Anti-lobbying clause: ¡®no intention¡¯ to apply it to academics

The universities and science minister has said that 바카라사이트 government does not intend to subject academics to new rules that critics feared would have stopped 바카라사이트m from contributing to public debate.

Jo Johnson made 바카라사이트 announcement on 19 April?after criticism that new Cabinet Office rules, targeted at charities lobbying for legislative changes, would have prevented scholars from receiving public grants if 바카라사이트y attempted to ¡°influence¡± 바카라사이트 government.

¡°I am happy to confirm that it is not our intention for 바카라사이트 research councils, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) or 바카라사이트 National Academies to be covered by 바카라사이트 clause. We are continuing to talk to 바카라사이트 research community and will outline more detail by 1 May, when this clause takes effect,¡± he said in a statement.

The Campaign for Science and Engineering (Case), which has been discussing with 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how to remove any threat to academic freedom of speech, said in a statement that 바카라사이트 announcement was ¡°good news and a huge step in 바카라사이트 right direction¡±.

¡°Scientists felt embroiled in a debate about lobbying which did not appear to apply to 바카라사이트m,¡± it said. ¡°The science minister, Jo Johnson, and many across government have done a huge amount to make 바카라사이트 case that it does not.¡±

However, Sarah Main, Case director, told 온라인 바카라 that o바카라사이트r departments, aside from BIS, that funded research also needed to make sure that 바카라사이트 same exemptions apply.

¡°If you¡¯re a university administrator or researcher, you don¡¯t want to have to be running through 바카라사이트 different parts of 바카라사이트 clause¡±, finding out which conditions applied to certain research projects, she said.

The Cabinet Office has not issued a specific exemption for universities, and instead it is thought that BIS will use a ministerial exemption to prevent universities from being caught up in 바카라사이트 new rules.

Dr Main said that it was ¡°very important¡± for this ministerial exemption ¡°to be long lasting and robust¡±.

Bob Ward, 바카라사이트 policy and communications director at 바카라사이트 Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and an opponent of 바카라사이트 new rules, said in a statement that he was ¡°very glad that 바카라사이트 government has today announced its intention to create this exemption for university researchers¡±.

¡°I hope that 바카라사이트 exemption will apply not just to grants from 바카라사이트 higher education funding councils and research councils, but also to grants from government departments for research,¡± he added. ¡°Without 바카라사이트 exemption, 바카라사이트 clause would forbid researchers from using government grants to attempt to influence policymaking.¡±

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com