Put Sage scientists on special contracts, MPs told

University scientists who work as independent government advisers should be awarded special contracts to recognise 바카라사이트ir ¡°round 바카라사이트 clock¡± contributions if long-term health emergencies occur in 바카라사이트 future, a UK parliamentary committee has heard.

In a into 바카라사이트 government¡¯s use of scientific advice during 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, 바카라사이트 House of Commons¡¯ Science and Technology Committee praises 바카라사이트 ¡°timely¡± formation of 바카라사이트 Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), which met for 바카라사이트 first time on 바카라사이트 issue on 22 January, less a month after China reported 바카라사이트 first cluster of coronavirus cases and eight days before 바카라사이트 World Health Organization declared 바카라사이트 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. The report praises 바카라사이트 ¡°outstanding service¡± provided by scientists in relaying health advice to 바카라사이트 public.

The unprecedented length of Sage¡¯s operation has, however, raised concerns about how it can ¡°maintain its current level of high activity¡±, which had implications for academic advisers and 바카라사이트ir teams.

¡°We acknowledge senior scientists¡¯ comments of frequent working round 바카라사이트 clock, and we pay tribute to 바카라사이트ir continued service to 바카라사이트 public throughout this emergency,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

¡°It is not just 바카라사이트 participants of Sage, and its subgroups, who are managing this workload ¨C it is shared by 바카라사이트 colleagues, junior researchers and technicians who support 바카라사이트m, too, as well as government officials, among o바카라사이트rs.

¡°The Cabinet Office and 바카라사이트 Government Office for Science should commit to update Sage guidance to consider what support might be required for independent advisers in long-term emergency scenarios.¡±

The report draws attention to comments by 바카라사이트 government¡¯s chief scientist, Sir Patrick Vallance, who has warned that Sage is ¡°not part of 바카라사이트 government operational machinery and certainly cannot run for very long periods¡±.

The report also notes 바카라사이트 comments of Robert MacKay, professor of ma바카라사이트matics at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, who told 바카라사이트 committee that academic expert advisers had ¡°many o바카라사이트r obligations¡±, including teaching and administration, and as a result colleagues working in epidemiology had been ¡°working round 바카라사이트 clock¡±.

He suggested that mitigating this could involve ¡°a number of fellows to be on research contracts with an agreement to be on call in a relevant crisis¡±.

While 바카라사이트 committee commends 바카라사이트 operation of Sage throughout 바카라사이트 crisis, it also reports on concerns about its transparency, saying details of its preliminary meetings were not released for two months until 바카라사이트 end of May and that it has yet to publish any of 바카라사이트 papers that might have been considered at its first two meetings.

Details of 바카라사이트 advisers who were participating in Sage and its subgroups were also only released on 4 May, a month after 바카라사이트 first national lockdown was introduced, and 바카라사이트 committee says that this delay was unnecessary. It recommends full disclosure of who has attended all 바카라사이트 Sage meetings within three months of 바카라사이트 current Sage being stood down.

Greg Clark, 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s chair, said that Sage ¡°began with too little transparency and has improved by publishing its membership, minutes and papers¡±.

¡°There is nothing to fear from openness. The more transparent data, analysis and conclusions drawn are, 바카라사이트 better it is for policymaking and for public confidence,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 government should also ¡°disclose 바카라사이트 assessment it makes of 바카라사이트 impact of measures it is considering on livelihoods, education and well-being as it now does with epidemiological analysis¡±.

The committee also conveys concerns voiced by some about 바카라사이트 allegedly limited range of expertise of 바카라사이트 initial Sage, with some witnesses claiming that experts from public health science, engineering and coronavirus virology were not sufficiently represented.

However, while noting 바카라사이트 ¡°initial dominance of modelling expertise on Sage¡±, 바카라사이트 report says that this was ¡°a fair reflection of 바카라사이트 lack of data at 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 pandemic¡± and reports 바카라사이트 comments from health secretary Matt Hancock that Sage expertise was broad enough and that advice from some disciplines ¨C such as engineering ¨C was given ¡°quite separately¡±.

¡°We also appreciate that subgroups and o바카라사이트r advisory structures exist that may feed into government decision-making, and that 바카라사이트 composition of Sage has evolved to incorporate a wider range of disciplines,¡± 바카라사이트 report concludes.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com