Parliamentary engagement opportunities

Helping your research shape policy

Below are current opportunities for engagement with UK Parliament and the Government.

CALLS FOR EVIDENCE
You can find our top ten tips for giving written and oral evidence to Select Committees here. General guidance from Parliament can be found here.

Let us know if you intend to submit evidence to the committee inquiries or government consultations listed below, and if we can help in any way, via comms.publicaffairs@lse.ac.uk.

Calls for evidence by topic:

Business, Energy and the Economy

Pensions Investment Review: Unlocking the UK pensions market for growth – DWP Consultation

This consultation sets out proposed reforms to deliver scale, accelerate consolidation and drive a focus on value over cost in the Defined Contribution (DC) workplace pensions market and explores other changes.

Deadline: 16 January 

Refining the UK subsidy control regime - DBT Consultation 

the Department for Business and Trade are seeking views on refining two areas of the UK subsidy regime: changing the thresholds for referral of subsidies to the CMA; and creating new streamlined routes for public authorities to use to deliver subsidies more quickly and easily in specific circumstances.

Deadline: 21 January  

Inheritance Tax on Pensions: Liability, Reporting and Payment - HMRC Consultation

His Majesty's Revenue and Customs are welcoming views on the process required to implement changes to inheritance tax rules for pension funds and death benefits. 

Deadline: 22 January

Lifetime ISA - Treasury Committee 

The Treasury Committee is inquiring into whether the Lifetime Individual Savings Account (LISA) is still an appropriate financial product nine years after it was created. 

Deadline: 4 February 

Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime – DBT Consultation

The Department for Business and Trade are seeking views on legislative proposals for subscription contracts between traders and consumers, which will inform secondary legislation. 

Deadline: 10 February 

Clamping Down on Offshore Tax Avoidance - HMRC Consultation

His Majesty's Revenue and Customs are seeking evidence to understand and identify where rules against offshore personal tax avoidance could be improved or updated.

Deadline: 19 February

Putting fans first: consultation on the resale of live events tickets - DBT Consultation 

The Department for Business and Trade is seeking views on proposals to strengthen consumer protections in relation to ticket resales. 

Deadline: 4 April 


Communities, Housing, Local Government and Transport

Community cohesion - Women and Equalities Committee Inquiry

The Women and Equalities Committee will examine community cohesion at a local and national level in the UK.  This inquiry aims to gather diverse evidence and investigate barriers to cohesion, examples of best practice and how to ensure cohesion for the next generation.

Deadline: 31 January

Reforming the Right to Buy – MHCLG Consultation

This consultation seeks views on how the Right to Buy should be reformed to deliver a fairer, better value and more sustainable scheme where longstanding tenants can buy their own homes and where councils can replace those homes.

Deadline: 15 January 

Reforming Air Passenger Duty on Private Jets - HM Treasury

The Treasury are asking for views on their proposal to extend the scope of the higher rate of Air Passenger Duty to all private jets, including business jets. 

Deadline: 22 January

Buses Connecting Communities - Transport Committee

The Transport Committee are examining the role of bus services in connecting rural communities with nearby towns and suburban areas. 

Deadline: 17 January 

Technology, Culture, Media and Sport

 

Health and Social Care

There are currently no open consultations, please check back later.

Children and Education

Children's Social Care - Education Committee

The Education Committee's inquiry is investigating how to improve early intervention, tackle rising demand and rising local authority spending, and support children with complex needs. The inquiry will also assess support for care leavers and the social care market in the context of the private and public sector. 

Deadline: TBC

Solving the SEND Crisis - Education Committee

The Education Committee has opened an inquiry into how to achieve both short term stability and long-term sustainability for the SEND system to improve experiences and outcomes for children and young people. 

Deadline: 30 January


Home Affairs, Work and Pensions

 

International and Defense

 Soft power: a strategy for UK success? - Foreign Affairs Committee

The Foreign Affairs Committee are exploring the extent and effectiveness of the UK's soft power. It will consider the UK's unique soft power strengths as well as scrutinise the work of the Government's new Soft Power Council and any subsequent strategy to strengthen UK soft power. 

Deadline: 3 March 

https://committees.parliament.uk/work/8798/soft-power-a-strategy-for-uk-success/

Legal and Constitution

Humanitarian access and adherence to international humanitarian law - International Development Committee Inquiry 

The Committee would like to receive oral and written evidence on efforts of the UK Government in encouraging the adherence to International Humanitarian Law by international actors as well as its own responsibilities to the protection of aid workers delivering UK ODA.

Deadline: 15 January

The Mental Health Bill - Human Rights (Joint Committee)

The Joint Committee on Human Rights is undertaking scrutiny of the Mental Health Bill, the principle legislation governing the detention and compulsory treatment of people suffering with mental disorders. The Committee will assess the Bill's compatibility with international and domestic human rights standards. 

Deadline: 24 January 

Review of the 2024 general election -  Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Inquiry

Following the publication of the Electoral Commission report on the general election 2024, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee are considering the issue of the administration, process and conduct of the 2024 general election and how these could be improved for future elections.

Deadline: 27 January 

Speaker's Conference on the security of candidates, MPs and elections - Speaker's Conference (2024) Committee

The Speaker's Conference Committee is considering the factors influencing the threat level against candidates and MPs, and the effectiveness of the response to such threats. It is looking to make recommendations about the arrangements necessary to secure free and fair elections, and the appropriate protection of candidates at future UK elections. 

Deadline: 7 February

 Costs protection for discrimination claims - MOJ inquiry

The Ministry of Justice is seeking views on whether costs protection should be extended to discrimination claims in civil courts in England and Wales. 

Deadline: 19 February 

Sustainability, Net Zero and Environment

Fairness in the food supply chain - EFRA Committee 

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is seeking evidence on issues relating to the UK's food security, the levels  of support for domestic food production and the provision of affordable and healthy food. Topics for scrutiny include national food strategy, food albelling, public sector procurement of food, and others. 

Deadline: 24 January 

Animal and plant health - EFRA Committee 

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has opened an inquiry into the ongoing and emerging issues and opportunities relating to animal and plant health. Topics for scrutiny include animal welfare, biosecurity at the border, One Health approach to biosecurity, and others. 

Deadline: 29 January

https://committees.parliament.uk/work/8790/animal-and-plant-health/

 

POLICY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES 

Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology (POST) Notes

Information on the new POST notes, which are used in Parliament by MPs, the House Libraries and members of the Lords, can be found here along with links to other notes that POST are developing and plan to develop in the future. 

Parliament for Researchers: free online training sessions from UK Parliament

The UK Parliament's Knowledge Exchange Unit holds online training sessions on how to use research to engage with Parliament. Sessions are tailored both to different roles and career stages, and to the varied ways in which academics can engage with the policymaking process - for example, how to engage with Select Committees, and how to write for a parliamentary audience. You can watch previous sessions here