ABSTRACT
The 1990s were a very significant period for science and public policy and, especially, for science/public relations in the United Kingdom (UK). This chapter examines the construction of science-citizen relations within late-1990s discussions over the biosciences. The discussion of science and democracy moves from the level of sloganising to an important focus for both social scientific and practical investigation and experimentation. The Public Consultation on the Biosciences was an initiative without precedent in the UK in terms of the numbers of people involved in both the qualitative and quantitative research. The public consultation would inform a larger governmental review of the regulatory structure for biotechnology and genetic modification. The scientific focus of the consultation on the biosciences was highly relevant to this aim since again it allowed public opinion to be expressed within the operational categories of government. The chapter deals with matters of good professional practice than with the overall structuring and framework of the exercise.
