Government rejects MP Committee recommendations on Research Councils UK :: PublicTechnology.net :: e-Government & public sector IT news + job vacancies:

The Government response to the report by the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee: "The Work of Research Councils UK (RCUK)" has been published - and is a strong rejection of the Committee's recommendations for change.

The Government welcomed the report and has commented in detail on the range of recommendations put forward by the select committee.

Government said it was unable to accept the five important recommendations in the report -
Those rejected were:
Recommendation 1
We find it surprising that OST could establish a new organisation without giving it a clear mission or defining its place in the policy-making framework. Under these circumstances it is scarcely surprising that RCUK struggled to establish itself in its community and lacked a sense of direction and leadership. It is regrettable that the shortcomings identified in OST’s internal review in 2003 were not put right by the following year. (Paragraph 16)

Recommendation 2
We are concerned that the new structural arrangements do not go far enough towards giving RCUK the clarity of mission and independence of purpose that it should have. (Paragraph 18)

Recommendation 3
If RCUK can demonstrate that it can operate successfully in establishing cross-Council priorities in an independent manner, we see no reason why it should not, in time, take full responsibility for the allocation of the funding awarded to the Research Councils as a whole by Government. If it is necessary to create RCUK as a legal entity in order to meet this aim, it should not be ruled out on the basis that it may be a lengthy process. We recommend that OST consider this model as a medium term aim. (Paragraph 24)

Recommendation 4
We recommend that the Joint Strategy Group ceases to be chaired exclusively by the Director General of the Research Councils. (Paragraph 26)

Recommendation 6
We recommend that the OST reconsiders the issue of the chairmanship of the RCUK Executive Group after a further two years. (Paragraph 32)

And the DTI has also taken issues with most of the rest of the Committee's recommendations too - and the overall position is one which ought to lead to strong debate in the House of Commons - with two strongly opposing views on status and change plan for a body central to the effective future growth of research in the UK

Related links to this article:
Department of Trade and Industry
The House of Commons Science & Technology Select Committee published their report on 16 March 2005. It is at this link
The full response is at this link

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