Select Com,ittees

Question 1

What is a select committe?

Answer 1

A select committee is something that checks and reports on areas ranging from the work of a government departments to economic affairs.

Question 2

What are the results of these inquiries?

Answer 2

The results of these inquiries are public and many require a response from the government.

Question 3

Where do they operate?

Answer 3

They operate in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Question 4

What is the composition of a select committeee?

Answer 4

• 11-14 MPs - elected by MPs in the House of Commons.
• Chair is selected if they have support of 15 MPs from the same political party.
• If they recieve 50% they are elected.

Question 5

What is the role of a select committee?

Answer 5

Interviews: Can call on government ministers and leading civil servants.

Research: Have a small research staff to help them interview a wide range of ministers.

Reports: These are published throughout the year and are available to the public to scrutinise.

Question 6

How many select committees are there?

Answer 6

• Business, innovation and skills.
• Children, schools and families.
• Communities and local government.
• Culture, media and sport.
• Defence.
• Energy and Climate change.
• Environment, food and rural affairs.
• Foreign affairs.
• Health.
• Home affairs.
• International development.

Question 7

What changes have there been to select committees in recent years?

Answer 7

Since 2010, the chairs of most Commons select committees are elected by MPs using a secret ballot. This is important since it frees the committees from the control of party whips and thus reduces executive control. Parties are allocated committees to chair based upon their relative strength in the Commons - thus the candidates for election to the chair of a particular committee are restricted to the party that has been allocated the position. Chairs will have recognised expertise and cross-party support. It is worth noting that the AV system is used to choose chairs.

Question 8

What important actions have there been by select committee?

Answer 8

Reports on Press standards and libel laws: Investigated the conduct of the press in relation to privacy, phone hacking etc. Their crucial reports triggered the Leveson inquiry on press conduct.

Report on detention of terrorist suspects 2006: The committee rejected the case for 90 day detention without trial for terrorist suspects, recommending instead a maximum of 28 days. Their recommendation was accepted by the House of Commons.

Question 9

What other actions have there been?

Answer 9

Standards and privileges committee: Investigates the conduct of MPs and oublic officials - particularly high profile since the expenses scandal, most recently in the resignation of Maria Miller.

European Union committee: Examines and makes recommendationss concerning proposed EU legislation.

Home Affairs: The committee rejected the case for 90 day detention without trial for terrorist suspects, recommendinh instead 28 days maximum. The recommendation was accepted by the whole House of Commons.

Exiting the EU committee: 2nd report published December 2017 argued that some progress had been made on Brexit negotiations. Criticised lack of progress on safeguarding UK and EU’ citizens rights and called on the government to move onto second stage negotiations as soon as possible. The report gives a running commentary on the progress of UK-EU talks.

Home affairs: The independent police complaints comission was instructed to revisit the issue of police misconduct during and after the Hillsborough disaster that ocurred in Liverpool in 1989 where 96 people died and hundreds more were injured.

Culture, media and sport: Investigated the conduct of the press in relation to privacy, phone hacking, information from the police etc. Their critical reports trigerred a major public inquiry on press conduct.

Question 10

Where do select committees work?

Answer 10

Select Committees work in both houses. They check and report on areas ranging from the work of government departments to economic affairs. The results of these inquiries are public and many require a response from the government.

Question 11

What are the differences between the two houses?

Answer 11

House of Commons select committees are largely concerned with examining the work of government departments. Committees in the House of lords concentrate on six main areas: europe, science, economics, communications, the UK constitution and international relations.

Question 12

What is the experience of legislative committes like?

Answer 12

Membership of legislative committees can be a frustating experience and it is not a particularly popular role for members. Of course, MPs and peers who have a special interest in and/or experience of a particular issue will be keen to be on a particular committee and will request specially to be allocated to them. It should also be pointed out that pressure groups tend to be very active at this committee stage of a bill’s progress through Parliament. They seek to persuade both committee members and relevant ministers to include amendments that are supportive of their cause. it is in committee that any changes can be made.

Question 13

What are the departmental select committees?

Answer 13

There are 19 such committees, each one of which is concerned with a specific area of government responsibility. Departmental select committees are normally made up of between 11 and 14 members. They are elected by all members of the House of Commons. The chairperson of these committees is a significant parliamentary personality with a good deal of influence. Such positions are therefore much sought after, not least because they carry an additional salary above normal MPs’ pay. Although the governing party has a majority of its members on select committees, all members are expected to behave in a non -partisan, neutral fashion. Indedd, when the select committees produce their reports the chair will normally attempt to achieve unanimous support for their conclusions. If the members simply split along party lines, reports have little interest for Parliament as a whole. A unanimous report carries significant weight.

Question 14

What are the strengths and weaknesses of select committees?

Answer 14

Strengths:

• The composition of members and chairs encourages cross-party cooperation.
• Chairs can be of high quality.
• Influence from government is limited.

Weaknesses:

• Independence is not guaranteed.
• Membership is influenced by party whips.
• Committees cannot access all government departments.
• Witnesses may claim their right to silence.
• Committees are under-resourced.

Question 15

What is the Backbench select committees?

Answer 15

The Backbench Business committee was set up in June 2010 to give greater control to backbench MPs over the executive.

Question 16

What is the aim of the committee?

Answer 16

The aim was for the committee to schedule part of the Commons’ timetable leading to better cross-party cooperation and thus more effective scrutiny of the government.

Question 17

How does it work?

Answer 17

The committee has the power to decide the issues to be debated on 35 days per session. The committee of eight members from across the main political parties in the House of Commons is chaired by Labour MP Nataschsa Engel. It meets weekly on Tuesdays to consider requests for debates from MPs on any subject.

Question 18

How have these meetings been described?

Answer 18

These public meetings have been described by the journalist Quentin Letts as being like Dragons Den with backbench MPs having to pitch to the committee the issue which they wish to have debated. A topic has a better chance of being debated if it has cross-party support and is of current interest.

Question 19

Has the committee been a success?

Answer 19

Natascha Engel notes that the work of of the BBBC means that the government could no longer impose its will entirely without consequences. For example, in 2011 the committee forced a debate on holding a referendum on continued membership of the EU which the government wished to avoid at the time.

Question 20

What are the criricisms of the BBBC?

Answer 20

• Election of committee members: in 2012, the government changed the way in which the committee members were elected, from being on a whole-House basis to each party electing its own members. The fact that this change was forced through in a vote where government members were whipped and despite BBBC opposition, demonstrates continuing executive dominance over the committee.
• Representation of smaller parties: only one MP from smaller parties is included on the committee, sitting as an observer rather than a voting member.
• Attendance at backbench debates: Members of the government allocate time to the BBBC on an ad hoc basis and often at short notice. This means that it is difficult for the BBBC to schedule an urgent debate.

Question 21

Which other committees exist?

Answer 21

Legislative committees:
- Both House of Parliament refer legislation to committees for detailed discussion and approval. These committees are part of the process for making laws. They scrutinise proposed laws and may consider amendments to improve the legislation. These committees can consider amendments to proposed laws and thus may be able to improve the legislation from its original draft.

Question 22

What are the limits to the effectiveness of these committees?

Answer 22

• The governing party is always granted a majority on these committees in proportion to the number of seats they hold in each of the Houses.
• Unlike select committees, the legislative committees are not free from the influence of party whips and MPs are expected to be loyal to their party.
• Members of the governing party are only required to vote for amendments that are approved by the government.
• Furthermore, if an amendment from the House of Lords is hostile to the government, it is normally overturned in the Commons.
• Unwanted amendments from Commons’ legislative committees can also be overturned when the report stage is reached.

Question 23

What are 3 famous cases of select committees in action?

Answer 23

David Davis:

• Backbenchers are keen to scrutinise the Brexit process, while the government does not want to release information that weakens its negotiating position. Tension between Davis and the Exiting the Eu committee has been clear. An example was when Davis admitted to the committee that his department had conducted no detailed economic-impact reports on Brexit, despite previously claiming 57 reports existed.
• Davis faced no further action.

Amber Rudd:
- The Home affairs committee invited Rudd to give evidence for its inquiry into the Windrush scandal. In her interview, she denied the Home Office had targets for deportation of illegal immigrants. Leaked e-mails subsequently suggested there were targets, and that Rudd was aware of them. She resigned from her post.

Carrie Gracie:
- Gracie was BBC China editor until January 2018, when she resigned over gender pay equality. She accused the BBC of a secretive and illegal pay culture’. She was interviewed by the committee that month and the inquiry continues.