar system or                    functioning
        monitoring and                       • the interactions between hosts
        assessing the impact                   and parasites and their impact
        of climate change.                     on disease.

        Until now, most of this                 We have active research
        work has happened                    programmes that look at
                                             providing answers to
        behind the scenes
                                             contemporary issues, for
        without many people                  example:
        knowing that we are
                                             • we study Madagascar’s tree
        more than a beautiful                  ferns to find out how climate
        building with historical               change impacts the world’s
        specimens on display.                  precious rainforests

        8         Science in Parliament   Vol 66 No 4   Autumn 2009
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09     5/10/09     10:17    Page 11

                                           specimens. More than 200                 THE ANGELA MARMONT                    role to play in assisting the
                                           scientists will be working in the        CENTRE FOR UK                         generation of and distribution of
                                           Cocoon and the adjoining                 BIODIVERSITY                          vital knowledge.
                                           multidisciplinary facilities, carrying
                                                                                        Housed on the lower ground            Since free admission was
                                           out their research in the
                                                                                    floor of the Darwin Centre, the       reintroduced in 2001, we have
                                           molecular and imaging labs or
                                                                                    Angela Marmont Centre for UK          welcomed over 25 million
                                           specimen preparation areas.
                                                                                    Biodiversity will become the          visitors to the Museum and
                                           Through viewing decks, video
                                                                                    leading national venue for the        expect that with the opening of
                                           and intercom, visitors will be able
                                                                                    collaborative study of UK natural     the Darwin Centre we will
                                           to see and interact with some of
                                                                                    history. The Museum receives          receive a record 4 million visitors
                                           our staff – opening up the
                                                                                    around 30,000 public enquiries        this year.
                                           hidden world of scientific
                                                                                    each year and visitors will be            The Darwin Centre is a bold
                                           research. There is no other
                                                                                    encouraged to bring their finds       statement about our ambitions
                                           museum in the world that brings
                                                                                    to the new centre, where              and a demonstration of our
                                           the public and scientists together
                                                                                    dedicated staff will guide them       ability to deliver large, complex
                                           in this way or on this scale.
        is an interactive collage of                                                through the reference material        projects. It is also an excellent
        screens displaying films,                                                   and collections. Much of the          example of using public funding
                                           THE ATTENBOROUGH                         Museum’s UK collections will be
        specimens and images to allow                                                                                     to leverage wider support for
                                           STUDIO                                   available for amateur naturalists
        users to explore the reality of                                                                                   public benefit.
        climate change in their lives.         Based on the research and            to study, including 4,200 drawers
        Visitors can also collect a free   collections of the Museum and            of butterflies and 6,200 drawers         We would like to express
        NaturePlus card, which uses new    the legacy of Sir David                  of flowers. This access will offer    thanks for the invaluable support
        barcoding technology to enable     Attenborough’s filmmaking, the           new opportunities for the UK’s        and contributions we have
        them to save video clips, images   new Attenborough Studio will             many wildlife groups and              received from many
        and weblinks throughout their
        journey through the Darwin
        Centre and access them on line
        back home or in the classroom.

        THE COCOON
           At the heart of the new
        Darwin Centre is a 65-metre-
        long, eight-storey-high cocoon
        that safeguards many of the
        Museum’s treasures, including
        from our Entomology and
        Botany collections – 17 million
        insects and 3 million plant

                                           combine scientific expertise,            societies and will nurture, inspireorganisations and individuals,
                                           public dialogue, film and                and excite naturalists of all ages.including: the Department for
                                           interactive media in a venue                                                Culture, Media and Sport, the
                                           specially built to create a truly        THE FUTURE                         Heritage Lottery Fund, the
                                           accessible environment.                      Excellence in applied science Wellcome Trust, the Weston
                                           Pioneering technology will allow         depends on support for pure        Foundation, the Cadogan family,
                                           visitors to engage in real time          science, like taxonomy and         Professor and Mrs Anthony
                                           link-ups with Museum                     systematics. We believe that with Marmont, GlaxoSmithKline, and
                                           researchers around the world, or         an informed and engaged public, the Rufford Maurice Laing
                                           influence projected 3D images in         science can fully play its crucial Foundation.
                                           our interactive film Who do you          role in boosting competitiveness,      The Darwin Centre will
                                           think you are? A free, daily             enhancing our quality of life and change perceptions of what
                                           programme of screenings,                 ensuring a sustainable future. In  museums of natural history can
                                           discussions and events will              a time when humanity is facing     be and I hope you are able to
                                           include films specially created by       massive environmental              visit us in the near future, so you
                                           the BBC Natural History Unit to          challenges, like climate change,   can personally explore this
                                           celebrate wildlife filmmaking.           we and our peer institutions       magnificent addition to the
                                                                                    have an even more important        Museum.

                                                                                               Science in Parliament   Vol 66 No 4   Autumn 2009              9
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09     5/10/09      10:17     Page 12

        KEW’S MILLENNIUM SEED
        BANK: A VITAL RESOURCE
        FOR AN UNCERTAIN WORLD
        Simon Linington

        A week is a long time                one is planned. It needs modest
        in politics. But seeds               financial support and, to achieve
                                             this, it needs to build on the
        can span even human
                                             political support received to
        generations with ease,               date.
        a feature that gives us
                                               Seed banking is a simple and
        a vital opportunity to             robust technology. For seeds of
        prepare now for the                most species, drying greatly
        ‘perfect storm’ of                 increases longevity. This drying is
        environmental                      often carried out in a low
        problems predicted by              humidity room at cool
                                           temperatures. Additional cooling
        the Government Chief               of the dried and hermetically-
        Scientist.                         sealed seeds further increases
                                           storage life, though there are
                                                                                 Dr Paul Smith, Head of the Millennium Seed Bank, sharing his seed
            For most plants, on which all diminishing returns as the             knowledge with the partners
        life depends, seeds provide a      temperature drops. Many banks
                                                                                 1803 who was ‘relieved’ of            Britain today. Furthermore, the
        means of surviving this storm.     such as Kew’s Millennium Seed
                                                                                 them by British privateers. The       fact that we take these benefits
        By ‘banking’ them now, future      Bank have cold storage rooms
                                                                                 seeds passed via the Admiralty        so much for granted would
        generations will be able to draw running at domestic deep
                                                                                 to the Tower of London and            perhaps have shocked
        on the widest range of plant       freezer temperatures; others use
                                                                                 eventually into the current           someone with an existence
        diversity and fashion plant-based cryo-storage in liquid nitrogen.
                                                                                 National Archives where they          more obviously bound to plants,
        solutions to problems of human But just how long can these
                                                                                 were recently discovered and          much as it is still in large parts
        well-being thrown up by a          seeds live under bank
                                                                                 sent to us to attempt                 of the Developing World. Of
        dramatically changing world. In    conditions? By extrapolating
                                                                                 germination. Their germination is     course, things may go full circle.
        this, its 250th anniversary year,  from experiments that speed up
                                                                                 an exceptionally rare event for       With human population racing
        the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew seed ageing, there is good
                                                                                 seeds of such antiquity.              towards seven billion, finite
        has successfully conserved seed evidence that many of the MSB
                                                                                                                       agricultural land and increasing
        from 10% of the world’s            collections will still be                 Storing seeds for two
                                                                                                                       water shortages, food insecurity
        flowering plant species. The       germinated two hundred years          centuries will enable us to
                                                                                                                       is likely to spread. We may
        Millennium Seed Bank Project,      from now. Added to this, we           bridge a phenomenal period of
                                                                                                                       quickly retreat two hundred
        which is led by Kew and            have even germinated seeds            technological, sociological and
                                                                                                                       years in this respect. Therefore,
        international in its scope, has    that were collected in the            environmental change, the
                                                                                                                       we will need to be able to call
        achieved this significant          Napoleonic era and stored             conclusion of which is difficult to
                                                                                                                       on every botanical reserve
        milestone on time and within       under much more adverse               imagine. Over the last two
                                                                                                                       available to create new crops
        budget. It is a conservation       conditions than those offered in      hundred years, there have been
                                                                                                                       and to put new genes into
        initiative of which the UK should the state-of-the-art MSB, though       huge improvements in human
                                                                                                                       existing crops. Rightly or
        be very proud. While a             admittedly, few of them               wellbeing as a result of greater
                                                                                                                       wrongly, we are already
        tremendous start has been          germinated. These 200-year-old        access to plant diversity, in
                                                                                                                       returning to plants as a
        made, a great deal more needs seeds found their way to us                which Kew has played its part.
                                                                                                                       renewable source of fuel.
        to be done if we are to make a     after a remarkable journey. They      An early Nineteenth Century
                                                                                                                       Commodity shortages would
        real impact on the erosion of      were in the possession of a           Briton would be staggered at the
                                                                                                                       certainly reawaken latent
        plant diversity. A new ten year    Dutch merchant on passage out         variety of fruit, vegetables and
                                                                                                                       awareness of the human
        project that builds on the current from the South African Cape in        plant-based drugs available in

        10        Science in Parliament   Vol 66 No 4   Autumn 2009
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09      5/10/09      10:17      Page 13

        survival value of many plants          Project was launched with a           seed collecting work, mainly in        seed banking operation lean and
        and could drive an                     grant of close to £30 million         dry vegetation, has brought            focused, a challenging target has
        unprecedented wave of                  from the Millennium                   together each nation’s                 been set of bringing the species
        conservation and innovation. But       Commission. The matching              conservation priorities in a way       stored up to 25% of the world’s
        by that time we may have               funding for this landmark project     that has helped deliver the            flora by 2020. Obviously,
        already depleted the botanical         came from the Wellcome Trust,         project’s species target. At the       difficulty of locating and
        resources that can help us             Orange plc, Kew itself, the public    heart of targeting have been           collecting new species increases
        adapt. Plant diversity is being        and many others. A fine new           endangered, endemic (for which         with the law of diminishing
        eroded by habitat loss due to          facility, the Wellcome Trust          countries have a unique                returns. Additionally, and in line
        urbanisation and agriculture.          Millennium Building, was built at     responsibility) and locally            with Kew’s Breathing Planet
        Climate change may exacerbate          Wakehurst Place with a large          economic species. The capacity-        Programme, the new project will
        this erosion and has led to the        underground storage vault,            building activities have centred       focus on using the collections
        prediction that up to two thirds       processing and research               on training both here and              sustainably including on the
        of all plant species may stand         laboratories, public interpretation   abroad, and assistance with the        repair of damaged habitats.
        on the abyss of extinction by the      designed to show the                  design and equipping of partner        Demonstrating new uses of
        end of this century. We cannot         conservation process unfolding,       seed banks. The latter                 species drives the financial
        rely on conserving plants where        and residential accommodation         encourages ex situ conservation        imperative to conserve. We have
        they grow. Therefore, off site (ex     for visiting scientists. It was       in the country where the plants        a unique chance to do
        situ) conservation is necessary.       opened by HRH The Prince of           grow; consequently, Kew’s              something about the gathering
        Of the techniques available, only      Wales on 20 November 2000.            storage role is one of safety          storm. There is still significant
        seed banks allow us to conserve        Simultaneously, Kew worked            duplication. Underpinning this         plant genetic diversity left in the
        billions of genetically different      with the voluntary sector to          project is an unparalleled seed        wild but it won’t be there for
        individuals for hundreds of years      collect samples of most of the        research programme that seeks          long. We have the drive,
        and relatively cheaply.                UK’s seed-bearing species; a          to improve the effectiveness of        expertise (Kew alone has over
                                               world first for a national flora      storage and our ability to recover     500 person years of seed
            Long-term seed banks were
                                               that encouraged other countries       the full genetic potential of the      banking experience), the
        first established for crop diversity
                                               to follow suit.                       collections by breaking seed           technology and partners to
        in the middle of the last century.
                                                                                     dormancy. This can be a major          make a huge impact. With a
        Work by Kew and in Spain in the            In addition to the priceless
                                                                                     problem with seeds of wild             price tag of £77 million, fund-
        1960s showed that this                 seeds conserved and the
                                                                                     species and there is still much        raising is proving difficult in this
        technique could be applied to a        thousands of samples
                                                                                     to be learnt. Such new data will       time of financial stringency.
        much wider array of wild species       distributed for unique research
                                                                                     not only benefit seed banks but        However, it is money that must
        and, in 1974 Kew created a             and habitat restoration, perhaps
                                                                                     horticulture, agriculture and          be found if the world is to have
        seed bank for wild species at its      the greatest legacy of this
                                                                                     habitat restoration.                   the tools to thrive in an
        Wakehurst Place garden in West         unique project has been the
                                                                                                                            uncertain future. It would be a
        Sussex. From the early 1980s           international co-operation                The safeguarding of so many
                                                                                                                            fitting tribute to this country’s
        the bank focused on plants from        engendered. In some countries         plant species by the partnership
                                                                                                                            foresight if the people of the
        the world’s dry lands which had        partnerships have been                is both a major achievement
                                                                                                                            23rd century looked back to this
        received little attention from         catalysed between institutes that     and responsibility. But there is
                                                                                                                            moment as the one when their
        conservationists and yet which         have never worked together            so much left to be done. Kew is
                                                                                                                            botanical legacy was secured.
        supported nearly a fifth of the        before. The partnership now           now galvanising support for a
        world’s people, providing              comprises 128 institutes in 54        successor project that will start
        everything from local foods and        countries. Furthermore, there is      in January. In order to keep the
        medicines to building materials        now collaboration that is
        and fencing. In the early 1990s        independent of Kew – a sure
        a challenge was made by Kew’s          sign that the network is
        Trustees to expand sufficiently        established. In 16 of these
        the work to make a significant         countries a major collaboration
        impact on the problem of               has been established with
        genetic erosion and species loss.      botanical, forestry and
        The result was a plan for the          conservation agencies based on
        seed collection of 24,000              legally-binding agreements that
        species in ten years. Kew had          clarify the expectations of both
        recently established a strong          parties and cover collecting,
        fund-raising foundation and,           capacity building and research.
        fortuitously, the UK was               These agreements helped
        preparing to celebrate the             exemplify the implementation of
        Millennium. In December 1995           the 1992 Convention on                A scientist putting the collected seeds into the vault at the Millennium
        the Millennium Seed Bank               Biological Diversity (CBD). The       Seed Bank

                                                                                                 Science in Parliament   Vol 66 No 4   Autumn 2009              11
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09      5/10/09      10:17     Page 14

        MEDICAL TESTING - DO WE WANT MORE OR LESS OF IT?
        Meeting of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee on Tuesday 16th June 2009

        BREAST CANCER SCREENING
        SHOULD ROUTINE SCREENING BY MAMMOGRAPHY BE REPLACED BY A MORE SELECTIVE
        SERVICE OF RISK ASSESSMENT/RISK MANAGEMENT?

                                             biases of screening that give a       “Breast screening: the facts—or     opportunity and we have
                                             false impression of benefit and       maybe not” by Peter C Gøtzsche      witnessed a drop in mortality of
                                             secondly the over-detection of        and his colleagues from the         30%-40% both in the age group
                                             cancer “look-alikes” that if left     influential and independent,        that are invited for screening
                                             undetected might never threaten       Nordic Cochrane Centre.1            (>50) as well as for the younger
                                             a patient’s life. The survival from                                       woman. So perhaps the correct
                                                                                       In this paper they describe a
                                             cancer is measured from the                                               number might be 1:3,000. (See
                                                                                   synthesis of all the papers that
                                             time of detection until recurrence                                        table 1).
                                                                                   describe both the benefits and
                                             and death. If a frame shift in the                                            Absolute value screening
                                                                                   harms of screening using
                                             chronology of the disease due to                                          10,000 women for 10 years
                                                                                   absolute benefits (ie number
        Michael Baum
                                             screening occurs, then survival is                                        assuming two estimates of
                                                                                   needed to screen) rather than
        Professor of Surgery Emeritus and    automatically extended even if                                            relative risk reduction and
        visiting Professor of Medical
                                                                                   RRR, that makes it easier for
                                             the ultimate outcome is the                                               assuming that unscreened
        Humanities, University College                                             women to comprehend and
        London                               same; this is called lead-time                                            symptomatic women receive the
                                                                                   conclude as follows. If 2000
                                             bias. Next, bearing in mind that                                          best of modern therapy.
                                                                                   women are screened regularly
                                             the interval between screens is
                                                                                   for 10 years, one will benefit          Whatever the number, that
        INTRODUCTION                         anything from one to three years,
                                                                                   from the screening, as she will     one woman who benefits from a
                                             it is inevitable that the fast
             The majority of lay people                                            avoid dying from breast cancer.     decade of screening has a life of
                                             growing tumours with a bad
        could be forgiven for believing                                            (The independent United States      infinite worth and if screening
                                             prognosis will appear during the
        that one of the mainstays in the                                           Preventive Services Task Force      were as non-toxic as wearing a
                                             intervals whilst the slow growing
        fight against cancer is “early                                             derived a similar number in         seat belt there would be no case
                                             tumours with a good prognosis
        detection”. In the vanguard of this will sit around until found by         2004.2) However even the            to answer. However there is a
        campaign, the NHS screening                                                figures 1:2,000 might be an         downside and that is the
                                             mammography; this is called
        programme for breast cancer                                                over-estimate. Remember these       problem of the over-diagnosis of
                                             length bias. There is also another
        (NHSBSP) by mammography                                                    data were derived from the trials   “pseudo-cancers”. 3, 4, 5, It is
                                             subtle bias that can be described
        has been lauded as a triumph. If as the “self selection” bias. In that     that were mostly started in the     deduced by the Cochrane report
        nothing else the introduction of                                           1970s and reported in the late      that for every life saved 10
                                             women who accept invitations
        this programme has improved                                                1980s. Since then improvements      healthy women will, as a
                                             for screening might be
        the service for the diagnosis and demographically different to             in treatment, such as the           consequence, become cancer
        treatment of all women with                                                adoption of tamoxifen and           patients and will be treated
                                             those who ignore the invitation.
        breast cancer of any age and any The only way to account for               adjuvant chemotherapy, have         unnecessarily. These women will
        stage. However we cannot                                                   narrowed the window of              have either a part of their breast
                                             these biases is to consider all the
        remain complacent and continue clinical trials of screening versus
        uncritically with a service based    no screening and look for the                                       TABLE 1
        on a limited number of trials that pooled results described in terms        10,000 women                    25% Relative         15% Relative
        are more than 20 years out of        of mortality ie the number of          aged 50 screened               risk reduction 6     risk reduction1
        date. Our understanding of           women dying in the screened            for 10 years                      (HR 0.75)            (HR 0.85)
        breast cancer has moved on           group compared with those
                                                                                    Cancer incidence
        since then and as a result our       dying in the control group rather
                                                                                    (2 per 1,000/year)                    200                 200
        attitude to screening is worthy of than case survival. The results are
        a fresh look.                        then described as relative risk        Cancer deaths
                                             reduction (RRR) or hazard ratios       without screening at
        THE ILLUSIONS AND                    (HR). There is in fact a modest        median follow up 5 years 9            20                  20
        DELUSIONS OF “EARLY                  advantage to screening looked
        DETECTION”                                                                  Cancer deaths with
                                             upon in those terms, (RRR 15%          screening (20 X HR)                  15                   17
             Let us start by considering two or HR 0.85) as described in the
        separate but related issues; firstly recent publication in the BMJ;         Absolute benefit                      5                    3

        12         Science in Parliament   Vol 66 No 4   Autumn 2009
7945 SIP AUTUMN 09      5/10/09      10:17      Page 15

        or the whole breast removed,           rarely wound healing carries on        of an integrated programme. The         recruitment into RCTs for the
        and they will often receive            too long and leaves an ugly            first step is to set up a facility      treatment of cancer that is the
        radiotherapy and sometimes             keloid scar. Virchow, the father of    nationwide for risk assessment          major contributor to the dramatic
        chemotherapy.                          modern pathology, himself once         using one of the modern                 fall in breast cancer mortality in
                                               described cancer as the wound          computer programmes. Women              the UK over the last two
        AN EXPLANATION FOR,                    that never heals. Prolonged            would then be offered, not              decades. If we can now add to
        AND THE NATURE OF,                     latency followed by catastrophe        compelled to accept this service.       this the prevention of the disease
        THE OVER-DIAGNOSED                     should not be all that surprising.     Initially a practice nurse could        and a risk adjusted screening
        CANCERS                                                                       administer this questionnaire but       programme then everyone is a
            Screening for breast cancer is
                                               IS THERE A REASONABLE                  it would be quite easy to transfer      winner.
        now adopted as an unequivocal
                                               WAY OF MODERNISING                     this to a web- based programme          References
        good by most of the members
                                               THE NHS SCREENING                      for the computer literate               [1] “Breast screening: the facts—or maybe
        of the EU. Invitations for
                                               PROGRAMME THAT                         members of the community.               not”, Gøtzsche PC et al BMJ 2009, 338;
        screening promote this activity by
                                               ENHANCES THE BENEFIT                   From the read-out an initial triage     446-448

        being economical with the truth.6
                                               AND REDUCES THE                        could be agreed. Those at the           [2] U.S.Preventive Services Task Force.
        One of the uncomfortable truths
                                               HARM?                                  most extreme end of the risk            Screening for Breast Cancer:
                                                                                      spectrum could be invited to a          Recommendations and Rationale. Ann
        concerns the over-diagnosis of             Since 1997 when I resigned                                                 Intern Med 2002;137: 344-6.
        both in-situ and invasive breast       from the NHSBS committee I             clinical genetics consultation. At
                                                                                      the other extreme those with a          [3] Rate of over-diagnosis of breast cancer
        cancers in screening                   have publicly expressed my
                                                                                                                              15 years after end of Malmö
        populations.3,4,5 Over-diagnosis       concerns on the issue of               low risk might be reassured and         mammographic screening trial: follow up
        of breast cancer doesn’t mean          informed choice for women              given lifestyle advise on diet,         study. Zackrisson S, Andersson I, Manjer J
        false positive rates but the           invited for screening. I take no       alcohol, tobacco and exercise           and Garne JP, BMJ 2006;332:689-92

        detection and treatment of             particular pleasure in the fact that   that might not only impact on           [4] “Should I be tested for Cancer?”
        cancers that left undetected           NHS has at last accepted the           the risk of breast cancer but also      H.Gilbert Welch, University of California
                                                                                      on the more important risks of          Press, 2004, ISBN 0520239768
        would never threaten a woman’s         point and agreed to rewrite the
        life and with which she would          letters of invitation.                 cardio-vascular disease.7 Those in      [5] Incidence of breast cancer in Norway
                                                                                      between could then be invited to        and Sweden during introduction of
        live, in blissful unawareness, until
                                                    My concern is that they will      a special clinic for the second         nationwide screening: prospective cohort
        she died naturally of old age. We                                                                                     study. Zahl PH, Strand BH, Maehlen J.
                                               repeat the mistakes of the past if     step. At this clinic women of say
        had always assumed that there                                                                                         BMJ. 2004 Apr 17;328(7445):921-4.
                                               we leave this task to those with a     45 or older would be invited to
        was an over-diagnosis of duct                                                                                         [6] Screening and choice: Informed choice
                                               conflict of interest. Furthermore      have a mammogram. Those with
        carcinoma in-situ (DCIS), some                                                                                        for screening: implications for evaluation.
                                               it’s not for me to prejudge what       radiological abnormality at this
        of which had the potential of                                                                                         Les Irwig, Kirsten McCaffery, Glenn Salkeld,
                                               level of benefit and what level of     stage would be investigated in          Patrick Bossuyt: BMJ 2006;332:1148-
        progressing to an invasive and
                                               harm might influence the               the accepted way. In addition           1150,
        life-threatening phenotype.
                                               average woman to accept the            those who were pre-menopausal           [7] Bunker JP, Houghton J and Baum M;
        However, there is now clear
                                               invitation. For this reason I think    might be offered prevention with        “Putting the risk of breast cancer in
        evidence that anything between
                                               there are two related areas of         tamoxifen and those who were
                                                                                                                              perspective”. BMJ, 1998; 317:1307–1309.
        10% and 50% of invasive
                                               research. First, the development       post-menopausal could be                [8] Prevention of Breast Cancer in
        cancers detected and treated
                                               of an information pack that            offered entry into the IBIS II trial,
                                                                                                                              Postmenopausal Women: Approaches to
        radically as a result of screening,                                                                                   Estimating and Reducing Risk: Steven R.
                                               includes decision aids. This could     a study comparing tamoxifen
        would never threaten life.1, 3,4,5                                                                                    Cummings, Jeffrey A. Tice, Scott Bauer,
                                               be used in a person preference         with arimidex for the chemo-            Warren S. Browne, Jack Cuzick et al; J Natl
        As a result the overall
                                               study where well women might           prophylaxis of breast cancer. A         Cancer Inst 2009;101: 384 – 398
        mastectomy rate rises after any
                                               be offered sliding scales of           recent paper in JNCI supports the
        country implements screening in                                                                                       [9] Howell A, Cuzick J, Baum M, Buzdar A,
                                               benefits and harms to find the         validity of this approach.8             Dowsett M, Forbes JF, Hoctin-Boes G,
        contrast to the message in the
                                               point at which screening is                                                    Houghton J, Locker GY, Tobias JS; ATAC
        NHSBSP leaflet, “breast cancer
        the facts” that implies that
                                               judged acceptable. These data          CONCLUSION                              Trialists' Group.
                                               might then inform the next area                                                Results of the ATAC (Arimidex, Tamoxifen,
        screening saves breasts. It                                                      To carry on regardless is no         Alone or in Combination) trial after
                                               of research on more efficient                                                  completion of 5 years’ adjuvant treatment
        doesn't. I would therefore like to                                            longer acceptable, neither is
                                               ways of using scarce resources in                                              for breast cancer. Lancet. 2005 Jan 1-
        argue that some of these screen                                               political spin the answer. Women
                                               the NHS such as risk                                                           7;365(9453):60-2.
        detected “cancers” if left                                                    are now getting smarter.
                                               assessment/risk management.
        unperturbed, would not progress                                               However the changes I have in
        to a disease with lethal potential.        The beauty of a risk               mind are not nihilistic but
        In other words there are latent        assessment/risk management             constructive. The NHSBSP has
        conditions, which under certain        approach is that it provides a         indirectly lead to the provision of
        conditions might progress,             platform for the management of         the best specialist services for the
        remain stable or even regress.         all women in an attempt to             diagnosis and treatment of
        Other biological processes             reduce all causes of mortality as      symptomatic breast cancer in the
        behave in a similar way. Wound         well as mortality from breast          world, riding on the back of the
        healing starts with the knife and      cancer where mammographic              screening units. The centralisation
        ends when it needs to, although        screening is only one component        of care has lead to the rapid

                                                                                                  Science in Parliament   Vol 66 No 4      Autumn 2009                    13
You can also read