Select Committees

  • Public Accounts Committee
    • Set up in 1857
    • Evaluates value for money of Government project
    • Hold officials to account for efficiency of spending
    • Launches inquiries into major government projects, e.g. HS2
  • Liaison Committee
    • Made up of Select Committee Chairs
    • Oversees select committees’ work
    • Questions PM about policy usually three times a year
      • No ability to compel PMs to attend
      • e.g. Boris delayed twice before cancelling his scheduled appeared in Oct 2019, first appearance in May 2020
  • Departmental Select Committee
    • Each government department is “shadowed” by a select committee
    • Often chaired by MPs with strong background in the field
    • Usually 11 members, reflects party balance in the Commons
    • Party whips have less power over select committees
      • Since 2010, select committee chairs elected by secret ballot of all MPs at the start of each session
      • More independent MPs are elected
      • Chairs are usually divided up between parties in advance, election between different backbenchers of same party
      • Some select committee chairs are highly contested
        • e.g. in Sept 2024, Patricia Ferguson (Lab) won chair of Scottish Affairs by two votes
      • Some select committees are chaired by opposition MPs, e.g. Home Affairs chaired by Karen Bradley (C)
    • Aim of select committees is to achieve consensus amongst members
    • Many members of select committees sit for long times and develop specialist knowledge
    • Committees decide themselves what issues to investigate
      • Can summon witnesses and examine restricted documents

Effectiveness of select committees

  • Senior civil servants often summoned by select committes

    • By the Osmotherly Rules:
    • They give evidence as representatives of their ministers
    • Not to give personal views or judgements about a particular policy
    • They are personally accountable for delivery/implementation of policy and cannot shift blame onto ministers
    • Rules also set out criteria by which civil servants can refrain from giving evidence, e.g. for national security

  • Provide an alternative and more cooperative forum to scrutinise government policy

  • They operate in a less partisan environment and aim for consensus

  • Many chairs are from opposition parties

  • Recommendations are often acted on by government so can influence policy

  • Have powers to call and question witnesses

  • Some chairs avoid choosing topics that are more politicised and partisan, going for safer low-hanging fruit instead

  • Party loyalties still influence voting on reports

  • Governing party always has a majority of committee seats

  • Government is under no obligation to accept policy suggestions, majority are rejected

  • Answers can be vague or evasive, poor performance cannot end a minister’s career

  • Growing media profile does not indicate increased political influence

  • Party whips still control membership of public bill committees which scrutinise legislation

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