Select committee: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 11
Sixth Report - Trusted voices
Published 12 Apr 2024
Paragraph 67
Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Some of the country’s best scientists work in government departments and agencies. It is a wasted opportunity not to allow them to play a larger public role. The Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Officer played a critical role in public communications during the pandemic and proved the value of scientific experts engaging in issues of national concern and demonstrated their ability to navigate the boundaries of what Government scientists can and cannot comment upon. The Government should allow and encourage its scientists to respond directly to the media to counter misinformation.
From: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Sixth Report - Trusted voices (HC 175), paragraph 67, 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.