Badgers, Bees and Ash trees: how science informs policy decisions in government or: Working for a...

Badgers, Bees and Ash trees: how science informs policy decisions in governmentor: Working for a Government Chief Scientific Adviser – the role of science in policy making

Evidence = science, economics, social and operational research, veterinary sciences, engineering, statistics, geography etc.

Policies are informed by evidence Defra Network spends over £230m p.a.

on evidence (core Defra spends around £160m p.a.)

Profession Number Science 106 Economics 85 Statistics1 80 Social Research 17 Vets 12 Operational Research 10 Engineering 7 Other2 4 Total 321 1 Includes administrative staff providing analytical support to the statisticians; 2 Includes Analysts and Research Fellow es. The numbers shown are as at 3 Feb 2014 and include people who are currently out of the department on loan, secondment, career break, special leave, and people currently on loan / secondment to Defra.

Defra has three lab agencies: Fera (Food and Environment Research Agency), AHVLA (Animal Health Veterinary Laboratory

Agency), Cefas (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and

Aquaculture Science) Also scientists at Kew, EA, NE, MMO, JNCC,

FR/FC Over 3000 specialists

provides Ministerial advice on evidence base to support policy decisions

ensures quality and fit-for-purpose science

raises the profile of Defra science and manage interface with the public

is a member of the Defra Supervisory Board

supported by Heads of Profession

Responsible for: providing expert independent advice and

challenge to the Chief Scientific Adviser and ministers

helping to guide Defra’s scientific priorities and planning, including long-range planning as well as dealing with immediate risks and opportunities

Defra’s four priorities are: Growing the rural economy Improving the environment Safeguarding animal health Safeguarding plant health

Running through all of these is the priority of economic growth as the Government's top priority.

Animal Welfare Aquatic Animal Health Bovine TB

Disease Mitigation and Control Endemic diseases Exotic Diseases

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

Veterinary Medicine and Anti-Microbial Resistance

Climate Change Mitigation for Agriculture and the Food Chain

Crops EU Agriculture and Budget Strategy Farming Elements inc. GM Policy

Livestock Plant Health, Bee Health, Plant Varieties and Seeds

Sustainable, Secure and Healthy Food Supply

Adapting to Climate Change Air Quality Better Regulation

Biodiversity Chemicals & Nanotechnologies Floods

Inland Waterways, Landscape and Outdoor Recreation

Marine Natural Value

Noise Pesticides Rural Communities

Rural Development Programme for England

Soil Protection Waste and Resources

Water Availability and Quality and Drinking Water Inspectorate

Sustainable Consumption and Production

Sustainable Development

Strategic Evidence

Budget Policy context Evidence needs Key partners

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defra-s-evidence-investment-strategy-2010-to-2013-and-beyond-2011-update

Landscape, Rural, Crops Farming, Land and Soils Floods, Water Availability and Quality Food policy, Chemicals and Emerging Technologies,

GM Air Quality, Noise, Waste Marine EU and Better Regulation Animal Health, Plant Health Animal Welfare, TB

Science Engineering Social Research Economics Statistics Operational Research Etc….

Supporting the CSA, SAC and Director of Analysis

Preparing evidence strategy Setting quality standards, embedding

procurement rules Strategic partnership (EU funding) Geography and Earth Observations Responding to PQs and FoI requests Overseeing evidence budgets Looking after Defra’s specialists

CSA SAC

Corporate evidence

team

Policy teams manage evidence to meet their policy needs

CSA, SAC and Corporate Evidence Team supports evidence processes, ensures QA

Policy DG

Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

Volcanic Ash Winter chill Chalara inc. tree health Bees Badgers

Winter chill project Working with the industry

to identify a potential problem

Scoping out a project and ensuring MAFF got a useful report

Speaking to the media Seeing action taken as a

result

The work was immediate, relevant, useful

My team supported the initial response Provided secretariat for Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity

Expert Taskforce https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/200393/pb13878-tree-health-taskforce-final-report.pdf

Worked with BBSRC to get LWEC programme up and running http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/opportunities/2013/tree-health-and-plant-biosecurity-phase2.aspx

It was: very fast-moving, needed to get up to speed very fast (finding experts, arranging meetings, managing stressed people! drafting etc)

Setting up an evidence programme was part of the Government response to the problem

Neonicitinoids: insecticides used on crops Shown to have harmful effects on bees in lab studies

The European Commission pushed through a two-year ban on neonics in response to the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) scientific opinion that these insecticides posed an unacceptable risk to bees.

But UK government said the scientific case for banning neonics, based largely

on lab studies in which bees were exposed to much higher doses of pesticides than when they are in the field.

Fera study established that when used under field conditions within a normal agricultural setting neonics did not have a major effect on bumblebee colonies.

The subject is very emotive. What’s the right answer?

TB a serious and growing problem in dairy herds

Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT)

Expert opinion divided

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/a-z/bovine-tb/badgers/culling/