That this House is appalled by the recent announcement of a further 51 scientist job cuts at Royal Botanical Kew Gardens on 28 November 2014; notes that these job cuts will result in the loss of over 1,000 years of scientific expertise; deeply regrets that staff were told via email that they were no longer required and that, if these scientists are not found other positions, Kew will lose up to 40 per cent of its scientific staff; supports the PCS and Prospect trade unions in their demand that vacancies within the new structure should be filled by existing staff rather than by recruiting external, less experienced candidates and losing hundreds of years' worth of invaluable experience; further notes the hugely detrimental impact such redundancies will have on the vitally important work carried out at Kew on a daily basis; and calls on the Government to urgently halt these further redundancies in order to allow the new structure put in place at Kew to take effect and to fully engage with staff and unions in order to save as many key scientific posts as possible.

That this House is appalled by the recent announcement of a further 51 scientist job cuts at Royal Botanical Kew Gardens on 28 November 2014; notes that these job cuts will result in the loss of over 1,000 years of scientific expertise; deeply regrets that staff were told via email...

That this House commends the contribution to computer science by Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace who was born in London in 1815 and was daughter of Lord and Baroness Byron; notes that Ada Lovelace is considered to be the first computer programmer because of her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer and her notes on the first algorithm intended to be carried out by a machine; further notes that Ada's mother promoted an interest in mathematics and logic in her daughter; notes that Ada's vision for computing expanded beyond calculations and inspired modern computing in the work of Alan Turing a century later; and calls on the Government to ensure that young women are encouraged to pursue careers in science.

That this House commends the contribution to computer science by Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace who was born in London in 1815 and was daughter of Lord and Baroness Byron; notes that Ada Lovelace is considered to be the first computer programmer because of her work on Charles Babbage's...

That this House is aware that science helps to drive the UK's economy, with the nation being home to a number of extremely innovative high-tech small and medium-sized enterprises and companies, and our universities being well regarded for their production of world class research, while also at the same time delivering high levels of education and training for the benefit of both national and regional companies; notes, however, that UK investment in science has been held flat since 2010 whilst our international competitors are actively and strategically increasing their overall spend in these areas; and urges the Government immediately to make a long-term commitment to our knowledge and economy by raising its investment in research and development to at least that of the EU average by the end of the next Parliament.

That this House is aware that science helps to drive the UK's economy, with the nation being home to a number of extremely innovative high-tech small and medium-sized enterprises and companies, and our universities being well regarded for their production of world class research, while also at the same time...

That this House is aware of the importance of science to the nation; notes, however, that in many schools, chemistry teachers do not even have a chemistry degree, there also being an acute shortage of specialist science subject leaders; further notes that evidence shows that teachers who have a specialist background in the subject they teach have a positive impact on a child's education, particularly in science; and calls on the Government immediately to invest in this sector to ensure children are offered science education at a more qualified and specialised level.

That this House is aware of the importance of science to the nation; notes, however, that in many schools, chemistry teachers do not even have a chemistry degree, there also being an acute shortage of specialist science subject leaders; further notes that evidence shows that teachers who have a specialist...

That this House celebrates the launch of the Society of Biology's third nationwide Biology Week 2014 from 13 to 19 October 2014; notes that among its key objectives is a commitment to encourage an interest in science among young people; congratulates the Society for its initiative and the range of innovative events and activities that have been organised; further congratulates the Society for its wider role in promoting events in Parliament on behalf of the science and engineering community to assist hon. and Right hon. Members in their understanding of science; applauds the efforts that are being made throughout the UK, especially by teachers in primary and secondary schools, to revitalise the science curriculum and to convey the excitement of science to pupils and students; further notes the wide range of activities organised by the Society in local communities all over the country which are designed to illustrate and focus on the vital role of biology and the biological sciences; further notes that on 15 October 2014 the parliamentary launch of Biology Week is co-sponsored by the hon. Members for Ellesmere Port and Neston, South Basildon and East Thurrock, and Cambridge; and further notes the unrivalled contribution that the study of biology and the biological sciences have made and continue to make to our understanding of nature, to the quality of life and to the knowledge economy of the 21st century.

That this House celebrates the launch of the Society of Biology's third nationwide Biology Week 2014 from 13 to 19 October 2014; notes that among its key objectives is a commitment to encourage an interest in science among young people; congratulates the Society for its initiative and the range of...

That this House commends the contribution to medical science by Elizabeth Garrett Anderson who was born in London in 1836; notes that in 1865, Dr Anderson was the first Englishwoman to qualify as a doctor after passing the Society of Apothecaries' examinations; praises Dr Anderson's work in 1866 to establish a dispensary for women in London; further notes that in 1870 Dr Anderson was made a visiting physician to the East London Hospital and in 1872 she founded the New Hospital for Women in London, which was staffed entirely by women; further notes that Dr Anderson helped found the London School of Medicine for Women in 1874 and was appointed dean in 1883; further notes that because of Dr Anderson's pioneering work an Act was passed in 1876 that permitted women to enter medical professions; further notes that during her retirement in Aldeburgh in Suffolk, Dr Anderson became the first female mayor in England in 1908; and calls on the Government to ensure that young women are encouraged to pursue careers in science.

That this House commends the contribution to medical science by Elizabeth Garrett Anderson who was born in London in 1836; notes that in 1865, Dr Anderson was the first Englishwoman to qualify as a doctor after passing the Society of Apothecaries' examinations; praises Dr Anderson's work in 1866 to establish...

That this House congratulates the Society of Biology on organising this year's Parliamentary Links Day on 24 June 2014 on behalf of the science and engineering community; applauds the theme of Science and Public Trust; welcomes the Society's continuing commitment to serve the public interest by improving the access of all hon. Members to scientific information and a better understanding of science; notes the involvement of the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, the British Pharmacological Society, the Biochemical Society, the Society for Endocrinology, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Society for Applied Microbiology and the Society for Experimental Biology and many others; further notes that there will be keynote addresses by Sir Mark Walport, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill, and the President of the Royal Society, Sir Paul Nurse; further notes the contributions from many other eminent scientists and communicators; further notes that Parliamentary Links Day is an established and respected event on the annual Parliamentary calendar; further notes that the Society of Biology and the scientific community remains committed to assisting right hon. and hon. Members on all sides of the House with access to scientific advice; and further welcomes the continuing contribution that Parliamentary Links Day makes to strengthening the dialogue between Parliament and the science and engineering community.

That this House congratulates the Society of Biology on organising this year's Parliamentary Links Day on 24 June 2014 on behalf of the science and engineering community; applauds the theme of Science and Public Trust; welcomes the Society's continuing commitment to serve the public interest by improving the access of...

That this House wishes to congratulate Professor Lesley Yellowlees CBE BSc PhD FRSC FRSE on her term as President of the Royal Society of Chemistry which is coming to an end in July 2014; notes that Professor Yellowlees became the first female President of the Royal Society of Chemistry when she was appointed in 2012; further notes Professor Yellowlees' work on public engagement in science and the promotion of women in science, earning her University of Edinburgh department an Athena Swan silver award for good practice in supporting women in science; praises Professor Yellowlees for her important work on solar energy, dye-sensitive solar cells and for being a pioneer in the field of spectroelectrochemistry through her breakthroughs with ruthenium dye; wishes Professor Yellowlees well in her next endeavours; and calls on the Government to increase funding for science research so Britain can stay at the forefront of scientific discovery.

That this House wishes to congratulate Professor Lesley Yellowlees CBE BSc PhD FRSC FRSE on her term as President of the Royal Society of Chemistry which is coming to an end in July 2014; notes that Professor Yellowlees became the first female President of the Royal Society of Chemistry when...

That this House welcomes the decision of the trustees of the Royal Institution (Ri) that the sale, or even part-sale, of 21 Albemarle Street will not be considered as part of any long-term plan for the charity; praises the hard work of the trustees in securing a sustainable future for the Ri; congratulates the Ri on a record level of membership of nearly 4,500 individuals; hopes that these achievements can help the Ri increase its impact and the reach of its public and educational programmes; notes that 21 Albemarle Street was the workplace of Sir Humphry Davy, Michael Faraday and other leading British scientists; further notes that this is the place where 10 elements were discovered and where Michael Faraday first demonstrated the power of electricity; and calls on the Government to continue to ensure that the Ri's legacy of Britain's contribution to science continues, at 21 Albemarle Street, as the place for discovery, innovation, inspiration and imagination.

That this House welcomes the decision of the trustees of the Royal Institution (Ri) that the sale, or even part-sale, of 21 Albemarle Street will not be considered as part of any long-term plan for the charity; praises the hard work of the trustees in securing a sustainable future for...

That this House notes the proposed takeover of AstraZeneca by Pfizer, in what would be the largest ever takeover of a British firm; further notes that AstraZeneca employs nearly 7,000 people in the UK and accounts for more than two per cent of UK goods exports; expresses concern about the future employment in the UK of staff currently working for AstraZeneca, including at the existing sites in Macclesfield and Alderley Park and the planned global headquarters and research and development site in Cambridge; and calls on the Government to act as necessary to protect employment and skills in the UK, ensure that the development of the new headquarters in Cambridge continues as planned, with the associated infrastructure needs, and ensure that the UK continues to be a world-leader in science and pharmaceuticals research and development.

That this House notes the proposed takeover of AstraZeneca by Pfizer, in what would be the largest ever takeover of a British firm; further notes that AstraZeneca employs nearly 7,000 people in the UK and accounts for more than two per cent of UK goods exports; expresses concern about the...

That this House commends the contribution to science by Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell; notes that she was born in Belfast in 1943; further notes that as a postgraduate student she discovered the first radio pulsars and was listed second on the paper announcing the discovery; further notes that her supervisor shared the Nobel Prize in Physics for this work; further notes that although she was not honoured by the Nobel Committee, numerous other organisations have honoured her for her discovery; further notes that Bell Burnell was the President of the Royal Astronomical Society from 2002 to 2004 and the first female President of the Institute of Physics from October 2008 to 2010; further notes that in February 2014 Bell Burnell was made President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the first woman to hold this position; and calls on the Government to ensure that young women are encouraged to pursue careers in science.

That this House commends the contribution to science by Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell; notes that she was born in Belfast in 1943; further notes that as a postgraduate student she discovered the first radio pulsars and was listed second on the paper announcing the discovery; further notes that her...

That this House recognises and commends the contribution to science made by Margaret Ann Bulkley (aka James Barry); notes that in 1809, upon arrival in Scotland from Ireland, she adopted the name James Barry and chose to live as a man in order to be accepted as a student at the University of Edinburgh Medical School to pursue a career as a surgeon at a time when most male doctors were opposed to having women doctors; further notes that this was over 60 years before the Medical Act 1876 achieved Royal Assent, granting registration to physicians regardless of gender, thus making her the first British woman to become a qualified doctor; acknowledges that while serving as a British Army surgeon in India and Cape Town, South Africa, she reorganised medical care with a strong emphasis on public health, campaigning against unsanitary medical practices and over-crowding in hospitals; further notes that the hospital in which she worked had the highest recovery rate of any hospital during the Crimean War; further recognises that in 1826 she performed the first caesarean section in Africa by a British surgeon in which both the mother and child survived; and calls on the Government to do more to ensure that young people, particularly young women, are encouraged to pursue careers in science.

That this House recognises and commends the contribution to science made by Margaret Ann Bulkley (aka James Barry); notes that in 1809, upon arrival in Scotland from Ireland, she adopted the name James Barry and chose to live as a man in order to be accepted as a student at...

That this House recognises and commends the contribution to science by Beatrix Potter; notes that, from an early age, she was studying and recording the characteristics of a wide variety of animals, birds and insects in a home-made sketchbook; further notes that in April 1897 she presented a scientific paper, Germination of the spores of the Agaricineae, to the Linnean Society of London, despite male opposition from within the Society; also recognises that she was the first person to postulate in a scientific paper that lichens are symbiotic life forms; further recognises that the Linnean Society held a meeting in her honour 100 years after she submitted her paper; believes that as a pioneer for women in science, she is a role model for young women, who can draw inspiration from her life's work and commitment to scientific endeavour; and calls on the Government to do more to ensure that young people, particularly young women, are encouraged to pursue careers in science.

That this House recognises and commends the contribution to science by Beatrix Potter; notes that, from an early age, she was studying and recording the characteristics of a wide variety of animals, birds and insects in a home-made sketchbook; further notes that in April 1897 she presented a scientific paper,...

That this House recognises and commends the contribution to science by Rosalind Franklin in molecular biology; notes her outstanding work in the fields of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal and graphite; further notes her work field of X-ray crystallography and the well-known X-ray diffraction image, Picture 51, which led to the discovery of the structure of DNA; believes that as a female scientist, whose contribution to the discovery of the structure of DNA was never fully recognised, she serves as a reminder of the importance of promoting the work of great women in science; and calls on the Government to do more to ensure that young people, particularly young women, are encouraged to pursue careers in science.

That this House recognises and commends the contribution to science by Rosalind Franklin in molecular biology; notes her outstanding work in the fields of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal and graphite; further notes her work field of X-ray crystallography and the well-known X-ray diffraction image, Picture 51, which led to the...

That this House recognises and commends the contribution to science by Dorothy Hodgkin; notes her outstanding work in the field of X-ray crystallography; notes her discovery of the structure of penicillin for which she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964; believes that as a pioneer for women in science she is a role model for young people, particularly young women, interested in and working in scientific fields; and calls on the Government to do more to encourage and support the work of women in science.

That this House recognises and commends the contribution to science by Dorothy Hodgkin; notes her outstanding work in the field of X-ray crystallography; notes her discovery of the structure of penicillin for which she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964; believes that as a pioneer for women...

That this House congratulates Professor Peter Higgs CH FRS FRSE of the University of Edinburgh on the occasion of being awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics 2013 by the Swedish Academy of Sciences; notes the outstanding contribution that Professor Higgs has made to the cause of theoretical and particle physics; further notes that this richly deserved Nobel Prize has been awarded for his role in proposing the mechanism that explains how the most basic building blocks of the universe have mass; further notes that scientists using the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, confirmed that they had found a particle (the Higgs Boson) that matched the theories; further notes that this marked the culmination of 49 years of work since Professor Higgs and his colleagues first described the new type of particle; further congratulates Belgian scientist François Englert for his role and on also being awarded the Nobel Prize; and expresses pride in the achievements of UK science.

That this House congratulates Professor Peter Higgs CH FRS FRSE of the University of Edinburgh on the occasion of being awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics 2013 by the Swedish Academy of Sciences; notes the outstanding contribution that Professor Higgs has made to the cause of theoretical and particle physics;...

That this House congratulates Professor Peter Higgs, Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Edinburgh, for the much merited award to him, along with François Englert, of the Nobel Prize for Physics for their theoretical work on the Higgs Boson which was recently confirmed by experiments at the CERN Large Hadron Collider.

That this House congratulates Professor Peter Higgs, Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Edinburgh, for the much merited award to him, along with François Englert, of the Nobel Prize for Physics for their theoretical work on the Higgs Boson which was recently confirmed by experiments at the...

That this House notes the publication of the Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals 2012 report; expresses concern that 4,033,310 animals were used in scientific procedures in Great Britain in 2012, an increase of 8.7 per cent on the 2011 figure and the highest at any point since the current statistics regime was introduced by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and the third successive year that the number has increased; further notes that the increase contrasts with the pledge in the Coalition Programme for Government to 'work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research'; is very disappointed with the lack of progress being made on this issue; and calls on the Government to immediately publish its strategy on how numbers can be reduced.

That this House notes the publication of the Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals 2012 report; expresses concern that 4,033,310 animals were used in scientific procedures in Great Britain in 2012, an increase of 8.7 per cent on the 2011 figure and the highest at any point since the...

That this House notes the anonymous donor who provided £4.4 million towards the Royal Institution's (RI) debts and prevented the immediate sale of 21 Albemarle Street, which provided time to develop a new strategy for the RI; further notes that this was the workplace of Sir Humphry Davy and Michael Faraday and other leading British scientists; further notes that this is the place where 10 elements were discovered and where Michael Faraday first demonstrated the power of electricity; is concerned that the RI, which is a focus for children's first experience in science particularly with the Christmas lectures founded by Michael Faraday in 1825, may be lost; welcomes the fact that interest in science is on the increase among girls and boys; and calls on the Government to continue to ensure that the RI's legacy of Britain's contribution to science continues and remains in the building at 21 Albemarle Street as the place for discovery, innovation, inspiration and imagination.

That this House notes the anonymous donor who provided £4.4 million towards the Royal Institution's (RI) debts and prevented the immediate sale of 21 Albemarle Street, which provided time to develop a new strategy for the RI; further notes that this was the workplace of Sir Humphry Davy and Michael...

That this House congratulates the British Ecological Society on its centenary in 2013; notes that the Society is the oldest such ecology organisation in the world and the largest in Europe; further notes the Society's enormous contribution to the development of ecology over the past hundred years; welcomes the Society's commitment to advancing the science of ecology and communicating ecological science to right hon. and hon. Members on all sides of the House so that environmental policies can be based on sound scientific evidence; further notes the launch of its important new document about the impact of extreme weather events on freshwater ecosystems at an event being held in the Members' Dining Room on 25 June 2013; and further welcomes the Society's efforts to engage members of the public with ecological science through its Festival of Ecology during June 2013.

That this House congratulates the British Ecological Society on its centenary in 2013; notes that the Society is the oldest such ecology organisation in the world and the largest in Europe; further notes the Society's enormous contribution to the development of ecology over the past hundred years; welcomes the Society's...