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DCLG accused of ‘ignoring science’ over Grenfell
Minsters have been accused of ignoring the importance of science in answering technical questions over the Grenfell Tower fire.
Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb, chair of the Science and Technology Committee, recently wrote to communities secretary Sajid Javid to raise concerns over the lack of a chief scientific advisor in the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), particularly in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.
At a recent hearing of the Science and Technology Committee Professor Chris Whitty, the government’s interim chief scientific advisor, said the DCLG does not have a chief scientific advisor and there has been “quite a long gap” since the role was last filled.
Professor Whitty said that while Stephen Aldridge is listed on the DCLG website as the chief scientific advisor for the DCLG, he is not a scientist who could address any technical questions raised by the Grenfell fire.
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Professor Whitty also said a previous DCLG secretary of state thought that having a chief scientific advisor “was not something that would be terribly helpful”.
Mr Lamb said it was “disappointing to learn that such negative attitudes towards science advice were present at the very top of a government department”.
He added: “Furthermore, it should not require a disaster like Grenfell to exemplify how important it is to ensure that scientific evidence and advice are key parts of the policymaking process.”
In response Mr Javid said in the “immediate aftermath” of the Grenfell Tower fire his department had set up an independent expert advisory panel with experience in fire and building safety. He also said his department are “working closely” with the Government Office for Science to “inform policymaking”.
