Bea Perks/London, UK

RSC president Simon Campbell raised the issue of UK chemistry department closures with science minister Lord Sainsbury at a meeting in Westminster, London, UK, co-hosted by the society.

'In our view these closures are random, they are cost driven and they have no recognition of national or regional strategy,' said Campbell.

Sainsbury recently wrote an article in Chemistry World underlining work by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) to minimise the impact of Exeter's closure on chemistry places in the south-west (March 2005, p28).

'How is that consistent with university autonomy and why could a similar statement not be made that would encompass the whole country?' asked Campbell.

In the case of Exeter, said Sainsbury, vice chancellors from neighbouring universities were quick to offer places to chemistry students, a process put into action with Hefce funding. There are no fewer chemistry places in the south-west region.

There are about 3600 chemistry students in the UK and 38 chemistry departments, said Campbell: '100 is a per-fectly reasonable number for a chemistry department. So we have enough chemistry departments.'

But regional spread is a problem, he concedes, and Hefce has been detailed to keep this under review.

A more pressing issue, said Sainsbury, is the role the government must play in encouraging young people to take up chemistry in the first place.

A multidisciplinary spread of scientific organisations, from the Institute of Physics and Royal Academy of Engineering to the Institute of Biology and the Science Council, cooperated with the RSC on the meeting. Over 200 scientists and interested parties were able to question representatives of government and opposition parties.

Campbell is not about to stop lobbying parliament. 'The government appears to understand the situation and wants to support chemistry but has few options to offer as there is no new money,' Campbell told Chemistry World. 'The RSC will continue to make the case for chemistry, highlighting that it is indispensable for the economic, scientific and human welfare of the whole country.'