1) Select committees in the UK parliament were established in 1668 to scrutinize government departments and hold ministers to account. They have since evolved to examine policy, spending, legislation, and major appointments. 2) Select committees are composed of backbench MPs from different parties to reflect the balance in the House of Commons. Since 2010, committee chairs have been elected by all MPs through a House-wide ballot. 3) The core tasks of select committees are to examine departmental strategy, policy, spending and performance, scrutinize draft bills and legislation, conduct post-legislative reviews, oversee major appointments, and engage the public. Committees seek evidence, conduct research, hold public sessions, and

1. Commons Select Committees
Mark Egan
(until recently)
Clerk of the Transport Committee

2. Select Committees
Temporary
Internal
JOINT
Other
scrutiny
Departmental

3. Departmental select
committees

4. Composition and appointment
• Membership reflects balance of parties
in the House
• Since 2010, Chairs elected by House-
wide ballot
• Other members elected by their parties

5. Vexing civil servants since 1668
“At the office all the morning, where comes a
damned summons to attend the Committee of
Miscarriages to-day, which makes me mad, that
I should by my place become the hackney of
this Office, in perpetual trouble and vexation,
that need it least.” ~ Sam. Pepys

6. Overall aim
To hold 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

7. Revised core tasks
1. STRATEGY: To examine the strategy of the department, how it has identified its
key objectives and priorities and whether it has the means to achieve them, in
terms of plans, resources, skills, capabilities and management information
2. POLICY: To examine policy proposals by the department, and areas of emerging
policy, or where existing policy is deficient, and make proposals
3. EXPENDITURE AND PERFORMANCE: To examine the expenditure plans, outturn
and performance of the department and its arm's length bodies, and the
relationships between spending and delivery of outcomes
4. DRAFT BILLS: To conduct scrutiny of draft bills within the committee's
responsibilities
5. BILLS AND DELEGATED LEGISLATION: To assist the House in its consideration of
bills and statutory instruments, including draft orders under the Public Bodies
Act
HC 697, First Report of 2012-13, Select committee effectiveness, resources and powers, 25 October 2012

8. Revised core tasks
6. POST-LEGISLATIVE SCRUTINY: To examine the implementation of
legislation and scrutinise the department's post- legislative assessments
7. EUROPEAN SCRUTINY: To scrutinise policy developments at the European
level and EU legislative proposals
8. APPOINTMENTS: To scrutinise major appointments made by the
department and to hold pre-appointment hearings where appropriate
9. SUPPORT FOR THE HOUSE: To produce timely reports to inform debate in
the House, including Westminster Hall, or debating committees, and to
examine petitions tabled
10.PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT: To assist the House of Commons in better engaging
with the public by ensuring that the work of the committee is accessible to
the public

9. What we do
• Seek written submissions
• Commission research - sometimes
• Hold public “evidence” sessions
• Seminars etc
• Visits
• Produce reports
• Publish letters etc – and tweet
• Initiate debates in the House &
Westminster Hall

10. Commons Select Committees
Mark Egan
eganm@parliament.uk