Parliamentary hearing     

The primary purpose of a parliamentary hearing  is for politicians to gain insight into complex issues and obtain the information they need in their further work in the parliament. A hearing in the Folketing lasts between half and a full day. The politicians’ panel consists of politicians (often from the parliament committee that has commissioned the hearing) from the various parties in the parliament. The DBT makes sure to convene the expert panel and prepare relevant information, which politicians are given before the consultation. During the hearing itself, the politicians sit on a question panel, which, under the leadership of a chairman, manages the entire hearing. The DBT´s hearings are open to the public. The DBT is a neutral party in an often politicized consultation. We make sure to put together a broad program and invite experts who also cover the area broadly.

A parliamentary hearing arranged by the DBT gives politicians the opportunity to get answers to a number of questions from the leading experts in a given area. The method is very suitable for an urgent need for information among the politicians in the Parliament. For example, in connection with the consideration of a bill. Politicians select the experts they want to talk to. And it is the politicians who question the convened expert panel during the hearing.

The hearing is documented in the form of a report which is sent to all members of relevant parliamentary committees no later than four weeks after the hearing. The method makes unique information available to the politicians of the Folketing, who thus gain increased competence to make decisions in complex areas. In addition, a parliamentary hearing is a signal to the public that politicians take a matter seriously and that they work politically with solutions in the area.