Tagged / select committee

Emergency services experts (UK)

Emergency services experts are being sought to share their expertise and research or act as a Committee specialist adviser.

A Parliamentary Committee is preparing for a piece of work on the challenges emergency services in the UK face, and whether greater collaboration within and between emergency response services could present solutions and provide services that are better for the user. The Committee’s secretariat is looking for researchers with expertise in this area, including people working on individual services, and anyone studying different models of how emergency and/or blue-light responders collaborate.

Researchers can feed into the work by:

* submitting written evidence,

* giving oral evidence, or

* working as a specialist adviser for the Committee.

For the specialist adviser role, the team are looking specifically for people with expertise covering multiple emergency services. The specialist adviser role would be completed alongside your BU duties one day per week and is paid (not voluntary).

Complete this short Microsoft form with your details to express interest in supplying your research evidence to inform the Committee’s work or to work as the specialist adviser.

The form will ask for your personal details and for you to:

  •      Outline your expertise (max. 100 words)
  •      Provide a link to your BU profile
  •      If possible, to provide a link to a video or recording of you speaking publicly

Some more information on the Specialist Adviser role:

The deadline is Thursday 1 September 2022 (to express interest in providing evidence or applying for the specialist adviser role). After 1 September, once the Committee begins its work, there will be more opportunities to submit written evidence and / or express an interest in giving oral evidence through the Committee’s webpages.

Contact Sarah in BU’s policy team for more information or support.

Parliament for Researchers – exploring select committee evidence

New online training session: Parliament for Researchers – exploring select committee evidence, Wednesday 9th June 2021, 14:00 – 15:00pm

To build on your knowledge about the work of select committees, join this focused online training session to explore how select committees use research findings and expertise as evidence, and how you as a researcher can engage. The role of committee specialist advisors will also be covered.

It is hosted by the UK Parliament’s Knowledge Exchange Unit with expert speakers from House of Commons and House of Lords select committee offices. The session is focused on practical information and advice, with opportunities for Q&A. The POST training sessions are highly recommended by BU’s policy team.

Book your ticket for Parliament for Researchers – exploring select committee evidence

The online training session will have captions available, images described and information sent in advance.  This session will be recorded and available on the Parliament website to watch after the event.

Support resources: You can also access recordings and resources from previous ‘Parliament for Researchers’ training sessions, including sessions tailored for researchers at different career stages and covering different topics such as select committees and writing for a parliamentary audience.

New select committee inquiries

Responding to a select committee is an easy way to get your feet on the pathway to policy influence and impact.

Below are the most recently opened inquiries. There will be other inquiries accepting evidence too –  all inquiries currently accepting evidence are here  .

COVID 19: PPE Suppliers | Public Accounts Committee | Deadline for evidence submission: Monday 17 May 2021

The Myanmar Crisis | Foreign Affairs Committee | Deadline for evidence submission: Tuesday 18 May 2021

COVID-19 cost tracker update | Public Accounts Committee | Deadline for evidence submission: Thursday 20 May 2021

Technological Innovations and Climate Change: Supply Chain for Battery Electric Vehicles  | Environmental Audit Committee | Deadline for evidence submission: Saturday 22 May 2021

Pension stewardship and COP26 | Work and Pensions Committee | Deadline for evidence submission: Friday 18 June 2021

An Equal Recovery | Treasury Committee | Deadline for evidence submission: Monday 28 June 2021

Overview of costs in the English rail system | Public Accounts Committee | Deadline for evidence submission: Thursday 6 May 2021

Liberty Steel and the Future of the UK Steel Industry |Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee | Deadline for evidence submission: Friday 14 May 2021

The Navy: purpose and procurement | Defence Committee | Deadline for evidence submission: Sunday 30 May 2021

Women in Prison | Justice Committee | Deadline for evidence submission: Monday 7 June 2021

Implementing the Integrated Review in Nigeria | Foreign Affairs Committee | Deadline for evidence submission: Monday 7 June 2021

UK space strategy and UK satellite infrastructure | Science and Technology Committee | Deadline for evidence submission: Wednesday 23 June 2021

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.

More information: all inquiries currently accepting evidence are found here 

Support resources: find guidance on submitting evidence to select committees on the KEU’s ‘how to guides’ page  

Support: Please engage with BU’s policy team before submitting evidence to a select committee. We can provide guidance and templates for colleagues who are new to responding to inquiries and we read through a substantial draft before all colleagues submit their response. Contact us – policy@bournemouth.ac.uk

Committee Special Adviser – renewable energy

Opportunity to apply to be a Specialist Adviser to the Scottish Affairs Committee for its inquiry into renewable energy in Scotland.

Application deadline – midday, Monday 10th May

The House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee is inviting applications from individuals for the role of Specialist Adviser to the Scottish Affairs Committee for its inquiry into renewable energy in Scotland. The role is likely to run from May 2021 until September 2021.

The deadline for applications is midday on Monday 10th May. You can find out more about the role and how to apply on this webpage. You can find out more about the inquiry into Renewable energy in Scotland here.

 Contact Sarah or Jane in the BU Policy Team if you would like to apply for this role – policy@bournemouth.ac.uk

Cohabitating Partners – rights (inquiry)

The Women and Equalities Committee have launched a new inquiry – The Rights of Cohabiting Partners | Deadline for evidence submission: Monday 5 July 2021

Information on the scope of the inquiry

Cohabiting couples make up the fastest growing type of family, with over 3.4 million couples cohabiting in England or Wales. Couples who cohabit currently have less legal protection than those who are married or in a civil partnership in the event of death or separation. Despite this, there is a widespread perception that cohabiting couples have similar or identical rights to those who are married or in a civil partnership.

In 2007, the Law Commission published a report on the financial consequences of the breakdown of cohabitant relationships and recommended law reform. Since then, in 2011, the Coalition Government decided not to take forward the recommendations, and there has been little progress in this area since. Certain legal professionals have continued to call for greater protection under the law for cohabiting couples.

The Committee will examine what legal protection for cohabiting couples could look like and how this might be introduced. We welcome written evidence submissions from individuals, legal practitioners and organisations.

The Committee is inviting written evidence but cannot accept evidence that discusses on-going or active court cases.

Key questions for the inquiry are:
  • Should there be a legal definition of cohabitation and, if so, what should it be?
  • What legislative changes, if any, are needed to better protect the rights of cohabiting partners in the event of death or separation?
  • What equalities issues are raised by the lack of legal protection for those in cohabiting relationships?
  • Should legal changes be made to better provide for the children of cohabiting partners?
  • Should cohabiting partners have the same rights as those who are married or in a civil partnership?
  • Are there examples of good practice in relation to the rights of cohabiting partners in the UK or internationally that the Government should seek emulate in England and Wales?

You can submit evidence to this inquiry until Sunday 4 July. Please inform and engage with BU’s policy team before submitting evidence to the inquiry. You can contact Jane and Sarah on policy@bournemouth.ac.uk

Child poverty – call for evidence

 The Work and Pensions Committee has launched a new inquiry to examine what steps the Government could take to reduce the numbers of children who grow up in poverty in the UK.

The initial focus of the Committee will be on the best way to measure child poverty and how the Dept of  Work and Pensions works with other Government departments and local authorities to reduce the number of young people living in poverty.

The inquiry is then expected to examine how well the social security system is working for children, the experiences of families with no recourse to public funds, and support for working parents and separated families.

The Committee have launched a call for written submissions to the inquiry, which they would like to focus on the following questions:

Measurement and targets

  • How should child poverty be measured and defined?
  • The measures of child poverty changed in 2016. What has the impact of those changes been?
  • What were the advantages and disadvantages of having a set of targets for reducing child poverty?
  • What has been the effect of removing from law the targets in place between 2010 and 2016?
  • What is the impact of child poverty and how can it best be measured?
  • What links can be established for children between financial hardship, educational under-achievement, family breakdown and worklessness?

Joint working

  • How effectively does the Department for Work and Pensions work with other Government departments, particularly the Department for Education and the Treasury, to reduce child poverty?
  • How effectively does the Department for Work and Pensions work with local authorities and with support organisations to reduce the numbers of children living in poverty and to mitigate the impact of poverty on children?
  • What would be the merits of having a cross-government child poverty strategy? How well has this worked in the past?

You can view the call for evidence here: https://bit.ly/3ifuSds

You can also read the full press release here: https://bit.ly/2KhL4yx

Please contact Sarah or Jane in the BU policy team before responding to this inquiry. Email us on policy@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

Call for evidence – sport and recreation

The House of Lords Select Committee have called for evidence on a National Plan for Sport and Recreation.

The Committee are considering the effectiveness of current sport and recreation policies and initiatives, how people can be encouraged to lead more active lifestyles and the case for a national plan for sport and recreation.  They are keen to receive written evidence from experts with an interest, experience or expertise in sport and recreation policy and practice.

The Committee is taking a broad view of ‘sport and recreation’ and is interested in hearing about all activities that support an active lifestyle. It hopes to learn about success stories and opportunities, challenges, and how things could be improved going forward.

The Committee would particularly like to hear from experts:

  • with experience of motivation through and the benefits of technology in regard to physical activity (e.g. wearables, apps etc)
  • who can provide thoughts/experience in regard to comparable international models/policies
  • with expertise on data collection of physical activity, its use and reliability
  • on encouraging under represented groups and children to lead more active lifestyles
  • on how racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny and ableism in sport be tackled
  • on the opportunities and challenges facing elite sports in the UK and what can be done to make national sports governing bodies more accountable

The deadline is Friday 29th January.

Information about the inquiry and all the questions which the Committee would like to learn more about can be found on the inquiry webpage.

Colleagues intending to submit written evidence to this inquiry must engage with the BU policy team (policy@bournemouth.ac.uk) and share a draft prior to submitting evidence.

Colleagues who haven’t previously submitted to a select committee or would like support are encouraged to get in touch. We can advise, provide a template and guidance on how to write your submission.

Invasive Species

The Environmental Audit Committee is running an inquiry into the impact of invasive species and their management. This tackles non-native species living outside their natural range which have arrived by human activity, either deliberate or accidental. Invasive species are those that negatively affect native biodiversity, ecosystem services and public health, through predation, competition or by transmitting disease, costing Great Britain at least £1.8 billion per year. They mainly affect the farming and horticultural sectors but also transport, construction, recreation, aquaculture and utilities. You can read a summary of both of the latest committee evidence sessions (two sessions on 25 June 2019) at this link.