Calls for evidence and consultations
H&P's historians frequently respond to calls for evidence and consultations, and our Public Affairs Office can help with this. Please get in touch with either Fiona Holland (fiona.holland@kcl.ac.uk) or Mel Porter (mel.porter@kcl.ac.uk) for more information.
Ready for Ageing?
Pat Thane
March 2013
The Ready for Ageing? report, published by the House of Lords Select Committee on Public Service and Demographic Change, draws extensively on evidence from H&P co-founder Pat Thane, of the Institute of Contemporary British History at King's College London. Reflecting her evidence about the positive contributions of older people to British society, the report calls for present-day attitudes viewing the elderly as a 'burden' should be challenged, and government policy radically reformed to respond to challenging demographic trends.
Read the Ready for Ageing? report [pdf 1.73MB]
See also: Pat Thane's H&P paper, The work-life balance in an ageing society
Special Advisers
Andrew Blick
June 2012
On 12 June, Andrew Blick, of the Institute of Contemporary British History, gave oral evidence to the Public Administration Select Committee about the history of special advisers in government. He said that past attempts to distinguish between specialist and political advisers had failed, due to the degree of the overlap between these groups. Dr Blick explained that the limit of two special advisers per Cabinet Minister was brought in by Harold Wilson in 1974 to prevent Tony Benn from recruiting a third, who Wilson did not like. It has remained unchanged ever since.
Watch Andrew Blick give evidence to the: Public Administration Select Committee (begins at 1:03)
Read the uncorrected transcript of Andrew Blick's evidence
Read Andrew Blick's written evidence (for Democratic Audit)
HIV/AIDS
Virginia Berridge
March 2011
In evidence submitted to the House of Lords Select Committee on HIV/AIDS, H&P co-founder Professor Virginia Berridge analyses the initial response to HIV/AIDS in the UK from the early 1980s to the early 1990s - and the way in which policymakers learned from past failures and avoided stigmatising groups, or unsuccessful focus on abstinence.
Read Virginia Berridge's memorandum, starting at p32. [pdf file, 3,634KB]
For more information about the committee's inquiry, see the UK parliament website.
Social Care
Pat Thane
December 2009
In evidence submitted to the House of Commons' Health Committee inquiry into social care, H&P co-founder Professor Pat Thane explains the history of financing health and social care and argues that the post-1948 separation of health from social care continues to cause problems.
Read Pat Thane's memorandum. [pdf file, 109KB]
For more information about the committee's inquiry, see the UK parliament website.
Abortion Act 1967
Lesley A. Hall
August 2007
Lesley A. Hall of the Wellcome Library submitted a historical memorandum to the Science and Technology Committee inquiry into the Abortion Act 1967 [pdf file, 58KB]. For further information about the inquiry see the parliament website.
Waste Strategy for England
Tim Cooper
December 2007
We publish historical evidence on the government's Waste Strategy for England, by Tim Cooper of Exeter University. Read Tim Cooper's memorandum [pdf file, 89KB]. This was submitted to the current Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee Inquiry. For more information see the Committee's website.
Personal carbon allowances
Mark Roodhouse
August 2007
Mark Roodhouse of the University of York submitted a memorandum [pdf file, 77KB] to the Environmental Audit Select Committee inquiry into personal carbon allowances. For further information about the inquiry see the parliament website.
See also:
- Mark Roodhouse, Rationing returns: a solution to global warming?
- History & Policy news release, Rekindle Blitz spirit to combat climate change [pdf file, 32KB]
- Mark Roodhouse's article for the Financial Times [pdf file, 22KB]
Public and patient involvement in the NHS
Martin Gorsky
January 2007
Martin Gorsky of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine submitted a memorandum [pdf file, 113KB] to the House of Commons Health Committee inquiry into Patient and Public Involvement in the NHS. For further information about the inquiry see the parliament website.
See also: Martin Gorsky, Hospital governance and community involvement in Britain: evidence from before the National Health Service.
The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England: ten years on
Forrest Capie and Geoffrey Wood
January 2007
Forrest Capie and Geoffrey Wood of the Cass Business School at City University submitted a History & Policy memorandum [pdf file, 92KB] to this House of Commons Treasury Committee inquiry. For further information about the inquiry see the Parliament website.
Pension Reform
Hugh Pemberton, Pat Thane and Noel Whiteside
June 2006
History & Policy contributors Hugh Pemberton, Pat Thane and Noel Whiteside submitted a historical memorandum [pdf file, 136KB] to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee inquiry on pension reform. Their evidence was mentioned in the committee's final report.
See also:
- History & Policy news release, Government's 'smoke and mirrors' conceals pensions cut [pdf file, 30KB]
- Pat Thane's article in the Financial Times [pdf file, 25KB]
- History & Policy news release Historians warn government against more fudged pensions 'reforms' [pdf file, 25KB]
- Hugh Pemberton, Politics and pensions in post-war Britain
- Pat Thane, The 'scandal' of women's pensions in Britain: how did it come about?
- Noel Whiteside, In search of security: earnings-related pensions in Britain and Europe