Mark Walport

“If you look at U.K. science, we collaborate with people across the whole world, and it's extremely important we continue to do so in the future.”

“We need to show why the government should be funding science and how that funding delivers.”

“Science can tell us what can be done in principle, but it is then a matter for public debate as to what should be done. And ultimately, it is a role for politicians to decide the answers.”

“The most dangerous infections of humans have always been those which have emerged from other species.”

“I think publishing is a cost of research in the same way as buying a centrifuge is a cost of research.”

“It would be silly not to admit that there are some sections of the public who are unconvinced by the benefits or have doubts about the motives behind it. We have to be clear that GM is not all about profits for multinational companies.”

“Distributed ledger technologies have the potential to help governments to collect taxes, deliver benefits, issue passports, record land registries, assure the supply chain of goods, and generally ensure the integrity of government records and services.”

“I look forward to working closely with the Research Councils, Innovate UK, and Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), as we work together to create UKRI. I also look forward to working closely with all of our research and innovation communities to provide a strong and coherent voice for U.K. science and innovation.”

“Forensic science offers great potential, as it draws on almost every discipline and, in doing so, creates widespread opportunity for innovation.”

“We all want our drugs to be safe - and so an essential part of the pathway to the development of a new drug is approval by a regulator.”

“When governments work well, they safeguard citizens' health, well-being, resilience and security, and they increase prosperity. To do this, they must respond effectively to the new, the unexpected, and the game-changing.”

“We take it for granted that because our shelves and supermarkets are heaving with food that there are no problems with food security. But we have limited land in the U.K., and climate disruption and population growth are putting pressure on food supply.”

“People go on exploration; they're trying to find places that weren't known before. But it is an inevitable fact of research, as is in any other form of exploration of the unknown, that some people find they go down a dead end.”

“Research must be central to healthcare if healthcare is to improve.”

“Science is not finished until it is communicated.”

“One of the biggest costs in the whole scientific publishing world is borne by the academic community, which is the peer review.”

“The problem of poor vision has gone unnoticed for too long - it's astounding that 700 years after glasses were first invented, there are still 2.5 billion people across the world without access to something as simple as eye screening or a pair of glasses.”

“Common sense, proportionality, and judgment are the skills we must seek in those we choose to regulate our lives.”

“Of course methane is a fossil fuel, but as long as it is burned efficiently and fugitive emissions of methane gas are minimised, it is a less harmful fossil fuel than coal and oil and is an important way-station on the global journey towards low-carbon energy.”

“The government is right to recognise the importance of science and technology, but I think it is a mistake to ringfence funds.”