Institute for Government

Coronavirus has led to the rapid adoption of technologies that have been contemplated for years but had not been widely used before the crisis. There has been a fundamental shift towards delivering services remotely, such as school lessons, NHS appointments, and court hearings being conducted via video, telephone and text messages. Without this, many services would have ground to a halt. What impact has the increased use of technology had on the quality, efficiency and accessibility of public services? This event was part of the IfG's fringe events programme at the 2021 Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Speakers: Matt Warman MP, Former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at DCMS Syma Cullasy-Aldridge, Director of External Affairs and Growth at PUBLIC Professor Martin Marshall, Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners Council Elaine Whyte, Partner PA Consulting This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Kindly supported by PA Consulting.

The government thinks that investing in major energy, transport and infrastructure projects can help 'level up' the UK. Can it? What would a national transport or energy investment strategy to achieve 'levelling up' look like? How can government get the balance right between mega-project investment and incremental improvement? Are there successes it can learn from? This event was part of the IfG's fringe events programme at the 2021 Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Speakers: Baroness Vere of Norbiton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport Ben Bradley MP, Member of Parliament for Mansfield, Nottinghamshire Julian Glover, Writer and infrastructure adviser Maria Machancoses, Chief Executive Officer at Midlands Connect This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Kindly supported by Midlands Connect.

‘Levelling up’ is one of the government’s main priorities. There are big differences in health between different parts of the country and improving health may be one of the most effective ways to boost the economy. This event explored how improving health can improve economic performance and what policies are most likely to achieve this. This event was part of the IfG's fringe events programme at the 2021 Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Speakers: Jake Berry MP, Chairman of the Northern Research Group and former Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse Jo Bibby, Director of Health at the Health Foundation Caitlin Doherty, Westminster Correspondent at the Yorkshire Post Edleen John, Director for International Relations, Corporate Affairs, and Co-Partner for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the Football Association This event was chaired by Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government. Kindly supported by the Health Foundation.

Departmental boards were introduced to bring private sector oversight into central government departments. But how are people appointed as departmental non-executive directors? What experience do they bring? And what advice do they give to ministers? A recent Institute for Government report exposed how the system lacks transparency and is inconsistently applied. Ministers can appoint non-executive directors without due process, and the influence of a department’s board depends on whether a minister chooses to engage with it or not. So what can be done to make more use of board members’ expertise? What changes could help boards to improve departmental performance? What can be done to improve the transparency of board appointments? To discuss these questions, the Institute for Government is delighted to bring together an expert panel: Sue Langley, lead non-executive director for the Home Office and former interim government lead non-executive Sir David Lidington, former Secretary of State for Justice, Leader of the House of Commons and Minister for the Cabinet Office Dame Una O’Brien, former Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health Miranda Curtis, Director at Liberty Global and former lead non-executive director for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office The event will be chaired by Dr Matthew Gill, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.

Growing waiting lists, staff burnout, and a social care system in urgent need of reform. With a spending review imminent, this event discussed spending pressures on health and care, how to pay for them, and whether the government will be able to meet its pledges to build 40 new hospitals and recruit tens of thousands of nurses, doctors, and GPs. This event is part of the IfG's fringe events programme at the 2021 Labour Party Conference in Brighton. Speakers: Justin Madders MP, Shadow Minister for Secondary Care, Workforce and Patient Health Anita Charlesworth, Director of Research and REAL Centre at the Health Foundation Sarah Neville, Global Health Editor at the Financial Times Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government This event was chaired by Graham Atkins, Associate Director at the Institute for Government. Kindly supported by the Health Foundation.

The coronavirus crisis has brought data into government decision making like never before. From the contact tracing app to the A Level algorithm fiasco it has brought the use of personal data to the fore. Central and local government are investing in data platforms and automated decision making and artificial intelligence systems – and increasingly wondering how data from the private and charitable sectors can help. What does all this mean for how government operates? How can the better use of data help with the post-Covid economic recovery and what are the benefits and risks of governments, companies and charities with more data at their fingertips? This event was part of the IfG's fringe events programme at the 2021 Labour Party Conference in Brighton. Speakers: Darren Jones MP, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee Richard Earley, UK Public Policy Manager at Facebook Genevieve Maitland Hudson, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Social Investment Business Olivier Thereaux, Head of Research and Development at the Open Data Institute This event was chaired by Gavin Freeguard, Associate of the Institute for Government. Kindly supported by Facebook.

Coronavirus has led to the rapid adoption of technologies that have been contemplated for years but had not been widely used before the crisis. There has been a fundamental shift towards delivering services remotely, such as school lessons, NHS appointments, and court hearings being conducted via video, telephone and text messages. Without this, many services would have ground to a halt. What impact has the increased use of technology had on the quality, efficiency and accessibility of public services? This event was part of the IfG's fringe events programme at the 2021 Labour Party Conference in Brighton. Speakers: • Chi Onwurah MP, Shadow Minister for Science, Research and Digital • Steve Black, Chief Analyst, askmyGP • Penelope Gibbs, Director of Transform Justice • Elaine Whyte, Partner at PA Consulting This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. Kindly supported by PA Consulting.

Science has played a key role in the Covid crisis, and the pandemic has shone a light on the way government accesses, uses and communicates scientific evidence and data. This panel discussed the lessons learned and how the government can use science effectively to achieve its aim of making the UK a “science superpower”. This event was part of the IfG's fringe events programme at the 2021 Labour Party Conference in Brighton. Speakers: Ayesha Hazarika, broadcaster and political commentator Professor Mary Ryan FREng, Interim Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise) at Imperial College London Sir Mark Walport, Fellow at The Royal Society and chair of the Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre This event was chaired by Tom Sasse, Associate Director at the Institute for Government. Kindly supported by Imperial College London and the Royal Society.

To listen to the full conversation visit: https://soundcloud.com/institute-for-government/levelling-up-or-catching-up-what-next-for-public-services

To listen to the full conversation visit: https://soundcloud.com/institute-for-government/levelling-up-or-catching-up-what-next-for-public-services