Parliament in the Public Eye

The Hansard Society set up an independent Commission to look at the communication of parliamentary democracy.  Chaired by Lord Puttnam, the Commission reported its findings in the 2005 report, Members Only? Parliament in the Public Eye.

The report examined whether Parliament was failing in its democratic duty to communicate with the electorate. It made 39 recommendations, which together set out a practical route for much needed change.

The progress of the Commission’s recommendations were reviewed in Parliament in the Public Eye 2006: Coming into Focus?. The report welcomed the changes that have been made but issued a stark warning that an incremental approach to improving communications is insufficient to address the problem. To continue the momentum created by the Commission, the report set out responses to the Puttnam Commission, including the views of those working within Parliament and the media.

The progress report was launched at a conference in Westminster on 2 November 2006 and a note of that event is available to download.

For more information on the Puttnam Commission, email Susanna Kalitowski.