Parliamentary committees of the United Kingdom explained

The parliamentary committees of the United Kingdom are committees of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Each consists of a small number of Members of Parliament from the House of Commons, or peers from the House of Lords, or a mix of both, appointed to deal with particular areas or issues; most are made up of members of the Commons. The majority of parliamentary committees are select committees. The remit of these committees vary depending on whether they are committees of the House of Commons or the House of Lords.

House of Commons

Select committees

See main article: Select committee (United Kingdom). Select committees in the Commons are designed to oversee the work of departments and agencies, examine topical issues affecting the country or individual regions or nations, and review and advise on the procedures, workings and rules of the House.

Committee! colspan="3"
ChairResponsibility
NameSince
Business and Trade Select CommitteeLiam Byrne2023Department for Business and Trade and related bodies
Culture, Media and Sport CommitteeCaroline Dinenage2023Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Defence Select CommitteeJeremy Quin2024Ministry of Defence
Education Select CommitteeRobin Walker2022Department for Education and related bodies
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select CommitteeRobert Goodwill2022Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and associated bodies
Foreign Affairs Select CommitteeAlicia Kearns2022Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and associated bodies
Health and Social Care Select CommitteeSteve Brine2022Department of Health and Social Care and related bodies
Home Affairs Select CommitteeDiana Johnson2021Home Office and related bodies
International Development Select CommitteeSarah Champion2020Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and associated bodies
Energy Security and Net Zero Select CommitteeAngus MacNeil2023Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and related bodies
Justice Select CommitteeBob Neill2015Ministry of Justice, related agencies including the Crown Prosecution Service, and other agencies that report to the Lord Chancellor
Levelling Up, Housing and Communities CommitteeClive Betts2010Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Northern Ireland Affairs CommitteeRobert Buckland2023The work of the devolved government and the Northern Ireland Office
Science, Innovation and Technology CommitteeGreg Clark2020Government Office for Science, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and related bodies
Scottish Affairs CommitteePete Wishart2015The work of the devolved government and the Scotland Office
Transport Select CommitteeIain Stewart2022Department for Transport
Treasury Select CommitteeHarriett Baldwin2022Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs
Welsh Affairs Select CommitteeStephen Crabb2020The Wales Office and UK Government policies which impact Wales
Work and Pensions Select CommitteeStephen Timms2020Department for Work and Pensions
Committee! colspan="3"
ChairResponsibility
NameSince
Environmental Audit Select CommitteePhilip Dunne2020Examines the contribution of government policies to environmental protection and sustainable development
European Scrutiny CommitteeBill Cash2010Examines key EU documents, as well as deciding which documents should be debated on the floor of the Commons
Liaison CommitteeBernard Jenkin2020Examines the work of select committees in general, as well as hearing annual evidence from the Prime Minister
Public Accounts Select CommitteeMeg Hillier2015Examines government and parliamentary expenditure to ensure honesty and fairness
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select CommitteeJackie Doyle-Price2024Examines the work and administration of the Civil Service, as well as reports from the Parliamentary Ombudsman
Arms Export Controls CommitteeMark Garnier2020Composed of members of the Business, Defence, Foreign Affairs and International Development committees, examines exports of arms from the UK
Regulatory Reform CommitteeStephen McPartland2017Examines draft legislative reform orders as proposed under the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006, as well as regulation in general
Select Committee on Statutory InstrumentsJessica Morden2017Examines all statutory instruments laid before the Commons
Women and Equalities CommitteeCaroline Nokes2020Examines the expenditure, administration and policy of the Government Equalities Office
PetitionsCat Smith2023Oversees petitions submitted to Parliament
Committee! colspan="3"
ChairResponsibility
NameSince
Administration CommitteeCharles Walker2020Examines the services offered to members of the Commons, as well as services offered to the public
Backbench Business CommitteeIan Mearns2015Determines business to be debated at certain times set aside for backbenchers
Finance CommitteeSharon Hodgson2023Examines the budget and expenditure of the House of Commons, including the administration budget
Committee on StandardsHarriet Harman2023Oversees Parliamentary standards and members' interests and conduct
Committee of Privileges2022Considers specific matters relating to privileges referred to it by the House
Procedure CommitteeKaren Bradley2020Examines the practice and procedures of the Commons in dealing with public business
Committee of SelectionBill Wiggin2017Recommends the appointment of members to parliamentary committees

General committees

Others

House of Lords

The House of Lords appoint Sessional select committees to examine and explore general issues such as the constitution or the economy; the European Union Committee scrutinises EU action via its sub-committees; each session Special Inquiry committees are appointed to examine specific issues.

Topical

Special Inquiry (2019–21 Session)

Legislative

Internal

Domestic

Joint house committees

See main article: Joint Committees of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Joint Committees are committees formed to examine a particular issue, whose membership is from both the Commons and the Lords.

Former committees

Occasionally, committees will be discharged. This occurs when existing committees are no longer required or have their responsibilities transferred to a different committee, effectively rendering the original committee void. It is more common, however, for committees to be discharged as a result of the abolition of government departments, for example the abolition of the Department of Education and Skills in June 2007 resulted in the abolition of the Education and Skills Select Committee shortly afterwards.[2]

Commons

Departmental

Domestic

All five domestic committees were abolished in 2005 and replaced by a single committee – the Administration Committee.

Internal

Legislative

Regional

The House of Commons set up eight regional select committees in November 2008, whose members were first appointed on 3 March 2009. The committees were formed of five Labour members, as opposed to the nine members from various parties as was agreed in the original motion, due to the refusal of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to nominate any members as a sign of their opposition to setting up the committees.[5] The resolution that formed the committees expired at the end of the 2005/10 Parliament. The succeeding coalition government of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats chose not to renew it.[6]

Lords

Topical

Internal

Domestic

Joint

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Select Committee chair election results. 2015-06-26.
  2. Web site: House of Commons Hansard Debates for 25 July 2007 (pt 0018). publications.parliament.uk.
  3. Web site: Political and Constitutional Reform Committee. UK Parliament.
  4. Web site: Public Administration Select Committee (PASC). UK Parliament.
  5. Web site: House of Commons Hansard Debates for 03 Mar 2009 (pt 0013). publications.parliament.uk.
  6. Web site: House of Commons Hansard Debates for 27 May 2010 (pt 0001). publications.parliament.uk.

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