Nice article discussing the relationship between the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and ministers in both the current crisis and previous ones. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/1e390ac6-7e2c-11ea-8fdb-7ec06edeef84

But one of the things that become clear is the lack of transparency. A quote from the article.

One of the concerns about Sage is that it does not disclose its full membership. The explanation given is that it is a shifting cast of experts that moves depending on the task to be tackled. But anonymity makes it hard to know whether its deliberations could be dominated by any one scientific constituency.

Sir David worries that there could be a cost in terms of public confidence: “I simply cannot see the argument for not knowing who the members of Sage are.”

Whilst the government pays lip-service to open government, it does not insist the models it uses to inform policy are open to inspection and critique by other experts.