Our governance

Find out about our governance and ways of working.

The Council for Science and Technology (CST) was reconstituted in 2011 with new terms of reference, a new membership and a new way of working.

Ways of working

The council has 2 chairs. The Government Chief Scientific Adviser occupies 1 of the chairs. Lord Browne of Madingley is the independent co-chair.

The CST work programme is developed by its members in discussion with the government. The government can ask CST to consider particular issues, but the council is under no obligation to agree to these requests if it believes that other work would be of greater value.

The council decides the approach to each area of work on a case-by-case basis. It can also provide advice to government as it thinks best, for example through meetings, letters or published reports.

Further information on the CST can be found in CST ways of working and in Government Office for Science annual report: 2017 to 2018.

Code of practice

The CST adopts the government’s Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees although, as the CST’s role is to advise on strategic policy rather than to evaluate research, some parts of the code aren’t directly relevant to CST’s activities.

The code covers all of the committee’s work including role, remit, responsibilities of members, chairs and secretariats, working practices, and publication of documents. It ensures that the committee works openly and transparently.

Meeting summaries

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

You can find summaries from previous CST meetings in the UK Government Web Archive.

Contents