Responding to consultations and inquiries by governments, select
committees and others
I am writing to ask for your help. I am struggling with a paper
focussed on responding to invitations from select committees etc for
the SPA conference in Edinburgh next month. I am finding that it has
taken me into areas that I had not expected and on which I am very
badly informed.
One particular issue is the extent to which we in the social policy
community are responding to government consultation or discussion
documents, giving evidence to inquiries by select committees,
commissions or other bodies. My impression is that the amount of this
activity has diminished – but it is only an impression.
It may be that more in social policy are being brought in as advisers
to select committees or other bodies and that others are working with
groups or agencies and helping them to prepare responses.
It would be very helpful to hear from anyone whether you have given
evidence, either directly or indirectly as part of a group, or you
have acted as an adviser to a commission or committee recently and/or
in the past.
This is focussed on responding to UK enquiries, but it would also be
very interesting to know how much work of this type is carried out in
other countries if you have the time and energy to tell me.
If you have time just to answer, however briefly, the questions below
that would be even more helpful.
What inquiries, consultations or commissions have you responded to
directly under your own name?
What inquiries, consultations or commissions have you helped to draft
a response to or sent on behalf of a group or an organisation?
What inquiries, consultations or commissions have you acted as
adviser to?
When? (If the last time was many years ago, that is still relevant.)
How many responses have you made or been involved with in total?
(Even a rough indication would be helpful.)
And, if you want to tell me why you have not made responses, I would
also be interested to know.
Finally, I should add that I am not intending to publish the name of
anyone who replies.
With many thanks,
Yours,
Adrian Sinfield
Edinburgh University
Adrian Sinfield
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