The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) is a Commons Select Committee Chaired by Joan Walley MP and examines sustainable development and environmental protection across all government departments.  Following the EAC’s recent report on Sustainable Development Indicators, the Committee agreed to undertake a further inquiry on the ‘Measuring Well-being’ initiative, building from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) well-being data analysis in November.

The ONS analysis compared people’s well-being according to gender, age, ethnic group, relationship status, health, disability, employment status and occupation, as well as by nation, region and local authority. This potentially opens up a raft of new data for social science and policy making that reflects well-being and sustainable development.

The EAC inquiry will examine a number of areas including:

• The Government’s plans to utilise the results of the available well-being research and analysis in policy making, training and sustainable development 
• How the ONS work might be further expanded or adjusted to reflect well-being research and metrics being developed elsewhere. 

The Committee is taking written evidence for this inquiry until 14 June. Guidance on how to submit evidence is available on the Committee’s website, further information at http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/news/well-being-inquiry/.