The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) is Parliaments in-house source of independent, balanced and accessible analysis of public policy issues related to science and technology. POST aims to inform Parliamentary debate.

During the 1980's, the P&SC recognised the need for an organisation to help examine and present impartial information on S&T issues. POST was established in 1989 as a charitable foundation and became an internal office of both Houses in 1993. POST reports its activities in the P&SC Annual Report.

POST assists Parliament in the following ways:

• Publishing POSTnotes (short briefing notes) and longer reports. Both focus on current science and technology issues and aim to anticipate policy implications for parliamentarians
• Supporting Select Committees, with informal advice, oral briefings, data analyses, background papers or follow-up research. Committees may approach POST for such advice at any stage in an inquiry
• Informing both Houses on public dialogue activities in science and technology;
• Organising discussions to stimulate debate on a wide range of topical issues, from small working groups to large lectures
• Horizon-scanning to anticipate issues of science and technology that are likely to impact on policy

A Parliamentary Board guides POST's choice of subjects and a team of highly qualified advisers conduct analyses, drawing on a wide range of external expertise. All reports and POSTnotes are externally peer reviewed, and scrutinised by the Board before publication.

POST covers four general areas and themes have included:

• Biological Sciences and Health: human genetics, reproductive technologies and public health
• Physical Sciences IT and Communications: digital convergence, nuclear energy and space exploration
• Environment and Energy: energy policy, climate change and biodiversity
• Science Policy: science education, science and society, and research funding

POSTnotes are free and are available in the Publications section of POST's website. Longer reports can be purchased from The Parliamentary Bookshop. To receive POST's publications by email, please email post@parliament.uk, with 'Join POST mailing list' as the subject.