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Gary HartParliamentary Outreach
Using research to effectively engage with Parliament
@UKParlOutreach
Session objectives
By the end of this session, you will have a greater understanding of:
Parliament's core activities and functions
The work of MPs and Members of the Lords
Parliamentary Select Committees, Debates and Questions
The work of the House of Commons Library and Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
Submitting effective research
What is Parliament?
House of Commons House of Lords
The Monarch
Parliament(Westminster)
• Commons, Lords, Monarch
• Holds Governmentto account
• Passes laws• Enables taxation• Represents public • Raises key issues
• Chosen by the Prime Minister
• Runs Government departments and public
• Accountable to Parliament
• Some MPs and some Lords
Government(Whitehall)
Research at Parliament
Select Committees
MPs
Peers
Their researchers
All Party Parliamentary Groups
Library
Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST)
Balancing the Brief
Library and Committee staff work for backbench and opposition MPs.
Ministers have hundreds of civil servants behind them.
Front-bench spokespeople do not serve on Committees (by convention)
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Commons select committees
Departmental select committees: Examine spending, policies and administration in each Government department
Cross-departmental committees: e.g. Public Accounts or Environmental Audit
Domestic committees: concerned with internal matters e.g. administration of the House itself or allegations about the conduct of individual MPs
Liaison Committee: oversight role – made up of all 33 Chairs of select committees
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House of Lords select committees
Examine issues rather than the work of specific departments
Investigate specialist subjects which take advantage of the experience of members of the Lords
Five main Lords select committees: European Union Select Committee
Science and Technology Select Committee
Communications Select Committee
Constitution Select Committee
Economic Affairs Select Committees
Support for Select Committee Inquiries
Clerk – procedure expert, manages committee
Second clerk – “clerk in training”, manages inquiries
2 x Committee specialists – subject experts, manages and advises on inquiries, brief Members (suggests questions!)
Admin staff, media officer
CALL WITNESSES
APPOINT SPECIAL ADVISERS FOR INQUIRIES
RECEIVE WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS
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The Committee inquiry process
4. Report publication
5. Government reply
3. Report preparation
1. Inquiry initiation
2. Evidence gathering
Committee
inquiries:
Open calls
for evidence
All Party Parliamentary Groups
Informal cross-party groups on many different subjects, e.g. International Development, Energy
Can do good work and carry influence (eg food waste, treatment of asylum seekers)
Must have a mix of parties amongst membership and members of both Houses
APPGs are a useful way to identify MPs/Lords with an interest in a certain issue
HoC / HoL Library
Provide specialist impartial information and briefing service for MPs, Peers, their staff, committees and staff of the Houses
◦ Scrutinising legislation
◦ Debates (debate packs)
◦ Media appearances
◦ Constituents, surgeries
◦ Specialist interests
Confidential briefings for MPs: 250 a month
Publish 100+ ‘standard notes’ on internet each year
Daily ‘current awareness’ email to over 100 subscribers
Personal briefings – e.g. new Opposition spokespersons
Library Research Papers
How else can MPs use research whilst raising issues?
Parliamentary Questions
Written or oral questions - asked by MPs and Lords, directed at the Government
Debates
Government / Opposition Day / Backbench Business
Adjournment debates
Westminster Hall debates
Questions for Short Debate
Exercise
Look at the evidence submission.
• What is good about it?
• How do you think it could be improved?
• How have those who submitted it considered their audience?
ExerciseThe better evidence submissions:
directly address the questions
asked by the Committee,
explain any complicated
findings in a simple but
intelligent way,
tailor which bits of research
they present to be relevant to
the inquiry,
gives sources of further
information,
only gives information relevant
to the inquiry
The less good evidence submissions:
give over-complicated
information,
give irrelevant information,
do not answer the question,
present information in a way
incomprehensible for non-
academics.
Use the terms of reference: you need to tailor your research to the specific inquiry
Answer the questions posed in the Call for Evidence
Write for an intelligent non-specialist: be relevant and concise
State clearly who the submission is from - “Written evidence submitted by xxxxxxx”
Begin with a short summary in bullet form
No more than 3000 words (or 8 sides of A4)
Have numbered paragraphs
Any factual information you have to offer from which the committee might be able to draw conclusions, or which could be put to other witnesses for their reactions
Any recommendations for action by the Government or others which you would like the committee to consider
Submitting research
Where can I get information?
• www.parliament.uk
• Twitter @UKParliament @UKParlOutreach
• Commons Information Office
020 7219 4272 [email protected]
• Lords Information Office
020 7219 3107 [email protected]
• Parliament’s Outreach Service
020 7219 1650 [email protected]
29 September 2010
Research Impact and Parliament
26 November 2015
Dr Caroline Kenny
Background
Aiming to build stronger links between Parliament and
academic community. Activities include:
– Outreach’s Universities Programme
– Internal workshop with Parliamentary staff
– Series of regional events with academic researchers
– Studying the use of research in parliamentary
processes
– CPD for MPs
– Other activities such as research methods course for
internal staff, academics giving invited talks.
Who uses research at
Parliament?
Internal offices Parliamentarians
• Library
• Select Committees
• Scrutiny Unit
• Public Information
services
• Parliamentary Office of
Science and
Technology
• MPs
• Peers
• Their researchers
• All Party Parliamentary
Groups (APPGs)
• Political parties
How do we use research?
• Developing background knowledge and
checking accuracy of materials produced
• Briefing Members and developing research
papers or reports
• Identifying specific researchers with which to
work
• Assisting with forward planning
• Supporting the improvement of services
• Informing wider activities and projects
How do we identify relevant
research/researchers?
• Existing personal contacts/networks
• Recommendations from Members and
colleagues
• Contact from proactive researchers
• Signing up for alerts/newsfeeds/Twitter
• Internet search engines
• Specialist search engines e.g. bibliographic
databases
• Networking at events
Parliament in the REF 2014
impact case studies
• 20% of impact case studies referring to
engagement with Parliament.
• 23 different ways that academics are engaging.
• 22 areas of Parliament being engaged with.
• References to Parliament found in all 36 subject
areas.
• 88% of higher education universities submitting
case studies that referred to Parliament.
Areas of Parliament being
engaged
The ways academics are
engaging with Parliament
Cited or mentioned (26%)
On hand expert (3%)
Indirect citation (6%)
Location (5%)
Oral or written evidence (16%)
Event (5%)
Speaker or Presenter (6%)
Specialist Adviser (4%)
Via third party (12%)
Meeting (3%)
Other (14%)
Which select committees are
mentioned?
Universities engaging with
Parliament
Subject areas engaging with
Parliament
Specific examples from REF:
University of Sheffield Alcohol
Policy
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Written briefings:
DoH, CMO
Commons Health
Committee
Oral brief DoH,
DEFRA, DECC
Ministers
Fed into draft
Alcohol Strategy
Cited in Alcohol Strategy Cited by
BMA, Alcohol Concern
Cited in Impact
Assessment of Alcohol
Strategy
Bespoke work for Govt on equality
Media
Want to find out more?
8 ways to get your research into parliament
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