select committees at westminster ho c & hol
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David Lawrie – Events Programme ManagerParliamentary Outreach Service
James DaviesClerk to Business Innovations & Skills Select Committee
Parliament Explained:Select Committees
Select Committees
Temporary
Internal
JOINTOther
scrutiny
Departmental
Departmental select committees
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
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
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
Revised core tasks1. 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
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
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
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Anna Murphy
26 February 2015
House of Lords procedure for Select Committees
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Different types of Select Committee
Domestic
Policy committees
• Legislative• Investigative
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Characteristics of Lords committees
“Cross-cutting” rather than departmental
Complement the Commons
Most committees are outward-facing and engage with interested parties
Distinctive style
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Membership
Usually 12 members on
each committee
General political balance
Government does not have a majority
About 170 Members currently involved – rotation rule = 3 sessions
Selected by Committee of Selection, on
nomination of Chief Whips and Convenor of
the Crossbenchers;
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Powers of committees
Some powers are common to all committees:- send for “persons, papers and records” i.e.
witnesses and evidence- meet concurrently with any Commons
Committee (SO 67)
But most are in specific orders of reference
report from time to time
appoint specialist advisers
adjourn “from place to place”
(within or outside UK)
print reports despite the House not
sitting
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Sessional committees
European Union
Science & Technology
Economic Affairs
Constitution
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Other select Committees
• Ad hoc Select Committees: growth area in Lords– Affordable Childcare– Arctic– Digital skills
• Post-Legislative Scrutiny Committee– Extradition Law and Practice
• Pre-Legislative Scrutiny Joint Committees– Draft Voting Eligibility (Prisoners) Bill – last
session
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Select Committees on Delegated Powers
• Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments
• Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee– policy merit– appropriateness /gold plating
• Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee– appropriate use of powers– draft legislation reform orders
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The process of committee work
Investigation and exploratory work; seminars
Call for evidenc
e
Oral/written
evidence collected
; visits
Deliberation
Report
Where time is tight some of these steps may be dispensed with, especially by legislative
committees.
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Outcomes
Committees report to the House, but have a wider audience
Government response & debate
Impact
Evaluation and follow-up
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Engaging with the work of Select Committees
Talk to committee
staff
Go and see a committee sitting, or watch a webcast
Subscribe to web alerts & follow us on
© House of Lords 2014
David Lawrie – Events Programme ManagerParliamentary Outreach Service