POST What's New

What POST Does

How POST Works

What's New

Publications

Seminars

Current Work

Working for POST

POST Board

Science in Parliament

POST in the Wider World

Contact Information

Media Information

Related Links

Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

Subscribe to Email Alerts for this pageSubscribe to Email Alerts for this page
Please note that a new window will open up when subscribing to this service. When you have completed the subscription sign-on, click on Close to shut the window down.

To receive copies of POST's publications and event notifications, please email post@parliament.uk, with 'Join POST mailing list' as the subject and your full name and address. Please indicate whether you prefer to receive electronic, paper copies or both.

What's New

Publications

352 - Counterfeit MedicinesPDF Document
Four page POSTnote, January 2010
Counterfeiting of medicines is increasing, is often linked to other criminal activities and poses risks to public health. It exposes people to medicines of unverified quality, safety and efficacy. This POSTnote considers the extent of the global counterfeit medicine trade, its impact in the UK and the technologies and policy options available to combat it. It also examines the risks and benefits of online pharmacy, one of the main ways in which counterfeits are distributed.

351 - Lighting TechnologyPDF Document
Four page POSTnote, January 2010
Electric lighting accounts for around one-fifth of electricity consumption, both in the UK and globally. Under recent legislation, the traditional incandescent lamp is being phased out in the UK, saving 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year by 2020 (equivalent to the emissions of around 180,000 households today). This POSTnote gives an overview of energy efficient lighting currently available and under development. It examines policy initiatives to drive uptake, as well as relevant health, environmental, public perception and economic issues.

350 - Pets, Families and Interagency WorkingPDF Document
Four page POSTnote, January 2010
All agencies, professions and individuals who have contact with children have a duty to safeguard them. Government guidance has highlighted the need for agencies to work together and share information to achieve this aim. It has been suggested that organisations that work with animals should be included in the safeguarding agenda on the basis that there may be an association between cruelty to animals and family violence. This POSTnote examines the evidence base for this assumption, and the rationale for cross-reporting between different agencies.

349 - Diagnosing DementiaPDF Document
Four page POSTnote, January 2010
Dementia currently affects 700,000 people in the UK, yet only 1 in 3 cases receives a formal diagnosis from a doctor. Dementia costs the UK economy £17bn a year and is one of the main causes of disability in later life. A key aim of the Department of Health's 2009 National Dementia Strategy is early diagnosis. This is intended to improve quality of life through increased support, prevention of harm and reduction in care home admissions. This briefing outlines current diagnostic practices, research into newer tools and service provision proposals that aim to increase early diagnosis.

Seminars

Robotic Visions: young people's views on the future of robotics technologyPDF Document
Parliamentary seminar, March 9th 2010, 2 - 4pm, Jubilee Room, Westminster Hall, Houses of Parliament

Interest in engaging the public in decision-making about science and technology policy has increased in recent years, especially for technologies that are in the early stages of development. Robotic Visions provides a unique opportunity for key stakeholders to understand public concerns about robotics research, as well as enabling young people to have their voices heard. The programme involves a series of five Vision Conferences throughout the UK, each bringing together 20-30 young people and at least three robotics researchers to jointly explore current and future robotics research.

Student representatives from each of the conferences will attend the Parliamentary Seminar in order to present their region's interests, concerns and conclusions regarding the future use of robotics technology. Representatives from the research and policy communities will also provide short synopses describing the impact of the project on their work.

To attend please email waltersn@parliament.uk or call Nadine Walters on 020 7219 8377.

The Future of Evidence
Parliamentary seminar, February 24th 2010, 9am - 4.30pm, Methodist Central Hall Westminster (NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE)

This meeting of the Future Analyst Network - jointly sponsored by POST, the Knowledge Council and the National Archives - will explore some of the challenging issues emerging around future collection and management of digital data and evidence. In particular, we will explore how to use data and evidence to create new forms of value in public service; and consider the different roles and responsibilities that Government, Parliament and the private sector have with respect to maintaining the integrity and usefulness of data and evidence. The discussions will focus on three main areas:

  • Trust: what factors affect whether information used to support public policy is trusted - and how might these change in future?
  • Values and beliefs: how might future changes in values and beliefs affect the way in which information used to support public policy is obtained and governed?
  • Structures: what changes will need to be made to the content, organisation and storage of the evidence base?
Among the speakers will be:
  • Natalie Ceeney, Chief Executive of the National Archives
  • Professor Brian Collins, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Transport and a member of the advisory group on Foresight's recent Cyber Trust and Crime Prevention Project
  • Jonathan Grant, President of RAND Europe
  • John Pullinger, House of Commons Llibrarian
Please e-mail chris.hepworth@bis.gsi.gov.uk to book your place.

Podcasts

Counterfeit Medicines Podcast

We take it for granted that medicines are safe, but counterfeiting of a wide variety of medicines is increasing and is a global problem. Counterfeit medicines pose a public health risk since they might contain toxic materials or little or no active ingredient.

Government data reports instances where counterfeits have entered the medicine supply chain for distribution by high street pharmacies but the main risk arises when people buy medicines of unverified quality, safety and efficacy online from unauthorised pharmacies.

In this podcast, Chandy Nath and Sarah Bunn from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) discuss what a counterfeit medicine is, the risks they pose and how the government and industry are working to tackle this problem.

The podcast includes interviews with

discussing the role that industry, government and Parliament have in tackling this problem.