http://www.theguardian.com/science/...tists-over-chilling-effect-of-new-media-rules
And who said the British have lost their sense of irony and farce?
The revised code was introduced with immediate effect two days before the spring budget, and has been circulated to Britain’s research funding councils and government research laboratories. Among the government-funded centres affected by the changes are the Met Office, the Department for Transport’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch, and the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control.
Under the new code, scientists and engineers employed at government expense must get ministerial approval before they can talk to the media about any of their research, whether it involves GM crops, flu vaccines, the impact of pesticides on bees, or the famously obscure Higgs boson.
And who said the British have lost their sense of irony and farce?
Fiona Fox, head of the Science Media Centre, who also signed the letter, said the revised code would have a “chilling effect” on government scientists who are often already cautious to speak to the media.