The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee and the House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Committee both invited contributions to inquiries into the implementation of the Government Open Access policy. The Society of Biology responded to both in consultation with its Research Dissemination Committee, on which we are represented.

The newly established Commission on the Future of Higher Education, part of the IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research), consulted on the future of Higher Education in England. We contributed to a response from the Society of Biology.

This Ofqual consultation considered proposals for the reform of A Levels in England. Our Education Committee worked with the SCORE group to shape a cross-science sectoral response.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) invited views on the future of food production and the environment in England through their Green Food Project online forum. We contributed to a Society of Biology response.

This consultation by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee invited evidence on how to improve the commercialisation of research in the UK. We fed in input from our membership into a bioscience sector-specific response, coordinated by the Society of Biology.

The Higher Education Commission launched an independent inquiry examining the future of postgraduate education. To ensure the views of the bioscience community were well represented, the Biochemical Society worked closely with the Society of Biology to deliver a comprehensive response, which is available here. You can read a blog post about the following round table discussion here.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) are conducting a review of the admissions process for students entering higher education. As part of this they opened a public consultation, which we submitted evidence to through a Society of Biology response.

The House of Lords Science and Technology Sub-Committee invited contributions to its inquiry into higher education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The inquiry asks how the UK builds the educational foundations it needs to face the challenges of the future. We responded through a Society of Biology submission.

In January 2011, the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee announced a review

into the Forensic Science Service (FSS). This followed a Home Office statement in December 2010, revealing that they would be winding down the FSS. The Biochemical Society responded to this consultation, aided by staff from the University of the West of England. Read our submission

here.

The Government Office of Science consultation provided an opportunity for scientists, academics and members of the public to help revise the guidelines on scientific advice, last updated in 2005. These guidleines set out the way Government departments obtain and use scientific advice. The Biochemical Society submitted a joint response to this consultation with the British Ecological Society.