12 July 2023

Dr Jon Maddy met with Members of Parliament and Peers in Westminster on 4 July 2023 to present their latest insights on hydrogen. As part of Evidence Week in Parliament, Dr Maddy made policy recommendations and highlighted the need to review current policies in the light of the latest evidence available. Evidence Week is a unique annual event bringing together the public, parliamentarians and researchers from across the UK to discuss how evidence from frontline research can inform policymaking in Parliament.  

Dr Jon Maddy presented their findings to, amongst others, Caroline Nokes MP, David TC Davies MP, Jo Gideon MP, Liz Saville Roberts MP, Peter Dowd MP, Ruth Jones MP, and Wendy Chamberlain MP, equipping them with vital information to inform the decisions they make on future policies for hydrogen. 

Lewis Dean, Head of Wales Innovation Network, said:  

“We were delighted to have the opportunity to take part in Sense About Science’s Evidence Week, highlighting the innovative work going on in Wales. Dr Jon Maddy’s research at the University of South Wales is an excellent example of this, providing key insights into decarbonising industry through the large-scale low-cost production of hydrogen. We were pleased to support this two-way conversation between researchers and parliamentarians, which is vital for effective evidence scrutiny and policymaking.”

Evidence Week, now in its sixth year, is run by the campaigning charity Sense about Science and the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology (POST), in partnership with the House of Commons Library, House of Lords Library, Ipsos, the Office for Statistics Regulation and researcher institutions from across the UK. During the week, MPs meet with leading scientists to get the latest insights on pressing issues covering topics as varied as housing, food supplies, energy, health and inequality. It is an opportunity for the public, parliamentarians, and researchers to come together to share knowledge and insights. It empowers legislators to engage with evidence and equips them with the critical tools to handle uncertainty, identify bias and scrutinize underlying assumptions. 

Tracey Brown, Director of Sense about Science, said:  

“From farming to urban traffic, the quality of research and evidence used affects whether policies and laws make sense. We are delighted that MPs have the opportunity to learn from the University of South Wales about making better use of research evidence at Evidence Week in Parliament. Connections with cutting edge research are important for MPs, who have to pass laws, check up on government and understand the issues that are affecting their constituents.” 

According to a representative survey of 1,078 adults in Great Britain by Ipsos and Sense about Science released this week for Evidence Week 2023, only a third or less of people think MPs are equipped to ask the Government the right questions about evidence on critical policy areas including the use of Artificial Intelligence (26% confident versus 60% not confident), energy policy (31% confident versus 60% not confident), healthcare (33% confident versus 59% not confident), the economy (34% confident versus 57% not confident) and climate change (30% confident versus 60% not confident). 

Around half of Britons continue to think politicians pay too little attention to evidence (7% too much, 51% too little, 24% about right, 19% don’t know) or to public opinion (15% too much, 54% too little, 20% about right, 12% don’t know), while 1 in 3 think they pay too much attention to what they think is right (35% too much, 25% too little, 24% about right, 16% don’t know).