Over half of secret advisory group on State pay
MORE than half the members of the secretive scientific group advising ministers on coronavirus are State employees.
The names of 50 experts on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) were published yesterday amid mounting criticism over a lack of transparency.
They include familiar figures such as chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and NHS medical director Professor Stephen Powis.
But 28 of those named are employed by the Government, including senior NHS staff, public health officials and civil servants.
The rest of the group comprises scientists from leading universities, with expertise in disciplines including infectious diseases, children’s health and behavioural science.
However, critics have claimed the independence of Sage is jeopardised because too many of its members are employed by the Government.
There are also concerns over the potential commercial conflicts of interest of some members.
They include Dr Demis Hassabis, a co-founder of Google’s artificial intelligence division DeepMind, who has attended Sage meetings in his ‘personal capacity as a data scientist’, according to the list published on the Government’s website.
Last month it emerged that Boris Johnson’s controversial political adviser Dominic Cummings has attended Sage meetings. His name was not included in the official list published yesterday, which will fuel speculation that he is one of the two members whose identities remain redacted.
Sir David King, who is leading an ‘independent’ alternative group to Sage, said: ‘An independent science advisory group really needs to be dominated by people whose income is not determined by the fact they are working for the Government.’
A Government Office for Science spokesman said: ‘Permission to publish names was requested from all participants. Those who did not give permission have not been named.’
The membership of Sage – which typically meets twice a week – is not fixed and different scientists are invited to different meetings depending on the issue being discussed.
Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of Sage and director of the research charity Wellcome Trust, said 250 people feed into the group and he has never detected any undue influence.
High-profile members include Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, whose virus modelling predicting up to 500,000 UK deaths led to the lockdown being imposed.
NHS employees in the group include Dr Indra Joshi, who is overseeing the introduction of artificial intelligence in the health service.
Civil servants attending the meetings include the chief scientific advisers at the Home Office, Department for Transport, Foreign Office and Department for International Development.
Science and technology committee chairman Greg Clark welcomed the publication of the list, saying it would ‘provide public reassurance that government decisions are informed by a broad and substantial body of expert advice’.
‘Potential commercial conflict of interest’