Scientific advisory committees: code of practice and map of connections
Guidance setting out good practice for the operation of scientific advisory committees and map of scientific advisory committees / councils and arm’s-length bodies associated with government departments.
Documents
Details
The Code of practice for scientific advisory committees (CoPSAC) covers all aspects of their governance. It provides guidance on the establishment, management and conduct of committees and sets out their relationship with the bodies they advise.
We revised and republished in 2021 following a public consultation.
The map of scientific advisory committees / councils (SACs) and arm’s-length bodies (ALBs), published in 2024, aims to represent the SACs and ALBs which provide science and evidence advice to government.
Updates to this page
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A point was added to the "Map of Scientific Advisory Committees / Councils and Arm’s Length Bodies associated with government departments" page to explain where to interact with the map.
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HTML attachment in the form of a Map of Scientific Advisory Committees / Councils and Arm’s Length Bodies associated with government departments has been added. The wording on the landing page has been altered to reflect the addition of this HTML attachment.
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Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees (CoPSAC) updated to reflect changes in legislation and guidance - in particular revisions to paragraphs on independence, diversity and inclusion, and transparency.
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The advice on making public appointments to scientific advisory committees needs to be updated. Those making appointments should contact the Cabinet Office Public Appointments Policy Team (PAPT) for advice.
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First published.