manchester conference 1.11.11 - select committees

What are Select Committees

What do they do?

How can you get involved in their work?

House of Commons:Cross party groups responsible scrutinising the ‘administration, expenditure and policy’ of Government departments.

House of Lords:Cross party groups of Peers that look at cross cutting and thematic policy issues.

Joint Committees:Cross-chamber groups of Parliamentarians that look at cross cutting and thematic policy issues.

Work carried out through public inquiries

Inquiries cover a huge range of issues

Inquiries are usually public led

You can get involved in an inquiry

Scrutinise policy proposals Examine areas of emerging & current

policy Scrutinise draft Bills & legislation Examine Departmental decisions Scrutinise expenditure plans Scrutinise public service agreements and

targets Monitor the work of agencies Scrutinise major appointments Scrutinise implementation of legislation

A key way in which Parliament holds Government to account.

Enables Parliament to examine key issues in great detail – more than debates or questions

Allows huge range of expertise to be applied to scrutiny

Independent minded

Can call for People, Papers, Records

Work and Pensions – Report of Health and Safety executive 2007

Work and Pensions – 2007-08 report on Child Poverty

Health Committee – 2009 Report on use of management consultants in NHS

Knife crime; Future of post offices; Cocaine; Regional media; NEET; Pub companies; Preventing violent extremism; defence equipment; low carbon technologies; dairy farmers of Britain; UK/US relations; Alcohol; Counter Terrorism; Assistance to Zimbabwe; Rebuilding the House; Banking Crisis; Appeals in the benefit system; Bioengineering

News events

Members

Legislation

Government policy & decisions

Finance and admin issues

Constituents

Members – between 8 and 16

Clerk

Committee assistant

Committee specialist

Secretary

Inquiry announced/ Call for EvidenceWritten evidence deadlineOral evidence stagesPublication of reportGovernment response

E-forums

Election of Chairs

Pre appointment hearings

Facebook and twitter pages

One-off oral evidence sessions

Public meetings around the country

Check terms of reference

Check deadline, format and word limit

Prepare original, specific material

Feel free to contact Clerk prior to submission

Should be self contained memorandum containing:

Executive summary Brief introduction to submitter Any factual information from which the

Committee may be able to draw conclusions

Any recommendations for action

www.parliament.uk/business/committees.cfm

Commons Information Office 020 7219 4272

Lords Information Office 020 7219 3107