The union is asking members in science and engineering to send in their comments to help develop a compelling case for a better approach.

Sue Ferns, the union’s director of communictions and research said: “Prospect wants to see STEM skills embedded as part of a pathway to high quality economic growth. We want get a better picture of staff pressures in the private sector and secure an independent review of specialist pay for scientists and engineers in the civil service.

“All information – however brief – will be extremely useful. If there are sensitivities about naming organisations, we would be happy to anonymise your feedback.”

Questions to consider include:

• Has your area of work benefited from investment in capital? Does a lack of skilled staff or other restrictions on resource budgets mean that the full potential of this investment is not being realised?
• Is contractorisation or outsourcing depleting in-house expertise? Will this have longer-term implications for costs and capability?
• Is there work that is no longer been done in your organisation, perhaps due to reductions in staff and/or changes in political priorities? Are we potentially storing up problems by not doing this work? What is the scope for ministerial embarrassment?
• Are there threats to the continuity of long-term datasets? What would be the consequences of disrupting the sequence of long-term monitoring?
• Is Britain well prepared for emerging challenges? If not, what needs to be done?

Please send comments to [email protected] by 16 December.