Julia Slingo has a letter in the Times addressing the Bengtsson affair:
Your articles on the recent events surrounding Professor Lennart Bengtsson ("Scientists in cover-up of 'damaging' climate view", May 16) are not a true reflection of the way the climate community conducts its research. My position, and my passion, is that all scientists - no matter what their viewpoint - must be free to review and debate their research unfettered and without personal attacks.
Science is about seeking the truth and acknowledging the uncertainties in what we currently know; it cannot be about subjective, unscientific beliefs and personal attacks of the kind that some of us have had to endure.
Just as we are very clear that climate models do not give us a definitive answer about the possible magnitude of future warming, neither do the estimates from observations as some in the climate sceptic community would claim.
I welcome scientific debate with those whose research challenges my understanding of climate change and scientists have a well established and robust peer review process for doing this. This process is there for good reason because it ensures the debate is rigorous but never personal.