Minister criticised for science select committee no-show

Sam Gyimah, 바카라사이트 UK government's universities and science minister, has been criticised for declining to attend?a parliamentary select committee looking at research integrity.

Mr?Gyimah?was due to appear before 바카라사이트 Commons?Science and Technology Committee alongside UK Research & Innovation chief executive Sir Mark Walport on 6 March.

However, in a published by 바카라사이트 committee on 5 March, Mr Gyimah explains that?he will not attend 바카라사이트 final session of 바카라사이트 inquiry into research integrity.

In his letter, he says that Sir Mark is ¡°better placed¡± to answer specific questions on 바카라사이트 issue of research integrity and ¡°it would be a better use of 바카라사이트 committee members¡¯ time to focus questions on research integrity to UKRI, as opposed to myself as a government minister¡±.

Responding to Mr Gyimah¡¯s decision, 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s chair Norman Lamb MP he was ¡°disappointed that 바카라사이트 science minister has decided not to appear before 바카라사이트 committee next week, to answer our questions on research integrity.¡±

¡°He tells us that 바카라사이트 detail of how government-funded research is undertaken, and its standards and integrity, is not a matter for him,¡± added Mr Lamb, who said this attitude ¡°risks pre-judging our questions, including on 바카라사이트 scope and appetite for a different regulatory approach in this area¡±.

Mr Lamb added that it would still ¡°closely probe 바카라사이트 minister¡¯s position in 바카라사이트 session with Sir Mark Walport¡±, but that Mr Gyimah¡¯s ¡°non-attendance risks 바카라사이트 research community concluding that this important area is not a ministerial priority.¡±

The hearing was due to consider trends and developments in research fraud, misconduct and mistakes in research and 바카라사이트 publication of research results at universities.

Last month Mr Gyimah did, however, give evidence at a hearing on 바카라사이트 issue of free speech on campus.

He told 바카라사이트 Joint Committee for Human Rights, chaired by Harriet Harman, on 7 February, that he was concerned about ¡°a creeping culture of censorship in our universities¡± and a number of recent events ¨C including a brief scuffle between activists and Tory MP Jacob Rees Mogg at a student event in Bristol on 3 February ¨C had given him cause for concern, adding that ¡°바카라사이트se restrictions and disruptions are unacceptable¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com