Britain’s science minister, Paul Drayson, has backed calls for science to have its own parliamentary committee to scrutinise the government’s funding and use of science (BBC News, THE)

After a cabinet reshuffle on 5 June, responsibility for science was absorbed into a newly created department for business from the former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. In the reorganisation, Drayson’s brief has also expanded to include responsibility for defence equipment at the Ministry of Defence.

Drayson’s comment comes in response to concerns that science needed greater oversight after its move to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Drayson told BBC News, “I think the importance of science, the importance of technology, means those arguments are strong ones and I would support them.”

“Both in my capacity as science minister and in light of my new responsibility for defence research and development — the largest government research budget outside the science and research ring-fence — it is my belief that the creation of a separate committee to look specifically at science across government is necessary. I will be making the case for this to the Leader of the House,” reports the THE.