Select committee: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Conclusion 8
Sixth Report - Trusted voices
Published 12 Apr 2024
Paragraph 58
Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The pandemic highlighted the importance of the public being well-informed; yet there were gaps and inconsistencies in the information offered to the public by the Government, with limitations in respect of both the information transmitted and the methods by which it was communicated. We welcome the fact that the Government says it has learned lessons and is using these to inform its subsequent communication campaigns. We are however concerned that there is no evidence that the Government has conducted a full evaluation of its communications or formally sought feedback from its intended audiences following the pandemic.
From: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Sixth Report - Trusted voices (HC 175), paragraph 58, 12 April 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 4 November 2024 (deadline 12 June 2024).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says it "broadly agrees" with the previous Committee's report, while setting out a different response to individual recommendations.
- On the Counter Disinformation Unit, now the National Security and Online Information Team, the government says that "we are not considering a review at this juncture", citing the change of remit and ongoing parliamentary scrutiny.
- On evaluating pandemic communications, the government notes that the UK Covid-19 Inquiry is underway and says it "will consider and respond to any findings and recommendations by that Inquiry in due course".
- On publishing policy evidence, the Analysis Function has "committed to working with the Communications Function and other bodies" to "consider options" on routinely publishing evidence behind major policy announcements.
- On the National Academies, DSIT "cannot fully accept" the recommendation because it would hinder their independence, but will look to strengthen its monitoring and evaluation of DSIT-funded public engagement work.