Parliament and Research Birkbeck University October 2015 @UKParlOutreach.
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Transcript of Parliament and Research Birkbeck University October 2015 @UKParlOutreach.
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Parliament and Research
Birkbeck University
October 2015
@UKParlOutreach
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Parliament’s Outreach Service
• a free service from the Houses of Parliament
• politically neutral
• aims to increase knowledge and engagement with work and processes of Parliament
@UKParlOutreach
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Session objectives
By the end of this session, you will know:
• what Parliament is• what Parliament does• the ways your research could be used at
Parliament• how to present your research effectively at
Parliament
@UKParlOutreach
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What is Parliament?House of Commons House of Lords
The Monarch
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The core tasks of Parliament
Makes and passes laws(Legislation)
Holds Government to account
Enables the Government to set taxes
@UKParlOutreach
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Parliament (Westminster)
• Commons, Lords and Monarch
• holds Government to account
• passes laws
Government (Whitehall)
• some MPs and some Lords, chosen by the Prime Minister
• runs Government departments and public services
@UKParlOutreach
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• Your MP’s contact details will be on the Parliament website: www.parliament.uk
• You can find information there on your MP’s past speeches and areas of interest
• Write letter/e-mail to your MP to introduce your concerns
• You can also call the House of Commons Information Office on 020 7219 4272
Contacting your MP
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• You can call the House of Lords Information Office on 020 7219 3107
• Identify Peers who will support your campaign
• Biographies of all Peers are available at www.parliament.uk
• Members of the House of Lords do not have constituencies, so in theory, you can contact any member
Contacting Members of the Lords
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Passage of a Bill
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Key Bills this session
• EU Referendum Bill• Full Employment and Welfare
Benefits Bill• National Insurance Contributions and
Finance Bill• Childcare Bill• Housing Bill• Immigration Bill
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Select Committees
• Scrutinise specific areas of work and Government Departments
• Groups and individuals can submit evidence to inquiries
• Relevant Government Department must respond to the reports they produce
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@UKParlOutreach
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Key points
• Committees choose own subjects• Inquiries are based on evidence
received• Programmes are flexible• No checklists or templates• Different outputs• Independence of staff
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Tasks of Select Committees
• Examine Government policy proposals and deficiencies
• Examine department’s actions and administration
• Monitor associated public bodies• Scrutinise major appointments• Scrutinise draft bills• Examine the implementation of
legislation
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The inquiry process
4. Report publication
5. Government reply
3. Report preparation
1. Inquiry initiation
2. Evidence gathering
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Choosing subjects
• Member preference• Topical/media/pressure groups• Fulfilment of core tasks• Staff input
– Scoping– Terms of reference
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Modes of working
• Discuss informally• Hear oral evidence• Ask for written evidence• Go on visits – UK and overseas• Produce reports &
recommendations• (Set up sub-committees)
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Sources of information
COMMITTEE
STAKEHOLDERSWITNESSES
Members’knowledg
e
Scrutiny Unit
National Audit Office
Specialist advisers
Library
Media
POST
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All-Party Parliamentary Groups
• Cross-party• MPs and Members
of the House of Lords
• Based around common interest
Not involved in formal decision making
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Questions?
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@UKParlOutreach
How does Parliament use research?
• House of Commons Library• House of Lords Library • Parliamentary Office of Science and
Technology (POST)• House of Commons Select Committees• House of Lords Select Committees• Public Bill Committees
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Parliament and academia: how MPs access and use research
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Introduction:
• David Hough:– Enquiry Executive,
Commons Library – Science & Environment – Economic Policy &
Statistics– Department of Finance
• Researcher• 7 years experience in
Parliament• 22 years senior manager,
British Gas• 10 years director economic
consultancy
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Why well-informed parliamentarians?
• Hold Government to account – scrutinise Government departments’ work- based on good evidence
• Suggest and scrutinise legislation
• Represent constituents
• Pursue ‘issues’
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Who don’t we work for? Balancing the briefing
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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Sources of information ...
• The Libraries• POST• Select Committees
• Lobbyists• All-Party Groups• Constituents• MPs’ own researchers• Party ‘machine’ • Government via PQs
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The Commons Library Research Service
• For Commons Members (not Peers, and not ex-Members!)• For all parties• 60 subject specialists, 8 subject areas• Science & Environment Section =
– 8 scientists, one medic and one economist (6 FTE)– 3 resource staff (information professionals, admin staff)
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What is our work used for?
• Opposition Front Bench team• Hold Government to account• Backbenchers –
– Scrutinising legislation– Debates (debate packs)– Media appearances– Constituents, surgeries– Specialist interests
• Select Committees• Other Parliaments’ Members
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Main ‘outputs’
• Confidential briefings for MPs; 250 a month
• 70% of all MPs commission work from SES
• Publish 100+ ‘briefing notes' on internet each year
• Twice weekly ‘current awareness’ email to over 100 subscribers
• Personal briefings – e.g. new Opposition spokespersons
• Library Briefing Papers
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When is academic and scientific research useful?
• Nuclear technologies• Climate change• Energy storage technology• Biomass• Fracking and shale gas• Energy market competition• Oil and gas enhanced
recovery • Energy efficiency• Fuel poverty
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Engaging with the Library
• Keep in touch with individual Library Specialists – let them know about research developments
• Follow the Library or SES on Twitter @CommonsSES
• Research Council funded internships in the future.
• Specialists can be a conduit for getting information to policy makers
• Library and Committee staff are now co-located – a big group of specialists
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What is POST?
• An office of both Houses of Parliament providing MPs and peers with balanced and independent analysis of public policy issues that have a basis in science and technology
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Scientists in Parliament?
• Much of what Parliament does has a science basis• Most parliamentarians are not scientists• So parliament employs scientists to assist MPs and Peers• POST is one of Parliament’s sources of information on S&T-
related issues
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What POST does
• POST is funded by Parliament to provide impartial information on S&T issues
• Do this by publishing:• POST notes: 4 pages, (~30 per year);• reports, up to 100 pages (1 per year);• these aim to be balanced, timely,
comprehensive & relevant• Assist select committees on S&T related
inquiries• Organise parliamentary events and seminars• Other science communication (run fellowship
schemes, liaise with UK science community)
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Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology: POSTNotes http://www.parliament.uk/post
• Each note takes 3-4 months• Interviews with around 15 experts• Examples of notes:
422 - Mental Health and the Workplace421 - Measuring Wellbeing 420 - Advanced Manufacturing419 - Water Resource Resilience 418 - Balancing Nature and Agriculture417 - Energy Use Behaviour Change
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Further information contacts
• www.parliament.uk• www.parliament.uk/ecc • http://www.parliament.uk/mp
s-lords-and-offices/offices/commons/commonslibrary/
• http://www.parliament.uk/post
• http://commonslibraryblog.com/
– Twitter: @CommonsSES – @commonslibrary – @UKParliament
Or get in touch:• [email protected]