Written evidence submitted on behalf of the International Parliament Engagement Network (IPEN) to the Modernisation Committee of the UK House of Commons has been cited in the committee’s report, published at the end of 2025.
Access to the House of Commons and its Procedures follows a significant inquiry into access to the House of Commons and makes a series of recommendations calling for improvements to the institution’s physical environment, procedures, practices and communications.
A cross-party committee of MPs was set up in 2025 to consider reforms to House of Commons procedures, standards and working practices. The committee gathered views from the wider parliamentary community and external stakeholders.
IPEN submission
IPEN members were invited to contribute views to shape IPEN’s submission of written evidence to the Committee, through a call in our November 2024 newsletter.
The submission was collated on behalf of members by IPEN’s Chair and Deputy Chairs: Professor Cristina Leston-Bandeira (University of Leeds), Dr Elise Uberoi (UK House of Commons Library) and Dr Sarah Moulds (University of South Australia).
IPEN’s evidence provided in 2025 focused on public engagement and drew on our members’ extensive knowledge and experience of what makes public engagement work.
Evidence cited in the report
The Modernisation Committee’s report – Access to the House of Commons and its Procedures – was published on Thursday 11 December 2025.
Section 3 (‘Communicating what the House of Commons does’) refers to the House of Commons Administration’s strategy for 2023–27 “which includes a priority to engage and inform the public, including disengaged audiences, and to explain how to participate in the work of the UK Parliament in an accessible way”.
The report cites how IPEN sets out the value of public engagement:
“Better public engagement can help to build people’s trust in their representatives, and can contribute to better scrutiny. This can in turn improve legislative standards and avoid costly unintended consequences that can flow from enacting legislation that has not been carefully considered from a range of different perspectives.”
IPEN’s Chair, Cristina Leston Bandeira, is cited as arguing that “Parliament communicates well within the Westminster bubble, it needs to better communicate beyond this bubble”. The report continues:
“She suggests that the House of Commons should focus on making the public feel like the work it does is important and relates to their own lives, and that it should increase efforts to engage with groups who are less likely to proactively get involved.”
The Committee report concludes with a number of recommendations, including around communication and parliamentary engagement, and recognises ‘the potential of engaging with groups which are less well represented in Parliamentary engagement’.
More information
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UK House of Commons. Photo by Cristina Leston-Bandeira.
19 January 2026