Introduction to Select Committees

1. Select Committees: an
introduction
Kate Anderson
Parliament’s Outreach Service

2. Parliament’s Outreach Service
• A service from the
Houses of Parliament
• Politically neutral
• Aim is to increase
knowledge and
engagement with work
and processes of
Parliament
• Can come to groups and
explain how to engage
with Parliament

3. Select Committees
• Set up to scrutinise specific areas of work and
Government departments
• Work carried out through inquiries
• Groups and individuals submit evidence to
inquiries
• Inquiry report created and
passed to the relevant
Government department

4. Make up of the House of Commons
State of the Parties - May 2015
Conservative
Labour
SNP
DUP
Liberal Democrat
Sinn Fein
Plaid Cymru
SDLP
Ulster Unionist
UKIP
Green
Speaker
Independent

5. House of Commons select
committees
• One committee for each Government
department
• Examine three aspects of the department:
spending, policies and administration
• Have 11 members to reflect the political
composition of the House of Commons
• Some committees cross department
boundaries, such as the Public Accounts or the
Environmental Audit Committee

6. House of Lords select committees
• Examine issues rather than the work of
specific departments
• Investigate specialist subjects which take
advantage of the experience of members of
the Lords
• There is no set political composition

7. House of Lords select committees
• Five main Lords select committees
• European Union Select Committee
• Science and Technology Select Committee
• Communications Select Committee
• Constitution Select Committee
• Economic Affairs Select Committees
• Ad hoc committees set up for a specific subject
• Equality Act 2010 and Disability Committee
• Sexual Violence in Conflict Committee

8. Joint committees
• Committees which have members from both
Houses
– Joint Committee on Human Rights
– Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments
– ad hoc committees

9. Benefits of select committees
• A key way in which Parliament holds
Government to account
• Enables Parliament to examine key issues in
great detail – more than debates or questions
• Allows huge range of expertise to be applied
to scrutiny
• Independent minded
• Can call for people, papers, records.

10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On6OJLRvm5g

11. Stages of an inquiry
Inquiry announced
Call for evidence
Written evidence deadline
Oral evidence sessions
Report preparation
Publication of report
Government response

12. Key points
• Independent of Government
• Seek consensus
• Committees control work programme
• Inquiries are based on evidence received
• Programmes are flexible
• Anyone can submit evidence

13. General advice
• Which Committees are of interest?
• Sign up for press notices
• Submit written evidence – and possibly oral
• Watch oral evidence sessions online or in
person
• Read written evidence and transcripts
• Follow on twitter

14. House of Commons Library
• The House of Commons Library
briefings cover all major pieces of
legislation, other major policy areas,
topical issues, statistics and FAQs
• Legislation briefings are also on the
Bills pages
• Our blog includes regular analysis
from our specialists
http://commonslibraryblog.com/
• Key issues for the new Parliament
available in the foyer
http://www.parliament.uk/commons-library
@commonslibrary

15. www.parliament.uk

16. www.parliament.uk

17. http://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/committees/

18. Your next steps...
• Watch, read or attend a debate on a bill
• Use http://services.parliament.uk/bills/ to find information
on specific bills (e.g. Library briefing papers or amendment
papers)
• Use www.parliament.uk to research MPs and Peers with an
interest in your issue
• Write to an interested MP or Peer about your issue
• Read the advice on submitting evidence to Public Bill
Committees
• Submit evidence to a Public Bill Committee

19. Where can I get information?
• www.parliament.uk @UKParliament
• Commons Information Office
020 7219 4272
@HouseofCommons hcinfo@parliament.uk
• Lords Information Office
020 7219 3107
@UKHouseofLords hlinfo@parliament.uk
• Parliament’s Outreach Service
020 7219 1650
@UKParlOutreach outreach@parliament.uk