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Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

2005 Publications

254 - Farmland Wildlife
Four page POSTnote, December 2005
Farmland covers approximately three quarters of the United Kingdom and has historically provided a wide range of habitats for wildlife. Many British species are adapted to living in a farmed landscape, so efforts to conserve wildlife are often concentrated within managed ecosystems. Much of the wildlife that inhabits farmland has declined over recent decades. The reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy has presented an opportunity for farmers to be rewarded for protecting wildlife. This POSTnote examines the current status of wildlife on farms. It reviews the options available to farmers for wildlife conservation and explores the implications of future changes to the countryside.

253 - Cleaner Coal
Four page POSTnote, December 2005
Climate change is high on the political agenda, gas and oil prices are increasingly volatile and concerns about nuclear power generation continue. Could 'cleaner coal' offer the perfect energy solution? Cleaner coal technologies (particularly those that reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions) are at various stages of development. Advocates believe they hold the key to a secure and low carbon electricity mix. Critics are concerned that core technologies have not been fully demonstrated and that the barriers to implementation have been underestimated. This POSTnote examines the most prominent technologies and the issues surrounding their use.

252 - Recycling Household Waste
Four page POSTnote, December 2005
About 29 million tonnes of municipal waste, 87% of which was household waste, was produced in England in 2003/04. Most waste ends up in landfill sites; only 19% of household waste is currently recycled or composted. Recycling is widely assumed to be environmentally beneficial, although the collection, sorting and processing of materials gives rise to some environmental impacts and energy use. This POSTnote summarises the environmental impacts of recycling household waste, and examines some of the reasons why recycling rates are still relatively low.

251 - Sustaining Fisheries
Four page POSTnote, November 2005
The fishing industry is an important economic and social activity in parts of the UK; some remote communities are highly dependent upon it. Worldwide, demand for fish is rising but many fish stocks are dwindling with several important stocks threatened in the European Union (EU). A moratorium on fishing of a British favourite, the cod, has been recommended by government scientists since 2001. Several recent inquiries into the sustainability of the fishing industry have concluded that a change in management is requi-red. This briefing outlines the main issues and recent policy developments, with a focus on whitefish stocks.

250 - The 24-Hour Society
Four page POSTnote, November 2005
In recent years more businesses have begun to operate outside standard hours, contributing to a culture of long or unusual working hours. The '24-hour society' can increase efficiency and help to meet consumer demand, but can also have serious health and social impacts. This briefing outlines the driving factors behind the 24-hour society and reviews options to manage its negative impacts, ranging from the European Union (EU) Working Time Directive to new technological solutions.

249 - Household Energy Efficiency
Four page POSTnote, October 2005
Household energy use accounts for more than a quarter of all energy used in the UK, but the typical household wastes around a third of that energy each year. The Government's 2003 Energy White Paper placed energy efficiency centre stage for achieving its energy targets. It identified potential carbon savings amounting to ~20 million tonnes a year (Mt/yr) across the economy over the next 15 years1, with 5 Mt/yr coming from the household sector by 2010. But critics question whether current policies will deliver these predicted savings. This POSTnote examines these concerns and explores the barriers to improving household energy efficiency.

248 - Science in Court
Four page POSTnote, October 2005
Science is increasingly used in court, where it appears in a variety of guises. Equipment used to gather evidence for the courts may be well-established (for example, breathalysers) or its scientific validity may still be in question (for example, lie detectors). Scientists themselves may act as expert witnesses, presenting evidence in courts. This briefing note will consider how courts determine what science to accept, the options for accrediting science and expert witnesses and how disagreements between scientists are managed.

247-Infection Control in Healthcare Settings
Four page POSTnote, July 2005
Healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) are infections transmitted to patients (and healthcare workers) as a result of healthcare procedures, in hospital and other healthcare settings. Recent years have seen an increase in the awareness of HCAIs, in particular those caused by antibiotic-resistant 'superbugs'. This POSTnote describes the nature, spread and treatment of HCAIs. It focuses on challenges for public policy in their detection, prevention and management.

246-Changing Role of Pharmacies
Four page POSTnote, July 2005
In 2003, the Department of Health (DH) set out its intention to increase the public's choice of when, where and how to get medicines. The introduction of the new community pharmacy contractual framework in April 2005 will help to achieve this. This POSTnote will examine the changing role of pharmacy and the availability of medicines by prescription, over-the-counter and remotely by mail-order or the internet.

245-Rapid Climate Change
Four page POSTnote, July 2005
Climate change is a widely debated issue and a key focus of the EU and G8 this year. Policy responses so far have focused on steady changes in climate. Now growing evidence suggests that increases in global temperatures may lead to more rapid and irreversible shifts in the climate system. These could produce large changes in global weather patterns in only a few decades. The likelihood of such an event occurring this century is thought to be low, but the potential impacts are too high to ignore. While the uncertainties remain high, some evidence suggests that if emissions growth continues unabated, abrupt changes could be seen by the middle of this century. This POSTnote summarises current knowledge of rapid climate change and reviews possible policy options.

244- Binge drinking and public health
Four page POSTnote, July 2005
Alcohol misuse, in the form of binge drinking (BD), is prevalent among young people and seems to be a distinctive characteristic of the British drinking culture. Over the last 2 years the Government has reformed licensing laws and implemented a strategy aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm. This briefing describes the extent of BD in the UK, examines the current legislation and analyses the policy implications.

243- Ethical scrutiny of research
Four page POSTnote, July 2005
Recent legislation such as the Data Protection Act, Human Tissue Bill and Mental Capacity Act emphasize the importance of ethical scrutiny of research on human participants. Despite this, the process of ethical review is controversial. The UK system for ethical review is complex and varies between different types of research. A recent review of NHS research made a number of recommendations for changing the ethical review process. This note describes the various systems for ethical review of research involving humans and outlines key issues with the existing system.

242- Open source software
Four page POSTnote, June 2005
Open source software (OSS) is computer software that has its underlying ‘source-code’ made available under a licence. This can allow developers and users to adapt and improve it. Policy on the use of OSS in government was updated in 2004. This briefing explains how OSS works, outlines current and prospective uses and examines recent policy developments. It discusses its advantages and disadvantages and examines factors affecting uptake.

241- Fighting diseases of developing countries
Four page POSTnote, June 2005
Better drugs and vaccines are needed to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), malaria and other tropical diseases. Pharmaceutical research has typically focussed on developing drugs, vaccines and other interventions for diseases prevalent in developed countries, where people can afford to buy treatments; it has tended to overlook those disorders that predominantly affect developing countries. This briefing outlines the extent of the problem, describes a number of recent initiatives to stimulate research and development (R&D) into diseases of the developing world and examines the UK policy issues associated with funding such research.

Science in the new parliament
Four page note, June 2005
How will the UK meet its energy needs in the future? How can raw human genome data help to understand and treat disease? What is the best way to combat internet crime? Will there be a shortage of science graduates in some subjects? All of these are science and technology (S&T) based-issues that the new Parliament may face. They show how deeply embedded S&T has become in public policy. This briefing highlights issues that could be topical in the coming years. It covers those with a largely national focus such as public health, new technology, security and science policy, as well as those with a more global focus such as energy, climate change and development.

240- Gene therapy
Four page POSTnote, June 2005
In 2003 the Government pledged £50 million over three years to harness the potential of developments in genetics for the benefit of NHS patients. £10 million of this has been earmarked for gene therapy research and development. This briefing introduces gene therapy, outlines the potential benefits for patients and examines current regulatory and technical issues.

239- Early Warnings for natural disasters
Four page POSTnote, May 2005
Sudden natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes, can strike in minutes. Although they cannot be prevented, some can be forecast. Their effects can be reduced if communities are warned and prepared. Although the UK does experience natural disasters, this note addresses its role in Early Warnings (EWs) in developing countries, where sophisticated EW systems may be difficult to implement and maintain. The UK Department for International Development (DFID) and others, emphasise that EWs should be integrated in a wider disaster risk reduction strategy, rather than be a 'stand alone' solution.

238- Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
Four page POSTnote, March 2005
As part of the government's global strategy to address climate change, the 2003 Energy White Paper sets the target of a 60% reduction in UK emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) by 2050, to about 240Mt (million tonnes) per year from 550Mt in 2000. Increased energy efficiency and use of renewable energy are the key mechanisms proposed to achieve this. However the White Paper suggests the continuing importance of fossil fuels to ensure security of electricity supplies. Using fossil fuels in a low-carbon economy requires their CO2 emissions be reduced. This POSTnote discusses the potential of carbon capture and storage (CCS), a method of carbon sequestration, to reduce UK and global emissions, and also the costs, environmental impacts and public perceptions of CCS.

237- Managing the UK plutonium stockpile
Four page POSTnote, February 2005
As a result of both civilian and military activities in the UK, a stockpile of plutonium has accumulated, for which there is currently no long term management strategy. Proposed options include treating it as a waste or using it in nuclear fuel to generate electricity. Discussions have recently been initiated by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) on the implications of managing plutonium as waste; currently none is classified as waste. This note provides background information on the UK's plutonium stockpile and examines safety and proliferation issues. It outlines why a management strategy is required and summarises commentary on long-term options.

236-The bushmeat trade
Four page POSTnote, February 2005
There is increasing concern about the commercial trade in 'bushmeat' (the meat of wild animals) originating in West and Central Africa. Unsustainable levels of bushmeat hunting could threaten both wildlife populations and the people who depend on bushmeat for food or income. Of particular relevance to the UK are the implications of the trade for human and animal health through possible disease transmission. This briefing summarises the causes and effects of the bushmeat trade, UK policy and remaining challenges.

235-Data protection and medical research
Four page POSTnote, January 2005
Introduction of the NHS National Programme for IT (NPfIT) in England and Wales will potentially allow researchers greater access to medical data. Increased use of electronic patient records raises concerns about consent, confidentiality and security. This note outlines the types of patient data that are stored, explains their use in medical research, examines the current regulatory system and analyses issues such as anonymisation, confidentiality and consent.