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The Role of Research in the UK Parliament

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The Role of Research in the UK Parliament The Role of Research in the UK Parliament Dr Caroline Kenny Dr Abbi Hobbs Research Associate, Department of Science, Senior Research Associate at UCL Technology, Engineering and Public Policy, STEaPP and Head of the Social UCL (UCL STEaPP) and Social Science Adviser, Science Section, POST Parliamentary Office of Science Dr Chris Tyler and Technology (POST) Director of Public Policy, UCL STEaPP, Dr David Christian Rose Co-Investigator and former Director Lecturer in Human Geography, University of POST of East Anglia and former Research Dr Jason Blackstock Associate at UCL STEaPP Head of Department, UCL STEaPP and Principal Investigator Volume one Please cite this report as: Kenny, C., Rose, D.C., Hobbs, A., Tyler, C. & Blackstock, J. (2017) The Role of Research in the UK Parliament Volume One. London, UK, Houses of Parliament. Contents Acknowledgements 6 Members of Parliament 7 Parliamentary representatives 7 External representatives 7 1. Executive summary 8 1.1 Context 1.2 The UK Parliament 8 1.3 Project Overview 9 1.4 Key Findings 10 1.4.1 Definition of research and evidence in Parliament 10 1.4.2 Usefulness of research in Parliament 10 1.4.3 Types and sources of research used in Parliament 10 1.4.4 Purpose of research use in Parliament 11 1.4.5 Factors affecting the use of research in Parliament 11 1.4.6 Next steps 11 2. Project aims 14 2.1 Research focus 14 2.2 Background 15 2.3 Understanding parliamentary processes and the people involved 16 2.4 Methodology 19 2.5 Data interpretation and presentation 22 3. The use of research in Parliament 23 3.1 Highlights 23 3.2 Definitions of research and evidence in Parliament 23 3.3 Usefulness of research 24 3.4 Types of research used 25 3.5 Sources of research 26 3.5.1 Parliamentary libraries 29 3.5.2 The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) 30 3.5.3 Charities and external organisations 30 3.5.4 Sources of research for written and oral evidence submissions 30 3.6 How research feeds into Parliament 31 3.6.1 Research sourced and received by parliamentarians and their staff 31 3.6.2 Evidence submissions 37 3.6.3 Briefings produced by parliamentary staff 38 3.6.4 Specialist advisers 39 3.6.5 Informal seminars 39 3.6.6 Commissioned research 40 3.7 Appraising research 40 3.8 The purpose of research use 42 4. Factors affecting the use of research in Parliament 44 4.1 Highlights 42 4.2 Survey ranking of factors affecting use of research 42 4.3 Group processes in Parliament 43 4.3.1 Factors affecting the use of research in select committees 43 4.3.2 Factors affecting use of research in the committee stage of legislation 44 4.4 Other factors affecting research use 45 4.4.1 Scheduling and the issue of time 45 4.4.2 Credibility and peer recommendation 46 4.4.3 Availability and accessibility 47 4.4.4 Awareness 48 4.4.5 Resources 48 4.4.6 Presentation style 49 4.4.7 Relevance 50 4.4.8 Attitudes, experience and expertise 51 4.4.9 Topic area 52 4.4.10 Timing of research publication coinciding with a policy window 52 4.4.11 Alignment with other sources 53 4.4.12 Understanding 53 5. Reflecting on research use in Parliament 56 5.1 Higher education sector 56 5.2 Parliament 58 5.3 Addendum: future research directions 59 References 60 Acknowledgements The study team would like to acknowledge all the Several people provided invaluable hands-on support: people who have made this study possible. First and Elo Luik, University of Oxford foremost, we would like to thank all the participants (POST ESRC Fellow) who took part in the study to help generate important insights into the many and varied roles that research Shanna Marrinan, POST/IES London can play in Parliament. (independent consultant) Secondly, we would like to thank the Economic and Samuel Murison, University of Cambridge Social Research Council (ESRC) for funding the Social (UCL intern) Science Section, and Rebecca Fairbairn, Natalie Jones, Melanie Knetsch, Nina Marshall, Josie McGregor and Suzannah Ravenscroft, University of Reading Siân Summerton at the ESRC for their individual (POST ESRC Fellow) support and guidance. Joseph Ritchie, University of Manchester Thirdly, we would like to thank members of staff at (POST ESRC Fellow) UCL who have provided assistance with this project, including Sarah Chaytor, Ruth Dollard, Kelly Lawless, Daniel Silva-Luna, Imperial College Michelle Mhlanga, Bethia Reith and Ayden Wilson. (MSc Science Communication intern) We would also like to thank a number of parliamentary Ciara Stafford, University of Manchester officials in both Houses of Parliament for facilitating (POST NERC Fellow) this study, and in particular Jessica Mulley for her expert advice and encouragement, as well as Fergus Lindsay Walker, University of Cardiff Reid, Matthew Hamlyn, Glen McKee, Matthew Smith (POST NERC Fellow) and Jake Vaughan who kindly permitted Dr Kenny to shadow their work as part of this study. We are also very grateful to the Board of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) for supporting this work and for considering how its findings might shape the work of POST. We would also like to thank Jane Tinkler, who provided maternity cover for Dr Hobbs for a year. While leading the Social Science Section, she provided Dr Kenny with intellectual and managerial support during a critical time in the research phase of the project. 6 The Role of Research in the UK Parliament Finally, we are heavily indebted to the current and External representatives former internal and external members of the Steering Dr Adam Cooper, Lecturer in Social Science and Group who guided this study and who gave us their Public Policy, Department of Science, Technology, time, expertise and guidance, which greatly helped Engineering and Public Policy, UCL the study team to strengthen the study. The members of the Steering Group were: Professor Emma Crewe, Professorial Research Associate, Anthropology Department, SOAS Members of Parliament Barbara Doig, AcSS, Independent Consultant Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods, MP for the City Professor Matthew Flinders, AcSS FRSA, of Durham (Chair) Director, Sir Bernard Crick Centre for the Public Understanding of Politics, University of Sheffield Sarah Newton, MP for Truro and Falmouth (former Chair April 2014-May 2015) Dr Ruth Fox, Director and Head of Research, Hansard Society Baroness Lister of Burtersett, AcSS CBE Margaret Macadam, Senior Evaluation Manager, Evaluation Strategy and Analysis team, Economic Parliamentary representatives and Social Research Council John Benger, Clerk Assistant and Managing Professor Sandra Nutley, Director of the Director, House of Commons (former member) Research Unit for Research Utilisation, University of St Andrews Chris Clarke, Clerk, Journal Office, House of Lords (former member) Professor Meg Russell, Director of the Constitution Unit, UCL Paul Evans, Clerk of Committees, House of Commons All errors, however, remain with the study team. Lynn Gardner, Clerk of the Committee on Standards, House of Commons (former member) David Lloyd, Head of Scrutiny Unit, House of Commons Bryn Morgan, Director of Research Development, House of Commons Jessica Mulley, Director, Procedural Practice Centre of Excellence Programme, House of Commons (former member) Anna Murphy, Clerk of the Science and Technology Select Committee, House of Lords Naomi Saint, Head of Universities Programme, Outreach and Engagement Service, Houses of Commons Patrick Vollmer, Director of Library Services, House of Lords Penny Young, Librarian and Director General of Information Services, House of Commons Volume one 7 1. Executive summary 1.1 Context 1.2 The UK Parliament In democratic societies, the policy landscape is largely The UK Parliament is currently composed of 650 driven by slowly shifting consensuses of values. The Members of the House of Commons (MPs) and 8021 ultimate forum for the democratic articulation of these eligible Members of the House of Lords (Peers2). Across values is Parliament, where elected and appointed both Houses, there are thus well over a thousand active Members debate, legislate and scrutinise government politicians, spanning a wide range of personal interests, business on topics that are widely varied and often rapidly expertise and politics, and representing evolving. Topics such as immigration, infrastructure, diverse constituencies. healthcare and welfare cannot be adequately addressed Within this context, MPs and Peers work to uphold the simply by using common sense, experience, precedent central purpose of the legislative branch of a democratic or ideological principles. They must be subject to government: reconciling the diverse and often consideration in the context of verifiable information. conflicting interests of a society’s constituent groups and Today, the importance of using rigorous evidence to communities through the democratic means of peaceful inform public decision-making is widely accepted (OECD, dialogue and compromise. They do so by performing 2015). However, while much is known about the use the same core functions as most democratic legislatures and influence of evidence in some institutional and around the world (detailed practices vary between topical contexts, there remain some important gaps. countries): (i) to facilitate public deliberation over any One largely overlooked arena of public decision-making and all matters of societal concern [debate]; (ii) to create essential to the healthy functioning of democracies is legal and budgetary frameworks that guide how those that of legislatures (Spruijt et al., 2014; Tyler, 2013b). matters should be addressed [legislation]; and (iii) to Understanding how evidence is currently defined and used oversee programmes enacted by government [scrutiny]. in these complex environments is critical for determining Parliament is supported by roughly 3,500 staff appointed how it could more effectively be mobilised to support directly by Members (some are based in Westminster; effective governance within our democratic societies.
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