House of Commons select committees
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House of Commons select committees 17.03.16
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House of Commons select committees
- 1. Tom Healey, Clerk Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster July 2016 Select Committees in the House of Commons
- 3. House of Commons: main roles • Legislation: debating and passing laws – Public Bill Committees, delegated legislation committees • Expenditure: enabling the Government to tax and spend • Scrutiny: examining and challenging the work of the government – Parliamentary Questions – Debates – Select Committees
- 4. Commons Select Committees • Departmental: e.g. BIS, CLG, Defence, Home Affairs • Cross-cutting: e.g. Public Accounts, Environmental Audit • “Scrutiny”: e.g. European Scrutiny, Regulatory Reform • Procedural: e.g. Petitions, Backbench Business • Domestic: Administration, Finance
- 5. Commons Select Committees: functions • “… to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the principal government departments …” (Departmental) • “… for the examination of the accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted by Parliament to meet the public expenditure …” (Cross-cutting) • “… to examine and report on every draft order laid before the House under … the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006 …” (“Scrutiny”)
- 6. Select Committee Members Normally made up of 11 backbench MPs: • a Chair, elected by secret ballot of the whole House; • ten other Members, nominated by their party after internal elections
- 7. Select Committee Secretariat Clerk Specialist Inquiry Manager Senior Committee Assistant Committee Assistant Second Clerk Media Officer
- 8. Committee powers Most Committees have the formal power: • to send for persons, papers and records; • to report from time to time; • to adjourn from place to place; and • to appoint specialist advisers.
- 9. Committee powers After a Report is published: • Government response within two months.* • Committee may schedule a debate in the House or in Westminster Hall. • Further follow up, such as evidence from the Minister or a further inquiry. *See Giving Evidence to Select Committees: Guidance for Civil Servants (Cabinet Office, 2014)
- 10. The inquiry process Call for evidence Written evidence Oral evidence Report Govt Response Debate
- 11. Select Committee reports • Rehearse the relevant evidence • Make conclusions • Set out recommendations to Government (and sometimes others)
- 12. Relationship with Government Committees tend to take evidence from: • Ministers (sometimes from more than one department) • Senior Civil Servants Many others are involved in Select Committee work: • Parliamentary branch (first point of contact) • Drafting written evidence, Government responses, briefing for Ministers • OGDs
- 13. The “Osmotherly Rules” Giving Evidence to Select Committees: Guidance for Civil Servants (Cabinet Office, 2014) • Civil Servants are responsible to Ministers, and Ministers are responsible to Parliament. • Guidance on provision of information. • Process for responding to Committee reports.
- 14. Any questions?
Editor's Notes
- In terms of evidence – if the Committee wants to talk policy and principle, they will need a minister, but often look at implementation which would mean civil servants might be better placed to answer (passing of the buck not unheard of…) In practice, relationships between individual Committees and the Government/Departments varies enormously. Often characterised in terms of relationships between the Chair and relevant Ministers (Banking Commission under Tyrie had constructive relationship with Osborne, Home Affairs under Vaz arguably less constructive relationship with the Home Secretary). Chairs will often meet informally with relevant Ministers in addition to evidence sessions with full Committee.