This council was established in the Cabinet Office when the government ministries were reorganized in 2001 as a council dealing with key government policy. Headed by the prime minister, the council is a "control tower" in the basic planning and overall coordination of science and technology policy. In addition to the prime minister and seven cabinet ministers, including the science and technology policy minister, the council includes eight scholars and business leaders. As a rule they meet once a month. A characteristic of the council is that it deals not only with the natural sciences but also the humanities and social sciences.