Horizon Scanning

Research evidence and policy-making: increasing demand, publication speed and public scrutiny

COVID-19 has increased demand for research evidence. In response the research and publication processes have sped up. What does this mean for scrutiny?

• Education

The future of UK research: structure and funding

In its 2017 Industrial Strategy, the UK Government set out a target of investing 2.4% of GDP on R&D by 2027. How is it planning to reach this target? What are the uncertainties emerging from COVID-19 and the withdrawal from the European Union?

• Health and social care
• Security and defence
• Transport and infrastructure

Mental health and well-being in the context of COVID-19

The impacts of COVID-19 on mental health remain unclear. Initial research suggests disproportional impact on children, young people and those with pre-existing mental health conditions.

• Health and social care

Select Committee Area of Research Interest: Unpaid carers

The House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee has published an Area of Research Interest on ‘Unpaid carers’ to support the Committee’s scrutiny of adult social care services in England. The ARI comes with several specific areas of interest aiming to further break down the broad area and focus the responses received from the research community.

Select Committee Area of Research Interest: Violence against women and girls

The Women and Equalities Committee and Home Affairs Committee have published a joint Area of Research Interest on ‘Violence against women and girls’ to help support their ongoing scrutiny in this topic area. The ARI comes with several specific areas of interest aiming to further break down the broad area and focus the responses received from the research community.

International Development Committee Area of Research Interest: changes to the UK aid budget

An inquiry into the effectiveness and influence of the Select Committee system by the 2017–19 House of Commons Liaison Committee made several recommendations on how to improve the use of research evidence in select committees. One recommendation was for committees to develop and publish areas of research interest (ARIs). The House of Commons Scrutiny Unit, with the support of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), is trialling select committee ARIs as a pilot exercise to better understand and assess how they can support parliamentary scrutiny.