Our governance
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-26)

Find out about our governance and ways of working.

The Council for Science and Technology (CST) was reconstituted in 2011 with new terms of reference (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/council-for-science-and-technology/about/terms-of-reference), a new membership (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/council-for-science-and-technology/about/membership) and a new way of working.

Ways of working

The council has 2 chairs: an Independent Co-Chair and the Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA), who is appointed ex-officio. Other members are appointed directly by the Prime Minister or ex-officio as a President of a National Academy.

CST provides advice directly to the Prime Minister and its terms of reference provide for regular engagement with the Prime Minister, relevant cabinet ministers and senior government officials. The CST work programme is developed by its members in discussion with the government. The government can ask CST to consider particular issues, but the council is under no obligation to agree to these requests if it believes that other work would be of greater value.

The council decides the approach to each area of work on a case-by-case basis. It can also provide advice to government as it thinks best, for example through meetings, letters or published reports.

Room will be left in the work programme for CST to respond to urgent requests from the Prime Minister as necessary.

CST’s relationship with government should always be based on openness and transparency, respecting each other’s roles and responsibilities, and CST’s independence (also see the ‘Principles of scientific advice to government (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/scientific-advice-to-government-principles/principles-of-scientific-advice-to-government)’).

Further information on the CST can be found in CST ways of working (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cst-ways-of-working) and in Government Office for Science annual report: 2017 to 2018 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-office-for-science-annual-report-2017-to-2018).

Code of practice

The CST adopts the government’s Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/scientific-advisory-committees-code-of-practice) although, as the CST’s role is to advise on strategic policy rather than to evaluate research, some parts of the code aren’t directly relevant to CST’s activities.

The code covers all of the committee’s work including role, remit, responsibilities of members, chairs and secretariats, working practices, and publication of documents. It ensures that the committee works openly and transparently.

Meeting minutes

2025
- CST meeting minutes, September 2025 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/council-for-science-and-technology-meeting-minutes-september-2025)
- CST meeting summary, March 2025 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/council-for-science-and-technology-meeting-summary-march-2025)
- CST meeting summary, June 2025 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/council-for-science-and-technology-meeting-summary-june-2025)
You can find summaries from previous CST meetings in the UK Government Web Archive (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/timeline/https:/www.gov.uk/government/organisations/council-for-science-and-technology/about/our-governance).