November 1999

Westminster Report, IEE Review

With Parliament having just returned from a very long Summer Recess, there has been little happening on the engineering front at Westminster. As I write, MPs are waiting with anticipation for the pre-Budget statement on 9 November – which will give some indication as to the Chancellor's financial plans for the coming year. The Queen's Speech is also expected on 17 November with a raft of new proposed legislation for the coming session.

However, in September there was one important event. The Government published the annual Science, Engineering and Technology statistics (SET). SET is annual handbook of key science, engineering and technology indicators and provides a historical analysis of the Government financing of SET activities in the UK. It shows how the UK compares with other countries and summarises key data on output and employment of science graduates and postgraduates.

It makes fascinating reading and I would urge all IEE members to peruse this handbook carefully. For example, it shows that whilst total expenditure on SET increased by 1.3% to £6,372 million between 1996-97 and 1997-98, civil expenditure on SET decreased during this period by 1.6% to 3,726 million. In 1997-98, in real terms and compared with 1996-97, total expenditure on SET decreased by 1.2% in real terms whilst civil expenditure on SET decreased by 4.0%, also in real terms. During this period, of the total SET expenditure the science and engineering base spent 37%. Since 1986-87, the overall SET-spending total has declined by 12.8%, although encouragingly, the science and engineering base has increased by 11.3%.

The academic figures are also quite interesting. The handbook shows that 119,638 students were awarded degrees in SET subjects between 1997-98, 33, 501 achieved postgraduate level and there were 8,800 doctorates.

There is a host of other statistics in this handbook, which gives a clear indication as to the progress of science, and engineering in this country. It should be looked at carefully by all policy makers and I hope that during this new Session of Parliament, those who speak on engineering issues will use the SET information as useful guidance notes.

Also in September, Trade and Industry Secretary, Stephen Byers MP, made two announcements on special projects aimed at forging links between the business and science and technology community. The Department of Trade and Industry are to set up eight new centres of enterprise at Universities across Britain. The aim is that these centres will act as a focus for the commercialisation of research and new ideas. It is envisaged that the eight centres will also provide a focus for scientific entrepreneurship by incorporating the teaching of enterprise in the science and engineering curriculua.

Mr Byers also announced the next stage in a major scheme aimed at forging closer links between the scientific and business communities in specific areas of technology. Consortia of independent research organisations, universities businesses and financiers to apply to take part in the second round bids for the new Faraday partnerships. The Faraday partnerships bring together universities, public and private research organisations, firms and providers of capital to ensure that research is more quickly applied by industry in new products and processes.

All these initiatives are of course welcome, but I wonder whether the Government is addressing the fundamental problem. I have just read a report in Sunday Business, which stated that UK engineering firms are scouring the world to solve a growing recruitment crisis within the industry. The industry's workforce is ever ageing and youngsters seemingly prefer the service industry. Parliamentarians must make every effort to stop the 'ageing process' in the engineering industry and try to encourage young people to get involved.

As ever, the IEE has been very active over the summer months in preparing submissions for various Government Departments. In a letter to the Department of Trade and Industry, the Institution stated that the welcomed the fact that the revised draft Bill on Limited Liability Obligations does not require that access to Limited Liability Partnerships to be restricted to members of regulated professions only, or that be subject to regulation by recognised, supervisory bodies.

The IEE have also responded to the Department for Education and Employment's (DfEE) White Paper ' Learning to Succeed'. This paper sets out the Government plans for education and training for young people and could have profound implications for the next generation of scientists and engineering in this country.

The IEE raises questions about the strategy of the new Learning Skills Councils and how they will promote partnership and collaboration between colleges. I know that similar questions are being proposed by other interested parties, also keen to know how the LSCs will work in practice and how they will work alongside the new Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). My main concern is that the creation of all these new quangos (LSCs, RDAs et al), don't just become a giant talking shop and divert resources from where they are needed most – on the ground. Nevertheless, the IEE are to be commended for raising a host of important questions which I hope the DfEE will listen to when it comes to formulate its legislation on this issue.

Finally, I am pleased that the IEE has made its views known to the National Radiological Protection Board. The IEE Working Party, which monitors peer reviewed literature by computerised searches of three major databases, INSPEC, MEDLINE, and BIOSIS, have concluded that "to date, there is no convincing evidence to support the contention that either mobile hand held phones or mobile network transmitter base stations which fall within existing NRPB guidelines, cause damage to human health.".

The Working Party does state however that "further investigation an validation will be required to determine whether the use of mobile phones can produce any significant biological effects in human beings – and whether any effect that may be discovered and confirmed can have any possible effects on human health". It is unfortunate that the careful considerations by the IEE are unlikely to be picked up by the tabloid press who as always prefer to whip up hysteria, but I shall be mentioning the IEE's studies on this to my colleagues in the House, to help ensure that MPs are informed of all sides of the discussions on alleged risks caused by mobile phones. On the other hand, as most MPs seem glued to their mobile phones, it would explain their simple parrotting of Alastair Campbell's soundbites…………