Vincent Cable outlined 5 's's that limit the ability of decision makers to pursue an evidence-based approach: speed, superficiality, spin, secrecy and scientific ignorance.

Speed: Policy makers are under severe time pressure and are forced to process information quickly. This requires improvisation and decision-making without all the necessary information. Occasionally, this leads to bad decisions.

Superficiality: Each policy maker has to cover vast thematic fields, and cannot possibly have in depth knowledge about every issue in those areas. They are therefore heavily dependent on the knowledge and integrity of the people who inform them. This raises difficult questions about who policy makers should turn to for advice, and how they can judge the advice given, especially taking into account the differing agendas of different groups.

Spin: In the political world, perception is very important. For example, even though evidence has shown that beat policing is not the most cost effective way of using police resources, this form of policing is still prioritised because there is a strong public perception that it will improve security. The same evidence can be shown in many different ways and therefore the reality is that perception guides political decisions.

Secrecy: Vincent also raised the question of how to relate to evidence that is secret. A recent example is Blair's memorandum on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, which formed the basis of political decisions.

Scientific ignorance: The public are increasingly suspicious of scientists and scientific evidence and this will have an effect on policies. One example of this is the public demand for zero rail accidents while road accidents are tolerated. This means that political decisions are made to invest far more in rail safety than in road safety. The public will not always respond rationally to scientific evidence.

Despite the challenges that these five 's's present, Vincent concluded by pointing to positive examples where evidence has indeed informed policy. He also stated that research is having an increasing role to play in decision-making processes, and this trend is likely to continue.

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