Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 9
9
Not Addressed
Paragraph: 54
We are certainly not calling for SAGE advisors to be silenced, but for some expectations...
Recommendation
We are certainly not calling for SAGE advisors to be silenced, but for some expectations to be laid about the appropriate way to communicate considering, amongst other things, the potential for the politicisation of their commentary. Civil Servants advising Government are expected to abide by a code of conduct, and there should be a similar code for SAGE advisors. The SAGE secretariat should produce guidance for members on how to engage with the media, in line with the 2012 Cabinet Office Guidance. This should not be overly restrictive as to prevent individual advisors from undertaking their normal work or from outlining the capacity in which they advised SAGE if required. This should be made public.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government refers to a future independent inquiry starting in spring 2022 to learn lessons from COVID-19, and highlights past scrutiny, but does not address the specific call for a code of conduct or media guidance for SAGE advisors.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
54
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government · verbatim extract
Not Addressed
In certain emergency circumstances the Cabinet Office and the Lead Government Department in consultation with the Prime Minister’s office can activate the Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR) – for response, recovery or both. If required, scientific and technical advice will either be provided by individual experts or, coordinated via a Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), as appropriate. The SAGE secretariat sits within the Government Office for Science. In response to the long running nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, SAGE has now been activated for the longest continual period since its inception. Most SAGE participants are independent and are free to discuss the science around COVID-19 in the media. If they do choose to do so, they are advised to be clear that they are speaking as individuals from an expert perspective and not on behalf of SAGE or HM Government. Participants have been provided with advice on how to engage with the media. The principles of scientific advice, set out the rules of engagement between HM Government and those who provide independent scientific and engineering advice: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/scientific-advice-to-government-principle departments should base their operations and interactions. The principles set out the roles and responsibilities of these advisers and cover issues of independence, transparency and openness. Government’s response to the Committee’s Eighth Report of Session 2019–21 3
Read the full response on Parliament ↗