大象传媒
investigation exposes flaws in biological research vetting scheme
An
investigation by 大象传媒 Radio 4's File on 4 programme has revealed
significant failings in the Government's system for vetting scientists
working in sensitive biological research laboratories.
The
Foreign Office operates a voluntary vetting scheme which asks universities
with microbiology departments to notify them if they receive applicants
from "countries of concern".
These
include Iraq, Iran and Libya - countries which might exploit research
for development of biological weapons programmes.
Whitehall
sources say they are confident that the great majority of higher
education institutions taking post-graduate scientists from overseas
are co-operating with the scheme.
But
inquiries by File on 4 show that the system is not comprehensive
when it approached universities with microbiology departments.
Of
41 universities with postgraduate microbiology work which replied,
25 said they co-operated with the voluntary vetting scheme, 16 said
they did not - including four who had never heard of the scheme.
Only
17 of the 41 universities said they had used the scheme in the past
two years.
Various
reasons were given for not taking part in the vetting scheme including
complaints that the Foreign Office process was "too bureaucratic"
and caused unnecessary delays.
One
university said it had no confidence in the system. Another said
while waiting to learn if their applicant was security-cleared by
the Foreign Office, another university had offered him a place.
The
File on 4 investigation comes amid growing pressure from MPs on
the Foreign Affairs Select Committee to tighten up security in British
research laboratories.
Labour
backbencher and member of the Committee Andrew Mackinlay tells the
programme: "I think there should be compulsory vetting. We
need to know much more about every person who applies to come to
a postgraduate institution.
"We
need to know what they've done, we need to be assured their families
aren't under any pressure - that they are literally free persons.
"I'm
sure that there will be people in academia who will fling out their
arms in horror about this聟 but to do nothing in my view is
foolhardy and reckless in the extreme. Many of our postgraduate
institutions are a soft underbelly."
The
voluntary vetting scheme was set up in 1994 after it was revealed
that the head of Iraq's biological warfare programme, Dr Rihab Taha,
had pursued postgraduate studies in microbiology at the University
of East Anglia in the 1980's.
Vice
chancellors have opposed a compulsory vetting scheme in the past.
Former
academic and Labour chairman of the Science and Technology Select
Committee Dr Ian Gibson said compulsory vetting was impractical.
"It
will never work - I don't think universities will go along with
it. You would set up a whole environment of fear and intimidation
and who knows where it would stop?"
Notes
to Editors
Any
use of the release must include a credit for 大象传媒 Radio 4's File
on Four programme, Tuesday 19 November, 8.00pm.
Iraqi
scientists infiltrated British research centres, reveals Radio 4's
File on 4
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