Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of consulting people under the age of 18 on its science and technology policies.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK is at the forefront of research and innovation. This means we need to inspire young people who are our future decision-makers and researchers and show that research is something to which they can contribute and benefit from throughout their lives.

The Government supports this through programmes like UKRI’s £35m ‘Adolescence, mental health and the developing mind’ which includes a youth advisory group.

The Government also supports ‘Future Forums’, managed by the British Science Association, which seeks young people’s views on science policy and the role of science in solving the issues of tomorrow.