Yes, I could, because this is hardly an original idea. It exists in Australia, Finland, India, Japan, etc.
In late September I was in Canberra to run the executive committee of what's called the InterAcademy Panel, an academy of science for the world. I co-chair that with Chen Zhu, the minister of health for China. The Australians found out that we were meeting and asked me to appear before their Science, Engineering and Innovation Council, which has been going for 11 years. So it's not new or recycled.
The room was full. The membership there consists of approximately 12 individuals, and 10 deputy ministers were in the room. Why were they there? There were too many, because it is an external body, and the preponderance.... In fact, the chair at the time, Jim Peacock, said that if they had to do it over again, they would choose three to four deputy ministers.
The deputy ministers are absolutely key, because they provide the framework within a government context of how to take advice from us and to bring it forward. That has nothing to do with independence or dependence; it has to do with making top-notch advice and recommendations.