Select committees currently accepting written evidence (compiled 24 January 2025)

Please click the title of any inquiry listed below to be taken to a summary of that inquiry and the full call for evidence. Remember that you don’t have to answer every question posed in each call for evidence.

New calls for evidence:

*This is a bill which you can petition against, not a call for evidence.

All other inquiries currently accepting written evidence:

Why should I engage? Submitting evidence to a select committee can lead to further engagement, such as an invitation to give oral evidence. Your submission will be published on the committee webpage. Your insights may inform the committee’s conclusions or the recommendations it makes to the government. Find out more about why to engage with Parliament. You can also read more on engagement for impact.

More information: Explore all select committee inquiries currently open for submissions of written evidence. 

Resources: Find guidance on submitting evidence to select committees on the KEU’s ‘how to guides’ page. Watch our 30 minute online training session “How to work with select committees”

Contribute to a POSTnote or suggest a topic yourself

POSTnotes are short, peer-reviewed evidence briefings on emerging areas of research. They are widely read by Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff, and often inform select committee inquiries.  

How to suggest a research topic to POST

Experts can now suggest topics that they believe POST might wish to research by emailing post@parliament.uk. They are particularly interested in topics that are relevant to the following issues, as described in their Editorial Policy:

  • parliamentary business
  • questions from parliamentarians
  • new and topical issues
  • research advances and developments
  • developments in policy areas

Please note that POST receives a significant number of emails. They will carefully consider your suggestion, but are not always able to engage in discussions about it. Only some topics will be selected for a future research project.

How to reach out to share your research for an upcoming POSTnote

POST is calling for research contributions and information relevant to the upcoming briefings below.

POSTnotes currently accepting contributions:

Please email your contribution to post@parliament.uk.

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) has simplified and updated its guidance for researchers to share their expertise and provide contributions to POST’s work, such as POSTnotes and briefings for parliamentarians.

Researchers can feed into POST research projects by following the instructions on the contributing to POST research as an expert webpage. Researchers need only submit:

  • Their name.
  • A link to their online research/expert profile.
  • A personal statement (maximum 250 words) describing:
    • your relevant skills, experience and knowledge,
    • key issues relevant to the project that you would like to make us aware of.
  • Links to papers, publications, or blogs you have written that are relevant to the project topic, where available. Please link to open access sources if you can.

Please familiarise yourself with the new guidance before submitting your contribution to the new POST projects.  

Reminder: your contributions can be emailed to post@parliament.uk until the deadlines stated above. 

Why should I engage? POSTnotes are used by Members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords and UK Parliament staff to navigate complex research. Contributing to a POSTnote is a good way of feeding your expertise into the UK Parliament as part of a trusted, impartial publication. All contributors are acknowledged when the POSTnote is published. On publication, you and your organisation’s communications team will be notified to publicise the POSTnote and your contribution. Therefore your contribution can help raise your profile and promote your research. 

More information:

Meet Parliament’s Thematic Research Leads: Dr Louise Reardon, TRL for Transport 

Dr Louise Reardon is the Thematic Research Lead for Transport in the UK Parliament and Associate Professor of Governance and Public Policy at the University of Birmingham. Louise’s research utilises multidisciplinary analytical frameworks and methods to advance understanding of centre-local government relations, issue recognition, and policy implementation. Louise has published widely on the political nature of transport policymaking, the challenges of moving towards a sustainable transport system, and the governance of emerging technologies, such as autonomous vehicles and advanced air mobility.  

She is currently working with the Transport Select Committee to support the scoping of potential private and public committee hearings, including identification of research experts to act as potential witnesses. She is also working with the Business and Transport Section of the House of Commons Library on local transport governance, and with the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology to horizon scan transport accessibility.  

Louise is keen to hear about transport research which may be of interest to parliament. If you would like to introduce yourself and your research to Louise please complete this form.  

Louise may not be able to respond to all introductions. However, please know your contact has been received and is valued. Louise will note your expertise area and store your contact details in line with our privacy policy ready to reach out when parliament’s business touches upon your research topic. 

Thank you to everyone who has already introduced themselves or their research to Louise. If you filled out the original form we shared, there is no need to resubmit your details.

Why should I engage? Thematic Research Leads (TRLs) are prestigious and influential roles, designed in partnership with UKRI to facilitate and enhance the use of research evidence and expertise in parliament through effective knowledge exchange and collaboration. Introducing yourself to the new TRLs is a great opportunity to be involved in their work, ensure they’re aware of your expertise, and a way for parliamentarians and other parliamentary research users to access your research.

More information: Find out more about our Thematic Research Lead programme. Read about the work of our first cohort of TRLs:

Scottish Parliament: opportunity to provide commissioned research on commissioners

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) is seeking to award a contract for research relating to the SPCB Supported Bodies Landscape Review Committee. The purpose of the research will be to support the SPCB Supported Bodies Landscape Review Committee’s inquiry whose remit is:

“To consider, review and report on the SPCB supported bodies landscape in accordance with the Parliament’s resolution of 31 October 2024 and develop a clear strategic framework to underpin and provide coherence and structure to the SPCB supported bodies landscape by the end of June 2025, including:

(a) creating effective accountability and scrutiny mechanisms,

(b) formalising strengthened criteria for creating new supported bodies; and

(c) identifying and addressing any barriers to sharing services and offices.”

This desk-based research will set out how other countries set up their commissioners (and why) and how their outcomes are measured. It will support the Committee’s understanding of how other models work in the UK and internationally, and whether aspects of these models could be applied to the Scottish landscape.

The researcher may also be invited to give oral evidence to the Committee to summarise the findings of their research, and answer Members’ questions.

If you would like to obtain a ‘Quotation Pack’, which includes information on how to submit a quotation, please email academia@parliament.scot quoting Reference: 2023-24/02/SSBLR.

The deadline for quotes is 23:59 on Sunday 16 February 2025.

Come and work with us as POST’s Energy Adviser

POST, the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, is seeking a permanent Energy Adviser to join their team of specialist advisers producing impartial, timely, peer-reviewed briefings that make scientific evidence accessible to parliamentarians. As the Energy Adviser you will be primarily involved in the provision of impartial, non-partisan, and peer-reviewed briefings for select committees, libraries, parliamentarians and their staff on a wide range of policy topics with a basis in energy and climate change mitigation.

This post will suit someone with in-depth specialist energy knowledge, an understanding of policy and regulation, and the ability to communicate this knowledge effectively with a wide range of people at all levels of understanding. Recent energy topics include energy security and AI, demand side response, local area energy planning and heat pumps. You can see examples of POST’s work on their website.

POST will be running virtual information sessions on MS Teams for you to find out more about this role and working at Parliament. These sessions will be on:

  • Thursday 30th January at 15:00 – 16:00
  • Friday 7th February at 15:00 – 16:00

You can find more information about the role, including information on how to apply here. The deadline for applications is Friday 21 February 2025, 23:55.

Why should I engage? This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of Parliament, in the team which bridges research and Parliament. This role will support all of Parliament’s scientific advisers to ensure they can access and use research and information, translating it into content for the parliamentary community and wider public.

More information: You can find energy research from POST here. Read more about working with us here.

Coming soon: call for autism experts

A new Special Inquiry Committee is being set up in the House of Lords to consider the Autism Act 2009. Next week we’ll be calling for researchers and policy experts with knowledge relating to autism and policy linked to the Autism Act 2009 to get in touch.

We hope this ‘heads up’ will help you to manage your busy schedule and engage with the UK Parliament’s forthcoming call.   

Please do not reach out to us on this topic now. We will share a form in next week’s round up which will send your completed information direct to the committee. If you wish to prepare ahead of the call you could:

  • put together a 250 word (maximum) statement on your expertise, your area of autism research, and any key points you’d like the committee to be aware of relating to your research;
  • compile open access links to key research publications and other policy-audience accessible material such as blogs, infographics, podcasts, other recordings, or policy briefs;
  • review or update your staff profile page or other online information ensuring it’s informative for a parliamentarian or parliamentary staff member who might wish to browse for further information before engaging with you;
  • locate and upload a recording or video of yourself speaking publicly to showcase your oral communication prowess. Ideally this would be on autism but if this is not available any topic will be suitable. This is optional – if you do not have a recording available please do not let this be a barrier to you getting in touch via the form to inform us that you research/have expertise in this area. Similarly, your recording does not need to be perfect. We value all contributions and levels of experience and are grateful for your interest and willingness to share your expertise on this topic.

We want to make sure that everyone can feed into the committee’s work, especially autistic people. In the form there will be the opportunity to tell us if reasonable adjustments would help you to engage with the committee.

Reminder: suggest topics to the Science, Innovation and Tech Committee

There is still time to suggest ideas for topics for the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee to put “under the microscope”. 
 
The committee’s role is to look at government policies on science, technology and innovation, and make recommendations for how these could be improved. 
 
This is your opportunity to get involved and suggest what the committee should be exploring, and how the government can ensure that science and technology work for people across the United Kingdom.   

You could start by thinking about:  

  • What emerging technologies or research areas could address the challenges the country faces? 
  • Are there areas of fundamental research that do not have enough support or focus? 
  • Are there any fields of science and technology that need to be regulated differently to release their commercial potential or prevent harm? 
  • What should the government do now to prepare for the changes that science and technology will make to how we live and work?  

In the past the Committee has investigated:  

  • The governance of AI and the need for AI-specific legislation  
  • UK space strategy and satellite infrastructure  
  • Insect decline and UK food security 
  • Commercialising quantum technologies 

The committee wants to know: 

  • What do you want the committee to put “under the microscope”?   
  • Why does it matter to you?   
  • What you think the government should do about it?   

Tell us what the committee should put under the microscope
 
The deadline to submit your ideas is Monday 10 March 2025.

Why should I engage? Select committees check and report on areas ranging from the work of government departments and public bodies to topical issues in their policy area through inquiries on specific topics.

The outcomes of these inquiries are public and many make recommendations to the government which require an official response. Bringing a key issue to the Committee’s attention could lead to an inquiry into the work of government in this area.

More information:

Resources:

Reminder: how to introduce yourself to the TRLs

If you haven’t already please do introduce yourself to our Thematic Research Leads (TRLs). 

The introduction form asks for simple details such as your name, institution, role, email address, links to key research publications, blogs or other content that you’d like to share with the TRL who represents your research area. You’ll also have the choice to add a short introduction to yourself (optional, but very helpful).

Information that it’s useful to mention in your introduction includes: your specific research area and information on wider expertise and interests. If you’d like to you could also include how you would like to support the UK Parliament’s work or a quick mention of any ways that you’ve engaged with parliament in the past. 

Here are the links to introduce yourself to the TRLs:

The links to introduce yourself to the TRLs will close on 28 February.

Don’t forget!

Set a 2025 policy goal through the KEU’s new year’s resolution repository. Deadline: 31 January 2025

Reasons to love the Commons Library, Pt. 3

Alongside publishing research briefings and managing collections, the Commons Library provides a confidential request service for MPs, which includes answering constituency questions, and collating statistics. To help MPs and their staff easily find the information they need, the Library team has been steadily increasing the number of interactive data dashboards and data sets available on its website. As a result, you can now find dozens of data dashboards on the Commons Library. The data sets cover a variety of topics which come under three categories: local and constituency data, Parliament and elections data, and economic data. Topics include infrastructure, demographic, election results, trade and public finance data, and many others.

So what?

As well as being a fantastic resource for Members and their staff, these dashboards are useful for researchers too. The dashboards present datasets from sources like the Office for National Statistics, Ofcom and government departments in easy to navigate visualisations. The dashboards are also regularly updated as new data becomes available. The Commons Library also offers a directory of open data APIs which allow parliamentary data including votes, and oral and written questions to be shared publicly, a library of queries for data on parliamentary scrutiny of statutory instruments and treaties, and open-source data analysis tools developed by Commons Library researchers.

More information: