Member

However, the Government’s view is that a requirement for all scientific researchers to undergo an additional formal process to demonstrate that their specific research project is in the public interest would, at best, be a significant and unnecessary burden on our world-class research community. At worst, it would have a chilling effect on research that would ultimately damage public benefit. Much research is driven by curiosity and understanding; defining the precise public benefit at the outset may not be easy or even possible. The public benefit arises many years later. That is the case with the scientific research that we see coming to fruition now: nobody could have known what it would be useful for.