Voters given opportunity to quiz politicians on concerns about evidence in Parliament
Westminster’s annual Evidence Week took place last week and saw voters given the chance to question Members of Parliament about the evidence behind political decisions affecting their lives.
Toby Perkins, MP for Chesterfield, was in the hot seat at a unique ‘reverse’ committee hearing in Parliament on Monday, January 20. As Chair of the Environmental Audit Select Committee, Toby answered questions about current government policies, and explained the role of select committees in scrutinising legislation and asking for the evidence behind claims.
Toby Perkins, MP for Chesterfield said: “These are really important sessions that focus on the importance of evidence-based policy making and scientific scrutiny. The public need to have confidence that MPs are up to speed on the most important issues of the day, from dealing with flooding & climate change to housing, food supplies, energy, health, AI and inequality.”
Westminster’s annual Evidence Week is organised by the charity Sense about Science and the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology (POST) and sees MPs meet with leading scientists to get the latest insights on pressing issues.
It opened on January 20 with a ‘reverse’ hearing livestreamed from Parliament, with voters from across the country getting to ask the chairs of parliamentary Select Committees about the evidence behind legislation that affects them.