RO YA L BO TANIC GA RDE N EDI NB UR GH
20A INVERLEITH ROW
EDINBURGH EH3 5LR
SCOTLAND UK
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web: www.rbge.org.uk
R O Y A L BOTANIC GARDEN EDINBURGH
6 September 2004
Our Ref. SB/jm/DGC 18/1
Dr Linda Saunderson
Scottish Executive Environment & Rural Affairs Dept
Agricultural and Biological Research Group
Pentland House
47 Robb's Loan
Edinburgh
EH14 1TY
Dear Linda
SEERAD RESEARCH STRATEGY REVIEW - CONSULTATION ION DRAFT
STRATEGY
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am responding to the Draft Strategy on behalf of the
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Firstly, we wish to express our strong support for the scientific content of the strategy. In
particular, having Scottish Biodiversity and Research on International Plant Biodiversity
explicitly represented in the Strategy is a significant step forward from RBGE's perspective.
There are a number of important organisational rather than scientific matters that we will
need to discuss further and I look forward to such discussions at an appropriate time.
We also welcome the focus on scientific research that supports the policies and priorities of
the Scottish Executive and of stakeholders. As you know, we have followed this approach in
RBGE's latest Science Strategy. The diversity of RBGE's stakeholders is exceptionally broad
and socially inclusive, giving us a strong base for communication and dialogue on scientific
issues. In relation to wider objectives, RBGE can play a significant part in supporting
Scottish Ministers' commitment to Scotland being a significant player on the world stage. The
Garden has recently joined the Scottish International Forum and is currently helping to shape
the programme for the First Minister's forthcoming visit to China.
T h e R ov a l Bo t a ni c G ard e n E di n bu rg h' s mi s s i on i s t o ex p l o re and e x p l ai n th e
VAT REG III 743 2265 n<
SCO T T I SH CHARI T Y NUMBER S0007983
worl d
of plants
We welcome the pursuit of excellence in the Strategy and the emphasis placed on Peer
Review. Given the responsibilities delegated by Scottish Ministers to the Board of Trustees
there will clearly be a need to clarify how this will work in practice at RBGE where it is
assumed that the Science Advisory Committee will not have a direct role. More generally it
will be helpful in due course to develop a clearer understanding of how the Strategy will be
implemented with reference to RBGE given its status as an NDPB rather than an independent
company. Trustees consider that RBGE is already a world renowned centre of excellence in
plant biodiversity research and horticulture but strongly endorse the approach of building on
excellence through the strengthening of existing strategic alliances and development of new
ones.
Public understanding of science does not have the prominence it had in earlier drafts of the
Strategy but will no doubt be fundamental to the success of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy
amongst other policy-led initiatives. This is an area where RBGE is particularly well-placed
to deliver, given our professional expertise in interpretation and education and the future
facilities of the Gateway project. Public engagement can, of course, be well supported
through the grant-in-aid mechanism. We would hope that RBGE's facilities would continue
to be used by the other SEERAD research institutes, for example, during the Edinburgh
International Science Festival. In due course, the Gateway will be a world-class facility for
science communication.
Finally, I would like to mention that both Mary Gibby and myself have found the discussions
we have had with SEERAD colleagues during the development of the Strategy very helpful
and constructive. We were particularly grateful to John Hooker for taking the time to discuss
matters in some detail and to Helen Jones for her work on the paper on International Plant
Diversity in particular. We look forward to working with you to make a success of the
Strategy and I look forward to resolving the organisational questions that the Strategy gives
rise to.
Best wishes
Yours sincerely
Professor Stephen Blackmore FRSE Regius Keeper
Copied to:
Dr Mary Gibby, Director of Science, RBGE Mr Bob Irvine,
SEERAD
Mr Alasdair Macnab, Director of Corporate Services, RBGE Dr
Paul Nicholson, Chairman of Trustees, RBGE