My question to the Prime Minister

I was pleased to have the opportunity to ask the Prime Minister a question during the weekly Question Time in Parliament.

Earlier in the week I chaired a seminar at the Royal Society, looking at the priorities for the UK science community as the Government starts the process of our withdrawal from the European Union.

A report of the meeting will be published in Parliament on 21 March and I asked Theresa May to take into account the views of the science community.

You can watch a recording of my exchange with the Prime Minister below:

Visiting Oxford Brookes University's Cognitive Robotics Laboratory

I was delighted to be invited to visit Oxford Brookes University in my capacity as chair of Parliament's cross-party Science and Technology Committee.

Oxford Brookes is a world-leader in robotics research and I enjoyed learning more about the work that takes place in its Cognitive Robotics Laboratory.

I also had the chance to see the Formula 1 collection at the university, which is situated right at the heart of the UK motorsport valley.

Read more about my visit here.

#MyScienceInquiry: Parliament's Science and Technology Committee wants your suggestions

Experimenting with flash cotton at
a Royal Society of Chemistry event

The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee has recently created an open opportunity for the science community, schools, colleges, and the wider public to suggest science and technology areas for scrutiny.

Our cross-party committee of MPs exists to examine government policy on science and technology issues and we want to gather suggestions for topics for our next inquiry.

This is a great opportunity to get involved with setting the science and technology agenda in Westminster.

If there's an area of science that you think isn't getting the attention it deserves or where the Government needs to do better, then this is an easy way to let politicians know about it.

I would be especially proud to see people from our local area in Essex taking part and telling MPs about an important science issue.

My committee is looking forward to learning about areas of science that we might not otherwise consider.

We have held inquiries into many fascinating topics recently and have more planned for 2017 - but we want to hear your ideas too.

I'm keen to open up this part of the process and get fresh input. We're encouraging scientists and the wider public to get involved by sending us 200 words or a 1-minute video. I'm particularly keen to hear ideas from schools and colleges.

Find out more about the #MyScienceInquiry and how to participate here. The deadline for proposals is Wednesday 4 January.

Article for CaSE: Campaign for Science and Engineering

I was delighted to be asked to contribute a guest article for the Campaign for Science and Engineering's blog as part of my duties as Chair of Parliament's Science and Technology Committee.

I highlighted how our country has so much potential in the fields of science and engineering and also wrote about how we can make further improvements, including through greater diversity and STEM skills education.

You can read my full article for CaSE here.

Chairing my first Science and Technology Committee meeting

Today I was pleased to chair my first Science and Technology Committee meeting in Parliament since being elected to the role last week.

We asked Government ministers and a department official about the implications and opportunities for science and research following the vote to leave the European Union.

You can watch a recording of the meeting below:

Elected as Chair of the Science and Technology Committee

I was delighted to be elected as the new Chair of the Science and Technology Committee in Parliament last week.

The cross-party Science and Technology Committee exists to ensure that Government policy and decision-making is based on good scientific and engineering advice and evidence. I served as a member of the Committee for the whole of the last Parliament, from 2010 to 2015.

We're living through a terrific period of technological change, so it is very exciting to be scrutinising Government policy in this area.

As Chair I will be focused on ensuring the Government does all it can to maintain the UK's status as a science superpower during the uncertain times ahead. And as a Committee we will continue to champion evidence-based policy making.