A brief presentation on Select Committee of UK Parliament.

1. SELECT COMMITTEE OF UK
PARLIAMENT
Presented by: Umar Farooq
Roll No. 19011587-038
Presented to: Dr. Mubraiz Khan

2. Select Committee of UK Parliament
Introduction:
 Much of the work of the House of Commons and the House of Lords takes
place in committees
 Made up of around 10 to 50 MPs or Lords
 These committees examine issues in detail, from government policy and
proposed new laws, to wider topics like the economy

3. Select Committee of UK Parliament
What are Select Committees?
 Select committees are committees of Members appointed by one or both
Houses of Parliament to carry out particular tasks on behalf of the House or
both Houses, or to work on a particular issue or policy area and report back.
 Select committees are temporary committees created with a timeline to
complete a specific task, like investigating government activity.

4. Select Committee of UK Parliament
Differences Between the Two Houses
 House of Commons Select Committees are largely concerned with examining the work
of government departments and continue working throughout a whole parliament.
 In the House of Lords there are two main types of select committee:
 'permanent' committees that are set up in every parliament to cover broad subject areas -
and
 special inquiry committees that investigate a specific current issue and complete their
work within a year.

5. Select Committee of UK Parliament
Types of Select Committees in Parliament
 Common Select Committees
 Lords Select Committees

6. Select Committee of UK Parliament
Select Committees in House of Commons
 One committee for each Government department
 Examine the three aspects of the department: spending, policies and
administration.
 Some committees cross department boundaries, such as public Account or The
Environment Audit Committee

7. Select Committee of UK Parliament
Select Committees Members in House of Commons
Normally made up of 11 MPs
 A Chair, elected by secret ballot of whole House;
 Ten others members, nominated by their party after internal elections

8. Select Committee of UK Parliament
Select Committees in House of Commons
 Departmental: e.g. BIS, CLG, Defense, Home Affairs
 Cross-cutting: e.g. Public Accounts, Environmental Audit
 Domestic: Administration, Finance

9. Select Committee of UK Parliament
Select Committees in House of Lords
 Examine issue rather than the work of specific department
 Investigations look into specialist subjects
 There is no political composition

10. Select Committee of UK Parliament
Permanent' House of Lords Select Committees include:
 the European Union Committee
 the Science and Technology Committee
 the Communications Committee
 the Constitution Committee
 the Economic Affairs Committee
 the International Relations Committee

11. Select Committee of UK Parliament
Powers of Select Committees
 To send for persons, papers and records – this is the key evidence-gathering
power and includes the power to call witnesses. However, it is subject to a
significant limitation, namely that it cannot be used to compel MPs (with the
exception of the Committee on Standards and Privileges), Lords, or the Crown
(including government ministers) to attend.
 To report from time to time – including the power to report on matters
beyond the immediate remit of the committee.

12. Select Committee of UK Parliament
Powers of Select Committees
 To meet away from Westminster – including the ability to travel abroad
(usually subject to receiving the Liaison Committee’s permission).
 To meet when the House is adjourned, allowing select committee work to
continue during parliamentary recesses.
 To appoint sub-committees, allowing select committees to build their
capacity and introduce a further degree of specialization.
 To exchange papers and/or meet concurrently with other select
committees, allowing collaboration between committees and greater cross-
cutting work.

13. Select Committee of UK Parliament
Objections on Select Committees
 Expenses are too high
 They do not take part in the proceedings of House
 They interfere in the government affairs
 The opposition gets the opportunity to put pressure on the government through
select committees

14. Thank You