Author : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Science and Technology
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 73 pages
File Size : 34,72 MB
Release : 2015
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0215084225
Author : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Science and Technology
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 53 pages
File Size : 44,61 MB
Release : 2015
Category : Law
ISBN : 0215083849
In its broadest sense, biometrics is the measurement and analysis of a biological characteristic (fingerprints, iris patterns, retinas, face or hand geometry) or a behavioural characteristic (voice, gait or signature). Biometric technologies use these characteristics to identify individuals automatically. Unlike identity documents or passwords, biometrics cannot be lost or forgotten since they are a part of the user and are always present at the time of identification. They are also difficult, though not impossible, to forge or share. Three future trends in the application of biometrics were identified during the inquiry: (i) the growth of unsupervised biometric systems, accessed via mobile devices, which verify identity; (ii) the proliferation of "second-generation" biometric technologies that can authenticate individuals covertly; (iii) and the linking of biometric data with other types of 'big data' as part of efforts to profile individuals. Each of these trends introduces risks and benefits to individuals, to the state and to society as a whole. They also raise important ethical and legal questions relating to privacy and autonomy. The Committee are not convinced that the Government has addressed these questions, nor are they satisfied that it has looked ahead and considered how the risks and benefits of biometrics will be managed and communicated to the public.
Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 348 pages
File Size : 12,52 MB
Release : 2009-07-29
Category : Law
ISBN : 0309142393
Scores of talented and dedicated people serve the forensic science community, performing vitally important work. However, they are often constrained by lack of adequate resources, sound policies, and national support. It is clear that change and advancements, both systematic and scientific, are needed in a number of forensic science disciplines to ensure the reliability of work, establish enforceable standards, and promote best practices with consistent application. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward provides a detailed plan for addressing these needs and suggests the creation of a new government entity, the National Institute of Forensic Science, to establish and enforce standards within the forensic science community. The benefits of improving and regulating the forensic science disciplines are clear: assisting law enforcement officials, enhancing homeland security, and reducing the risk of wrongful conviction and exoneration. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States gives a full account of what is needed to advance the forensic science disciplines, including upgrading of systems and organizational structures, better training, widespread adoption of uniform and enforceable best practices, and mandatory certification and accreditation programs. While this book provides an essential call-to-action for congress and policy makers, it also serves as a vital tool for law enforcement agencies, criminal prosecutors and attorneys, and forensic science educators.
Author : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Science and Technology
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 284 pages
File Size : 41,29 MB
Release : 2013-03-13
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780215055163
There exists the concept of a valley of death that prevents the progress of science from the laboratory bench to the point where it provides the basis of a commercially successful business or product. The future success of the UK economy has been linked to the success of translating a world class science base to generate new businesses with the consequent generation of UK jobs and wealth. A troubling feature of technology companies in the UK is how many are acquired by foreign owners where the subsequent jobs and wealth are generated outside the UK. It is key that the Government ensure that sufficient capital is available and recommended that the proposed bank for business, possibly in partnership with the Business Growth Fund, be used to promote a bond market for medium sized businesses, thus providing growing small businesses with an additional source of funding. It is also recommended that the Government investigate the potential to require funds to have a proportion of European SME equities. There needs to be a mechanism to support SME's who do disproportionately badly from the current R&D tax credit scheme. The Technology Strategy Board is becoming the focus for government innovation policy and Government should consider how they can resource the TSB to provide local level advice to technology businesses. The Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) and the SMART Award scheme would appear to be successful initiatives but lack sufficient funds to meet the demand from companies
Author : United States. Congress
Publisher :
Page : 1324 pages
File Size : 15,48 MB
Release : 1968
Category : Law
ISBN :
Author : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Science and Technology
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 52 pages
File Size : 17,54 MB
Release : 2014-05-04
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0215071840
The Government launched its new horizon scanning programme last July, stating that 'in a tight economic climate, it is more important than ever to have the best possible understanding of the world around us, and how that world is changing'. However, as it stands, the new programme is little more than an echo chamber for Government views. The new bodies that have been created consist entirely of Civil Servants, effectively excluding the vast pool of expertise that exists outside of government. The new programme does not even have a dedicated web presence to keep interested parties informed. The programme's failings are partially attributed to a lack of ministerial oversight. The Government also needs to recognise the potential role to be played in the new programme by the Government Office for Science (GO-Science), specifically the Foresight Unit. The relative lack of impact that the Foresight Unit has historically had on policy is largely a result of its non-central location in government. GO-Science is located in the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). In contrast, the new horizon scanning programme is located in the Cabinet Office. In choosing to situate the new horizon scanning programme in the Cabinet Office, the Government has recognised the importance of location and has thereby acknowledged the strength of this argument. GO-Science should be relocated from BIS to the Cabinet Office, where it can play a more central role in the new programme and more effectively fulfill its role of ensuring that the best scientific evidence is utilised across government
Author : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Science and Technology
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 242 pages
File Size : 40,4 MB
Release : 2014-04-02
Category : Science
ISBN : 0215070623
The Government is failing to clearly and effectively communicate climate science to the public. There is little evidence of co-ordination amongst Government, government agencies and public bodies on communicating climate science, despite various policies at national and regional level to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The mandate to act on climate can only be maintained if the electorate are convinced that the Government is acting on the basis of strong scientific evidence. Ministers therefore need to do more to demonstrate that is the case and consistently reflect the Government approach in all their communications, especially with the media. The report also criticises the BBC for its reporting on the issue. It points out that BBC News teams continue to make mistakes in their coverage of climate science by giving opinions and scientific fact the same weight. The BBC is called to develop clear editorial guidelines for all commentators and presenters on the facts of climate that should be used to challenge statements, from either side of the climate policy debate, that stray too far from the scientific facts. It is important that climate science is presented separately from any subsequent policy response. Government should work with the learned societies and national academies to develop a source of information on climate science that is discrete from policy delivery, comprehensible to the general public and responsive to both current developments and uncertainties in the science
Author : Alfred Morris
Publisher : Elsevier
Page : 159 pages
File Size : 14,27 MB
Release : 2016-06-06
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 1483136930
The Growth of Parliamentary Scrutiny by Committee
Author :
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 148 pages
File Size : 49,75 MB
Release : 2009
Category : Education
ISBN : 9780215542663
This report (HCP 44, session 2009-10, ISBN 9780215542663) from the Science and Technology Committee looks at literacy programmes evidence check and concludes that expectations by the Department for Children, Schools and Families of the quality of the evidence base for reading programmes are worryingly low. It urges the Government to commission randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The Committee also states it is particularly concerned about the quality of evidence demonstrating cost-effectiveness of different programmes and further recommends that the Government reviews its guidelines on RCT design; it says even Wikipedia is more thorough and informative. The Committee also concludes, that: the Government's focus on early literacy interventions and phonics-based teaching is based on the best available evidence; the use of Reading Recovery is based on a lower quality of evidence than the Committee is comfortable with and that the decision to introduce Reading Recovery nationally is not evidence based. The Committee further expressed alarm that there was a complete lack of randomised controlled trials using standardised test scores for the Reading Recovery programme in the UK school system, before national implementation of the programme.
Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Science and Technology Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 60 pages
File Size : 30,25 MB
Release : 2010
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780215553485
Following a two-year absence the Science and Technology Committee was re-formed in October 2009 to conduct cross-departmental scrutiny of science and technology. This report summarises the Committee's work of this session. It also reviews the historical landscape of science scrutiny in Parliament across the work of predecessor committees, and documents the impacts they have had on policy and the culture of scientific debate within Westminster. The Committee highlight several inquiries and reports that have had significant impact in informing legislative decisions and holding government to the standard of evidence based policy making.
