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Select committee: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Sixth Report - Trusted voices

HC 175 Published 12 April 2024

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee Report on parliament.uk ↗

At a glance8 recommendations and 4 conclusions · Government response published 4 November 2024 (deadline 12 June 2024)

The government's response

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.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Sources

Recommendations and conclusions 12

  1. 1
    There is no one single trusted voice: different communities or demographics may turn to different... Conclusion · paragraph 25 · addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport Conclusion (the committee's words)
    There is no one single trusted voice: different communities or demographics may turn to different ones. That that is as it should be, but the more the media seeks to understand and reflect the diversity of the country, the more it can provide the trusted voices that are vital in providing accurate information and tackling misinformation where it arises.
  2. 2
    The recent growth of TikTok and decisions to disengage from or potentially ban the platform... Recommendation · paragraph 34 · addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport Recommendation (the committee's words)
    The recent growth of TikTok and decisions to disengage from or potentially ban the platform demonstrates how swiftly sources of information can change. New apps and platforms rapidly become major players, shifting audience habits but also fragmenting the sources the public use for information. The Government must have a clear strategy for communicating with young people and adapting to the development of new apps and platforms which appeal to this audience.
  3. 3
    We recommend that the Government publishes advice for Government departments and their public bodies on... Recommendation · paragraph 35 · addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport Recommendation (the committee's words)
    We recommend that the Government publishes advice for Government departments and their public bodies on communication intended for young people, including guidance on the use of new apps and platforms, including TikTok.
  4. 4
    We welcome the Government’s recognition of the importance of media literacy skills and the creation... Conclusion · paragraph 40 · addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport Conclusion (the committee's words)
    We welcome the Government’s recognition of the importance of media literacy skills and the creation of its Online Media Literacy Strategy and Taskforce to deliver on this. However, it is crucial that the impact of the Strategy is assessed as it progresses, both to ensure that it is on the right track and to inform future delivery.
  5. 5
    We recommend that, at the conclusion of the 2021–24 Online Media Literacy Strategy, the Government... Recommendation · paragraph 41 · addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport Recommendation (the committee's words)
    We recommend that, at the conclusion of the 2021–24 Online Media Literacy Strategy, the Government publishes a detail assessment of what the impact of this work has been, alongside a refreshed strategy for the forthcoming years.
  6. 6
    We are concerned about the lack of transparency and accountability of the CDU and the... Recommendation · paragraph 46 · addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport Recommendation (the committee's words)
    We are concerned about the lack of transparency and accountability of the CDU and the appropriateness of its reach. We recommend that the Government commission and lay before Parliament an independent review of the activities and strategy of Counter Disinformation Unit within the next 12 months.
  7. 7
    The Government Digital Service has acknowledged that some users of GOV.UK have been lost and... Recommendation · paragraph 52 · addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport Recommendation (the committee's words)
    The Government Digital Service has acknowledged that some users of GOV.UK have been lost and overwhelmed by the architecture of the website and the amount of information that it contains. While it has committed itself to making improvements, three years later the site is still not meeting user needs. We recommend that the Government Digital Service undertake further work better to understand user needs for accessing information on GOV.UK, and that it provides us with its plans for this work, including a timescale for improvements, as part of the response to this report.
  8. 8
    The pandemic highlighted the importance of the public being well-informed; yet there were gaps and... Conclusion · paragraph 58 · addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport 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.
  9. 9
    The Government Communication Service should conduct and publish an evaluation of the effectiveness of Government... Conclusion · paragraph 59 · addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport Conclusion (the committee's words)
    The Government Communication Service should conduct and publish an evaluation of the effectiveness of Government communications during the pandemic by the end of 2024, ensuring that this takes into account the views of the public and frontline organisations, such as those working with patients and carers.
  10. 10
    While we recognise the need for free and frank discussions within Government, and the political,... Recommendation · paragraph 63 · addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport Recommendation (the committee's words)
    While we recognise the need for free and frank discussions within Government, and the political, security and commercial sensitivities of some Government business, increased transparency for the evidence underpinning policy decisions has the potential to increase the level of trust in government. We recommend that the Government increase its proactive publication of evidence used in policy making, especially in policy areas that are frequently subject to misinformation.
  11. 11
    Some of the country’s best scientists work in government departments and agencies. Recommendation · paragraph 67 · addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport 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.
  12. 12
    All National Academies have provided us with some excellent examples of public engagement but we... Recommendation · paragraph 84 · addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport Recommendation (the committee's words)
    All National Academies have provided us with some excellent examples of public engagement but we remain unclear about their strategic aims for public engagement. Without clear aims, it is not possible to judge the efficacy of their public engagement and, consequently, whether they are spending public money appropriately. As part of its renewed focus on assessing the National Academies, the Government should review what role the National Academies should play in the public information landscape and work with them to publish objectives and benchmarks to deliver that role.