Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 108
108
Accepted
Another potential reason for the late lockdown was the behavioural advice that was being tendered...
Conclusion
Another potential reason for the late lockdown was the behavioural advice that was being tendered to the Government. Behavioural advice is tendered to the Government through SAGE’s sub-group, the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (SPI- B).168 SPI-B’s first publicly known input into SAGE was on 25 February 2020 on the risk of public disorder.169
Government response summary AI-generated
The government commits to a future policy development approach characterized by greater questioning and challenge of scientific advice. Ministers will be more robust in challenging advice, and the government and SAGE will facilitate strong external and structured challenge, including from international experts and a wider range of disciplines.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
In future an approach of greater questioning and challenge should characterise the development of policy. Ministers should have the confidence to follow a scientific approach themselves—being prepared to take a more robust approach to questioning and challenging the advice given. The government and SAGE should also facilitate strong external and structured challenge to scientific advice, including from experts in countries around the world, and a wider range of disciplines.
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