Now in its ninth year, Evidence Week in Parliament brings together the public, researchers, and parliamentarians to discuss how evidence is used and scrutinised at Westminster. The annual event, organised by Sense about Science, equips legislators and their staff with critical skills to handle uncertainty, identify bias, and address underlying assumptions.
On 7 July, Professor Munir and Professor Kraftl presented their recent research in Parliament. Professor Munir’s work explores long-term sickness, which remains one of the UK’s most pressing workforce challenges and contributes to rising economic inactivity. Alongside her colleagues Jo Yarker and Oliver Davis, Munir, developed a programme of practical, evidence-informed tools to support people in returning to and remaining in work.
The programme implemented and evaluated two return-to-work interventions across organisations in the Midlands, Yorkshire, and the Humber. In both pilots, workers and managers reported improved confidence, clearer communication, and more effective return-to-work (RTW) planning. Munir emphasised that policymakers should pivot from a sole focus on “fast return” to prioritising “sustained return”, and support employer-led approaches proven to be feasible and acceptable in UK workplaces.
In addition to her research, Munir leads major programmes developing and evaluating integrated workplace health interventions including return-to-work initiatives, with her work shaping organisational policies.
Professor Peter Kraftl, Professor of Human Geography at Loughborough University, also presented research as part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) School for Public Health Research (SPHR). Professor Kraftl’s research examines children’s and young people’s interactions with and experiences of their environments. Recent projects include a national analysis of marginalised young people’s experiences of COVID-19, and a study of children and treescapes, with the aim of supporting the creation of healthier, safer and more inclusive urban places for children.
At Evidence Week, Kraftl, alongside his research colleagues, discussed a recent SPHR study about children and families who live with housing insecurity. The study involved in-depth interviews with families (including children), and local authority professionals in three regions of England – North West, South Yorkshire and London. The findings showed that a chronic shortage of social housing, rising private rents, insecurity in the private rented sector, the cost-of-living crisis, and the growing unaffordability of home ownership are all contributing to housing insecurity. The findings also demonstrated the multiple negative impacts that housing insecurity can have on children’s mental and physical health, development, education and socialisation. They also created a national housing insecurity index to guide local authorities in allocating resources where they are most needed. Overall, the research showed that without addressing the fundamental disconnect between housing costs, standards, and local authority capacity, policy ambitions will remain unfulfilled.
Held from 6 - 10 July, Evidence Week featured a range of topical sessions focused on politically significant issues. Other briefings included: ‘Modern information warfare - how to combat disinformation in the digital age with the House of Commons Library’ and ‘AI fakes - what to check with Full Fact’.
More information about the event can be found here: