The House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee has launched a new inquiry into support for jurors in England and Wales, along with an accompanying call for evidence to inform its work.
Background
The Courts and Tribunals Bill is currently making its way through Parliament. This Bill includes provisions to reduce the number of jury trials in England and Wales. The Bill has brought greater scrutiny and light on juries, but what is often overlooked is the experience of being a juror. Each year, roughly 350,000 people are summoned at random using the electoral voting registers to be jurors. Many of these people go on to sit on difficult and horrific cases. Research from Manchester Metropolitan University found that while many jurors reported emotional challenges, less than 10% accessed formal support from a health professional.
The Committee is looking to see what the current levels of support for jurors are, how the experience of being a juror affects people, and what might be done in the future to better support them.
Topics the Committee is seeking evidence on include:
- What health and/or mental health impact does the experience of being a juror have on people?
- What health and/or mental health support exists for juries before, during, and after trials?
- What alternative or additional support could be made available to jurors?
- What responsibility does the state hold in relation to jurors’ wellbeing?
The Committee invites interested individuals and organisations to submit written evidence by 6 September 2026. The Committee would particularly welcome submissions from those who have served on juries.
The full call for evidence and list of questions is available on the Committee’s website.
The deadline for written submissions is 23.59 on Sunday 13 September.
Why should I engage? Submitting evidence to a select committee can lead to further engagement, such as an invite to give oral evidence. Your submission will be published on the Committee webpage. Your insights may inform the Committee’s conclusions or recommendations it makes to the Government. Find out more about why to engage with Parliament here. And find more on engagement for impact here.
What should I expect? All evidence will be read and taken into consideration, but you may not receive a direct response from us or the Committee. To stay informed, we encourage you to follow the progress on the respective committee / inquiry webpages.
More information: All open inquiries accepting evidence can be found here.
Support resources: Here is guidance on submitting evidence to select committees.
Seeking input into POSTnotes in Physical and Digital Sciences topics
New POSTnote being drafted on: Future of artificial intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence (AI) research is advancing rapidly. Which models are being made, what will they be able to do, and how safe will they be?
- Deadline for contributions: 23:55 on 18 September 2026
- Publication is expected in December 2026
Emerging forms of artificial intelligence (AI), including “world models”, self-improving AI, agentic AI, and the possibility of artificial general intelligence (AGI), may significantly extend current capabilities. These systems aim to simulate aspects of real-world environments, or match or surpass human capabilities, to enable more autonomous reasoning, planning, and decision-making.
Developments such as these could deliver substantial economic and societal benefits, including scientific discovery, and advanced automation. However, they also increase risks, including systemic misuse, loss of human oversight, the possibility of models being uncontrollable, and challenges in ensuring alignment with human values.
This POSTnote would ask what are the areas of leading AI research, what kind of AI systems may be in use in the future, what will they be able to do, where can they be used, and what safeguards are currently being proposed?
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New POSTnote being drafted on: AI models in drug discovery: How AI models used to design and develop new molecules and treatments are evaluated and regulated in the UK
AI could increase the rate of scientific progress, including in the discovery of new drugs and treatments. How are these tools validated? What safeguards are needed to manage inaccuracy and bias? How does UK regulation apply to AI-selected drug candidates?
- Deadline for contributions: 23:55 on 18 September 2026
- Publication is expected in December 2026
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used not just to screen or repurpose existing compounds, but to design novel molecules and predict how drugs will behave before they are made, or tested in clinical trials. As these models begin to be used widely to decide which molecules enter development, questions arise about how their outputs are validated, how much confidence regulators and developers can place in AI-generated predictions, and how existing regulatory frameworks apply.
Commercial estimates say the global AI drug discovery market is around $1.7 billion in 2024, and is projected to exceed $8 billion by 2030. Some say the UK is well placed to capture a share of this growth, with its life sciences industry contributing £43.4 billion to the economy in 2021.
The UK Government recognised this opportunity and, in its Life Sciences Sector Plan, has committed to making the UK a global leader in AI-driven life sciences.
This POSTnote could outline how AI tools are used to design molecules and predict drug behaviour; what safeguards are needed to address inaccuracy and bias in model outputs; and how current UK regulatory frameworks apply to AI-selected drug candidates.
Seeking input into POSTnotes in Social Sciences topics
New POSTnote being drafted on: Rising demand for ADHD and autism assessment and support services
What is the evidence for rising rates, what factors could be increasing diagnosis and what are the implications for service users and care provision?
- Deadline for contributions: 23:55 on the 13 September 2026
- Publication is expected in December 2026
Recent years have seen substantial increases in demand for ADHD and autism assessment, diagnosis and support services. These trends present implications for health services, education settings and local authority budgets, particularly through pressures on the SEND system. In February 2026, the government published proposals in a public consultation relating to SEND provision which may result in legislative changes.
The reasons and evidence for rising demand remain limited, contested and mixed. Explanations proposed in the literature include increased awareness and recognition, changes in diagnostic criteria and practice, improved identification of previously underserved groups, changing help-seeking behaviour, and potential changes in underlying prevalence. There is ongoing debate regarding the relative contribution of these factors and the extent to which increases reflect unmet need, changing diagnostic practice or other influences.
Demand for assessment has contributed to growing waiting lists and increasing use of private providers. These issues have attracted parliamentary interest and are also being considered through the government’s independent review (2026) of demand for mental health, ADHD and autism services. The full review is expected to be published in September 2026.
This POSTnote would provide Parliament with an impartial assessment and collation of the evidence on why ADHD and autism diagnoses and service demand are increasing, the extent of scientific consensus and uncertainty, and outline the implications for service users as well as health, education and SEND policy. It could also examine international evidence and trends in data.
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New POSTnote being drafted on: Devolution in England: employment, income and productivity
What evidence exists on the impact of English devolution on employment, income and productivity? What are the learnings from this for future devolution in England?
- Deadline for contributions: 23:55 on the 13th September 2026
- Publication is expected in December 2026
Recent developments in English devolution expand local powers and responsibilities, with the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 granting mayors stronger tools. For example, it included a requirement for mayoral combined authorities to prepare and publish a local growth plan for their areas.
In recent years, government has signalled its intention to devolve more areas of England. For example, in February 2025, the government launched a Devolution Priority Programme, including proposals to create Mayoral Strategic Authorities in six new areas. In July 2026, the government announced that a National economic council comprised of regional mayors would contribute to economic decision-making.
This POSTnote will look at the available evidence to consider what devolution of powers and funding has meant so far for employment, incomes and productivity, and business and sector investment and development, in local economies in England. It will focus on the impacts of devolution on deprived and disadvantaged communities, as well as available evidence for coastal and rural regions.
Seeking input into POSTnotes in Energy and Environment topics
POSTnote being drafted on: Security and resilience of energy infrastructure
What physical, technical and security risks does energy infrastructure face, and what measures can be taken to respond to or mitigate these risks?
- Deadline for contributions: 23:55 on 18 September 2026
- Publication is expected in December 2026
Both the UK’s electricity and gas grids need to be carefully managed to maintain system stability and prevent system failures such as blackouts. However, we have seen a couple of recent instances where electricity grids have failed and/or encountered serious issues (Iberian Peninsula blackout, Heathrow substation fire). Additionally, recent high demand and low generation, as a result of high temperatures, have put additional strains on the grid.
There are growing concerns about the sabotage of key UK infrastructure such as subsea gas pipelines and electricity interconnectors, particularly with recent examples of this type of attack in the Baltic Sea. There are also concerns around cyber-attacks on increasingly digital and automated ‘smart’ grids, such as the Volt Typhoon hacking group who were found to have infiltrated critical US infrastructure.
This POSTnote would set out the risks to the energy system including physical (fire/weather), technical (component failure), and security issues (kinetic and cyber), how these are changing, and what processes are in place to respond to them.
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POSTnote being drafted on: The economics of net zero
What is the evidence on the economic costs, benefits and distributional impacts of the transition to net zero?
- Deadline for contributions: 23:55 on 18 September 2026
- Publication is expected in December 2026
The UK Government’s impact assessment for the draft legislation setting the seventh carbon budget (87% below 1990 emissions levels by 2040) estimates that meeting the target would require around £880 billion of investment over 25 years and deliver benefits worth £1.62 trillion. It also estimates savings of £445 billion by 2050 from reduced fossil fuel imports.
The Office for Budget Responsibility has estimated that, without global action to address climate change, UK public debt could reach around 290% of GDP by the end of the century. It estimates that achieving the UK’s net zero target would require around £1.4 trillion of investment over 30 years, with a net cost of approximately £344 billion.
Some economists question these estimates, suggesting that government estimates underestimate the cost of renewables and the emissions associated with importing carbon-intensive goods, alongside the impacts of a warming climate. Others highlight distributional issues, including how costs are shared between taxpayers, consumers and businesses, and whether policies such as carbon taxes could disproportionately affect lower-income households.
This POSTnote would review evidence on the economic costs, benefits and distributional impacts of the transition to net zero, including the assumptions and uncertainties underpinning different economic models and forecasts.
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POSTnote being drafted on: Climate risk in the food system.
How secure is the UK food system to multiple stresses at different scales?
- Deadline for contributions: 23:55 on the 31 August 2026
- Publication is expected in December 2026
Food is one of the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure sectors. The Government’s recent Farming Roadmap identifies it as particularly exposed to climate shocks. Changes in temperature, rainfall, sea levels and extreme weather can affect all parts of the food system, with implications for food security, environmental sustainability, livelihoods and equity. Climate-related weather impacts are already affecting the UK food system. While effects on primary production are well established, risks extend across supply chains.
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has warned that, by 2050 under 2°C of global warming, simultaneous crop failures in major producing regions or significant supply chain disruption could lead to sustained increases in food prices and shortages across nutritionally important food groups. Potential adaptation measures include diversification and investment in resilience across supply chains. Government-led stress testing of critical food supply chains could help identify vulnerabilities and bottlenecks.
The CCC has proposed tracking changes in the price of a climate-affected basket of goods as a potential indicator of resilience. Other commentators argue that improving resilience requires a better understanding of how the food system functions, enabling coordinated action across multiple parts of the system to address interacting stresses and shocks. There are also competing perspectives on food system transformation.
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POSTnote being drafted on: Exposure and vulnerability to climate impacts across the UK.
How will exposure and vulnerability of populations to climate impacts evolve and how will it interact with changing hazards?
- Deadline for contributions: 23:55 on the 31 August 2026
- Publication is expected in December 2026
Some groups are disproportionately affected by climate impacts such as flooding, extreme heat and poor air quality. Understanding and, where appropriate, addressing these unequal risks is an important component of a just approach to climate adaptation. The Climate Change Committee suggests vulnerability depends on both:
- Exposure to climate hazards, influenced by factors such as location and housing type.
- The characteristics of people and communities that affect their ability to cope with hazards, including age, health, income, housing tenure and insurance coverage.
Analysis for the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment found substantial variation in vulnerability across and within UK regions. It identified some correlation between exposure and vulnerability, but the relationship is limited. The analysis also found overlap between measures of deprivation and climate vulnerability, although the two are not interchangeable. Future exposure and vulnerability will be shaped by demographic, socioeconomic and technological change, as well as developments in infrastructure, planning and public services. Some trends are predictable, such as an ageing population and economic growth. Others, including future health outcomes, poverty and inequality, migration patterns and technological developments, are subject to greater uncertainty. The Government has recently published two new indicators:
- The Multiple Environmental Deprivation indicator, which maps cumulative environmental pressures across England, including climate risks, air quality, flood risk, noise and access to green space.
- The Environmental Equity Index, which combines social, economic and health indicators to identify areas where disadvantages accumulate.
This briefing will review the evidence on current patterns of exposure and vulnerability to climate impacts across the UK, how these may change over time and interact with evolving climate hazards and how this understanding could support adaptation planning.
Seeking input into POSTnotes in Biological Sciences and Health topics
POSTnote being drafted on: NHS screening programmes: Evidence and decision-making.
How are decisions about NHS screening programmes made? What evidence is needed? How does evidence influence screening policy?
- Deadline for contributions: 23:55 on Sunday 13 September 2026
- Publication is expected in December 2026
The UK has national screening programmes for conditions including cancers, genetic disorders and metabolic diseases. The UK National Screening Committee reviews evidence on the benefits and harms of screening and provides advice on which conditions should be screened for, at which age, and in which population groups.
Decisions about introducing new screening programmes, adding conditions to existing programmes, and changing eligibility criteria are often debated by policymakers, clinicians, patient groups and the public. Evidence of potential benefits and harms of screening can include clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and NHS workforce implications. Equity and ethics are also considered alongside this evidence.
This briefing will consider how screening decisions are made and the evidence that informs them. It will explain concepts important in making decisions about screening, such as false positives and negatives, overdiagnosis, predictive values, test sensitivity and specificity, and the effect of disease prevalence.
Why should I contribute to a POSTnote? 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 great way to feed your expertise into the UK Parliament as part of a trusted, impartial publication. POSTnotes are used in Parliament to inform select committee inquiries, help answer questions from MPs, and can be cited by parliamentarians during Chamber business. All contributors are acknowledged when the POSTnote is published. Therefore, your contribution can help raise your profile and promote your research.
What should I expect? All submissions will be read and taken into consideration, but you may not receive a direct response. If your submission is relevant to the scope of the final POSTnote, you will be listed as a contributor. On publication, you and your organisation’s communications team will be notified to publicise the POSTnote and your contribution.
More information: Find out more about contributing to a POSTnote as an expert. Sign up for POST alerts to receive updates when new research briefings are published.
Job opportunities:
Communications Manager:
We are looking for a talented Communications Manager to support the Commons Library and Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) in ensuring that reliable, impartial information is at the heart of democracy. We need someone with creative flair, who can create compelling, accessible content which our audiences will notice. With your strong communication skills, you’ll tailor messages for different audiences, evaluate impact, and continuously improve outcomes. You’ll have excellent copywriting abilities, a solid understanding of digital channels, and experience creating engaging content. Working across internal and external communications, you’ll thrive in a collaborative team environment, bringing creativity, initiative, enthusiasm, and an eye for design.
Salary: £37,834 – £41,998 per annum
Closing date: 16 August 2026
Senior Researcher (Transport):
The House of Commons Library is seeking a Senior Researcher (Transport) to join its Business and Transport Section. This is a unique opportunity to work at the heart of Parliament, providing trusted, impartial research and analysis that supports Members of Parliament in scrutinising legislation, engaging in debate and assisting constituents. Drawing on your expertise in transport policy, you will produce briefing papers, respond to enquiries from MPs and their staff, and explain complex policy issues clearly and accurately. Covering areas including rail, aviation, road policy, local transport and decarbonisation, the role contributes directly to Parliament’s understanding of high-profile and fast-moving transport issues.
Salary: £60,180 – £70,204 per annum
Closing date: 23 August 2026
Information session: Thursday 20 August, 13:00-14:00
Why should I apply? These are both exciting job opportunities that allow you to work at the heart of Parliament.
What should I expect? All applications will be read and taken into consideration, but please note you may not receive a direct response from us. If you do not hear anything further, then please assume your application has not been successful on this occasion.
More information: You can find out more about current vacancies here.
Research and Innovation 