GUILDFORD MP SHADOWED FOR A WEEK BY UNIVERSITY OF SURREY RESEARCH SCIENTIST

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 8th Dec 2003

Sue Doughty MP has taken part in a Royal Society scheme to pair up Members of Parliament with scientists. Dr Marie-Laure Abel, a Royal Society University Research Fellow in the School of Engineering at The University of Surrey, has spent the week in Westminster with Sue; a return visit to Dr Abel's laboratory is planned for early next year.

Sue said:

"It has been a real benefit having Dr Abel with me this week. While higher education funding has been the hot topic in Westminster, I have been able to hear the story from the frontline.

"The Royal Society scheme is an excellent way of allowing MPs to learn more about the important role of scientists. Politicians need to spend more time listening to scientists and understanding how the scientific community works. We have learned from the problems with the GM crop trials that if politicians ask the wrong questions and try and spin the science to suit their own policy they will end up making poor decisions."

Dr Abel said:

"It was a very enjoyable week, and I learned much about the parliamentary system. I am pleased that Sue Doughty was able to allocate some of her time to me and I was able to contribute helpful information too. I am looking forward to her visit to our laboratories next year, and hope that she will enjoy getting further knowledge of our particular world."