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Others are spotting scepticism about the "dangerous game" of devolution (not, perhaps, a huge surprise there) and how "desperately sorry" he felt for Ron Davies after the "boggling" incident on Clapham Common (perhaps a little more surprising given Alastair Campbell's version of the boss' take on the former Welsh Secretary.)

These hot potates are policy issues. Name three of the thorniest policy issues facing the Assembly Government. Go on, give it a go.

How about the radical reorganisation of Welsh universities? Eradicating bovine tuberculosis? A new nuclear power station at Wylfa?

Add to these the controversial Severn Barrage plan and genetically modified crops and it's very near a full house - or should that be full oven - of political hot potatoes.

Well the Assembly Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor John Harries must have asbestos fingers because he's told ministers that he intends to conduct a review of their current policies in every single one of these areas.

, came over as softly spoken yet highly capable. He accepts, in his words, that he is "conscious of the extreme sensitivity" of several areas he's chosen to examine. He adds, though, that he doesn't think the fact that he will be looking at them is either controversial or surprising, given his role.

Certainly the fact that he's choosing to examine them isn't either of those. All are firmly within his remit, to a greater or lesser extent. But what could well be seriously controversial is whether we'll be allowed to know what his conclusions are. Why appoint a Chief Scientific Adviser if you don't want advice, after all. But make that advice public? Wait a minute ...

It may well be that Professor Harries' papers and findings are merely made available to ministers as a contribution to their policy formulation. Private advice, if you like, intended to stay behind closed doors.

In which case, it would be unlikely that any of his work will be released into the public domain. Look again at the topics though. Inquisitive journalists aside, there are some seriously well-organised and well-resourced pressure groups in all those areas who'll already be drawing up their Freedom of Information requests to see the results of the CSA's various reviews.

It may not be as simple as that, though. The FOI Act places a special exemption from disclosure on advice given to ministers for the purposes of policymaking, which suggests they would have little difficulty in batting away requests if needs be.

But what if WAG's own scientific adviser had concluded that Ministers' policies on say, a badger cull or GM crops or nuclear power were - in his expert opinion and that of his advisory committee - misguided or just plain wrong? Surely that would be a matter of significant public interest to the voters who elect them? After all Professor Harries's appointment has elevated him from an outside expert with a view on policy, to perhaps the key source of scientific advice to ministers.

It may be instructive to go back to Professor Harries' statement on taking up the job in February. "It is a huge honour to be asked to become the first Chief Scientific Adviser for Wales and I look forward with great enthusiasm to carrying out this new role on behalf of the government and people of Wales".

Note: and the people of Wales.

The Assembly Government have indicated that they have no set policy on how much of his work will be published but that it will be "as and when appropriate".

So who decides when it's appropriate to take a hot potato out of the oven?

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