The Reviews into the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit's e-mails

Book excerpt: The Committee's report examines the two inquiries set up by UEA: the Independent Climate Change E-mails Review (ICCER) into the allegations against CRU and an independent external Scientific Appraisal Panel (SAP). The previous Science and Technology Committee also carried out an inquiry (The disclosure of climate data from the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia (HC (2009-10) 387-I 9780215553362), but due to time constraints it reported prior to the publication of the ICCER and SAP findings.Of the Committee's reservations about the UEA-commissioned inquiries, the report says the scope and purpose of the SAP review appeared to change from an examination of the integrity of the science to the integrity of the scientists, and as result there has been some confusion. The disparity in length between the SAP report and ICCER could foster the impression that it was not as thorough as the ICCER. The Committee was also concerned that the SAP should have been more open and transparent and the process by which it selected the documents for review could have been more open and it should have published its working papers. In contrast the ICCER was more comprehensive and transparent, although the Committee believes that it should have taken its evidence in public. The Committee is concerned that the ICCER did not fully investigate the serious allegation relating to the deletion of emails and finds it unsatisfactory that it has been left with a verbal reassurance from the Vice Chancellor of UEA that the emails still exist. The Committee has some reservations about both inquiries but they made a number of constructive recommendations. In its view it is time to make the changes and improvements recommended and with greater openness and transparency move on.