Sci-tech tackles terrorism

Politicians try to make sense of anthrax and other bio-threats

The threat in Britain from international terrorism remains 'real and serious', according to the Home Office, and the Science and Technology Committee has been investigating what response the scientific community is making.

Parliament has recognised the vital role the UK's academic institutions and research laboratories plays in combatting terrorism and in reducing the likelihood of terror groups getting their hands on sensitive material and research data.

But across the atlantic, the scientific fraternity has been getting increasingly jumpy as the Bush administration seeks to widen its powers to restrict researchers from making their work public.

The Federation of American Scientists described recent efforts by the US government to censor academic research as "an earthquake, avalanche and tidal wave rolled into one".

Late last year the US Department of Agriculture asked the Natinoal Academy of Sciences not to relase a report it had compiled on agroterrrosim, despite key information already being in the public domain.

Parliamentary scrutiny

On Wednesday 14 May the Sci-Tech Committee focused on the threat of bio-terrorism and how well the UK's biotech and biological science instittuions are protecting their work and the unsavoury toxins and substances they might be holding from fallint in to the wrong hands.

The Committee is also keen to guage the enthusiasm for a 'ethical code of conduct' to try to safeguard against experts abusing their profession.

Research Councils UK say a scientific 'hippocratic oath' can only be really effective if it can be enforced, but that further legal controls on information exchange might be self-defeating: The best way to defeat those who might misuse scientific information is to keep one step ahead.

You can watch the Sci-Tech Committee discuss terrorism on BBC Parliament on Sunday 25 May at 2200 BST