The Science and Technology Committee was established in 1979 and is one of the main investigative committees in the House of Lords. It represents a major forum of independent expertise, drawing on the wide experience of members of the House. Unlike MPs, Lords do not lose their seats at general elections and, although a "rotation rule" ensures that membership is regularly refreshed, there is a strong element of continuity which helps ensure that issues and recommendations are followed up and a longer term strategic approach is taken.

The Committee's broad remit is to consider science and technology. It works principally through inquiries undertaken by two Sub-Committees, constituted afresh for each inquiry. Each inquiry leads to a report, published together with the evidence on which it is based, setting out the Committee's findings and making recommendations to the Government though they may also have implications for industry, the professions and others.

The Committee investigates activities across the whole range of Government:

• Public policy areas which ought to be informed by scientific research: e.g. health effects of air travel, complementary and alternative medicine, legal status of cannabis.
• Technological challenges and opportunities - existing and future - which Government faces: e.g. resistance to antibiotics, management of nuclear waste, human genetic databases, innovations in micro-processing, and the implications of digital imaging for the law of evidence.
• Public policy towards science itself, e.g. as it affects Research Councils, schools and universities, public sector research establishments and industrial research and development.

The Committee seeks to balance life sciences and physical sciences across its programme; it does not normally undertake inquiries based purely on social science or economics. The Committee has around 15 members, re-appointed by the House for each Session of Parliament. Members have included distinguished scientists and members with medical backgrounds, as well as lawyers, economists and politicians. The Chairman of the Committee is appointed by the House.

Like other parliamentary committees investigating policy issues, Sub-Committees are formed which may employ external Specialist Advisers, take written and oral evidence, and visit relevant places and organisations. Inquiries sometimes last as long as a year. A report, based on the evidence received, is then presented to the main Committee, published and later debated in the House of Lords.