Publication Type: Evidence to parliament
Countries: UK
Authors: Ayesha Saddiqi Emma Crewe
Funders: AHRC GCRF

Emma Crewe (GRNPP, SOAS) and Ayesha Saddiqi (Royal Holloway) gave evidence to the House of Commons Liaison Committee on the effectiveness of select committees. Select committees offer tremendous potential to deepen the relationship between parliamentarians and the public and, therefore, our democracy. They have made huge strides in outreach and public engagement in recent years but the need for a more sophisticated approach to evidence, management and the process of citizen engagement remains. They recommended MPs to do fewer, longer inquiries and allocate more time for politicians and citizens to compare and debate the value, rigour and inevitable contradictions between different pieces of evidence. Between 2000-2019 the International Development Select Committee received 35 submissions from the Global South despite their inquiries more directly affecting them than people in the Global North. The committees holding enquiries on issues that profoundly affect those overseas should pro-actively encourage witnesses to give evidence from those locations. UK universities and CSOs might assist in identifying and facilitating this process and/or translating/interpreting where needed. The Liaison Committee’s report, quoting this evidence by Crewe and Saddiqi, was published in September 2019.