Royal Society slams UK.gov science shake-up

The president of the Royal Society has slammed the government’s decision to move science policy from the department also covering technology to the business department.

In changes announced after Andy Burnham became UK Prime Minister in July, the government abolished the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) – created by former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – and split its responsibilities among other ministries.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCSM) became Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) while the Science in DSIT went to the new Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST).

Jonathan Reynolds was named Secretary of State for the department.

Kanishka Narayan has been given a Cabinet-attending role of Minister for Artificial Intelligence, working jointly in the Cabinet Office and BIST.

Chris McDonald, Minister of State for Science, Innovation and Investment is work jointly across BIST and the Department for Health and Social Care with no Cabinet role.

Speaking to MPs this week, Sir Paul Nurse, the President of the prestigious Royal Society, said moving science to the business department was a mistake… “actually quite a big mistake”.

Nurse, whose main research was in genetics, argued that science cuts across business, health, defense, transport, energy, and the environment.

“The future of our country depends on what science can put into all that we do.

Giving it just to business — there are ways through that — is restricting just what it can do, and that is a mistake.

I would have put science and AI together, because AI is in fact science.

I don't know why that is so neglected all the time.

AI isn't just large language models and rushing after big databases.

It is also about promoting creativity in science and actually generating appropriate technologies.” Nurse said experience with other government activities thrown in with business did not bode well for science.