Edward Faulkner, Committee SpecialistScottish Affairs Committee, House of Commons

July 2015

Select Committees in theHouse of Commons

House of Commons: main roles

• Debating and passing laws• Enabling the Government to raise taxes• Examining and challenging the work of the government

– Written and oral questions to Ministers– Debates– Committees

• Select Committees• Legislative Committees• Other Committees

Commons Select Committees

• There is a Commons Select Committee for each government department– Appointed “to examine the expenditure, administration

and policy” of the relevant Department• Some Select Committees look at policy or spending

across several departments (eg. Public Accounts and European Scrutiny)

• Other Commons Committees are involved in issues such as administration of the House and allegations about the conduct of individual MPs

Core tasks

Committees have the overall aim of holding Ministers and Departments to account for their policy and decision-making and to support the House in its control of the supply of public money and scrutiny of legislation. The Liaison Committee sets out specific tasks relating to:• Strategy, policy, expenditure and performance, draft

bills, bills and delegated legislation, post-legislative scrutiny, European scrutiny, appointments, support for the House and public engagement.

Select Committee Members

Made up of Backbench MPs

• Normally 11 Members• A Chair: elected by secret ballot of the whole House• Other Members: nominated by their party after internal

elections

Select Committee Secretariat

• A Clerk

• Other advisers (Committee Specialists, Legal Specialists, Economists, etc)

• Committee Assistants

• Media Officer

Committee powers

• To send for persons and papers• Reporting opinions to the House

Other means of influence

• Debates in the House (Estimate Day debates and Backbench Business Committee debates)

• Writing to Ministers• Media coverage

Select Committee activity

Parliamentary inquiries:

• Committee decides on subject of inquiry• Calls for evidence• Hears from witnesses (in person and in writing)• Sets out its views in a Report• Government responds

As well as formal Committee proceedings, there is an increasing focus on public engagement (websites, social media, informal events).

Taking evidence

Select Committee reports

The end product of an inquiry is normally a report. This will:• Set out relevant evidence• Make conclusions• Set out recommendations to Government (and

sometimes others)

The Government is meant to respond within two months, and other relevant bodies also sometimes respond.

Relationship with Government

Committees tend to take evidence from:

• Ministers (sometimes from a variety of departments)• Senior Civil Servants

Many others are involved in Select Committee work:

• Parliamentary liaison (key contact for all matters)• Drafting written evidence, Government responses,

briefing for Ministers

Government guidance on select committees

The Government produces guidance (the “Osmotherly rules”) on giving evidence to Committees and responding to Committee reports. Key points include:

• Stating that Civil Servants are responsible to Ministers, and Ministers are responsible to Parliament.

• Guidance on provision of information, and when it might not be appropriate to provide information.

• Process for responding to Committee reports

Any questions?