Parliament – Scrutiny
Committees
Select committees
Scrutinise the work of departments
Chair elected via secret ballot – can be from any party – means you
get experts who want to be there
Chair gets increased salary – wright reform 2010
There is a government majority, but committees are not party
political
Publishes report contain a number of recommendations for
government – Govt has to respond in 2 months
Public accounts committee
Examines public finances – government project, programmes,
allocation on public services, collection of tax – how well that is done
Can call witness who are obligated to attend
Chair always member of opposition – Increased salary
Elected members
Member act independent of party
High media profile - many hearing are broadcast as news
2020 gambling and regulation investigation:
Critical of the Gambling Commission and DCMS for underestimating
gambling's impact. Recommended stronger action. In 2020, the
government planned to ban credit card use on gambling sites to
reduce debt.
Liaison committee
Made up of chair of all the departmental select committees.
Main function is to call the PM to account and consider overall work
of the HOC – twice a year the PM must appear before the
committee.
Powerful as the PM has nowhere to hide and has to undergo a 2-
hour grilling where they can’t dodge questions
Has been seen as weak as Boris Johnsson cancelled serval planes
appearances
Backbench business committee
Set up after the wright reforms 2010 – made up of elected
backbench MP’s
Determines what issues should be debated one day of the week
Before 2010 most parliamentary agenda was controlled by Govt and
main opposition party
, Debates come from – E-petitions that receive over 100,000
signatures, initiative of select committees, requests from MPs,
request from national and local campaigns
Example – the future of the BBC (from the digital, culture, media
and sport SC)
Example 2 – In 2011, the Liaison Committee played a key role in
responding to an e-petition with over 100,000 signatures calling for
the release of documents on the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. This led
to a parliamentary debate and the government releasing previously
secret papers, resulting in a new inquest and further inquiries.
Public bill committees
Temporary established to examine a bill
Membership chosen by the whips
Turn down amendments made by the opposition
Dominated by party whips so amendments rarely made
Sarah Champion – child exploitation justice bill – amendment to
make 1st time contact with a child prosecutionable, amendment
turned down. Amendment put in 3 months later by opposition
Sarah Wollaston – worked as a doctor for 24 years – prevented from
sitting on committee scrutinising the NHS as it was claimed she
would be too critical ogf government policy
Committees are effective Committees aren’t effective
40% of select committee Can only advice government by
recommendations have been making recommendations, which
accepted are non-binding and usually only
concern minor policy change
Have the power to gather written Weak power to summon witness.
and oral evidence and to summon Dominic cummings flat out refused
witness to give evidence to digital, media,
culture, and sport committee. Mark
Zuckerberg refused. May in 2017
blocked home affairs SC interview
head of MI5 Andrew parker.
Are sperate to government and
enjoy freedom. Voice backbench
concerns as whips, ministers,
oppositions frontbenchers don’t
serve in them
MPs aren’t concerned about point Not all work on consensus. The
scoring and they aren’t party exiting EU committee publicly
political meaning work carried out criticised for being too pro-remain.
is consensual rather than These divides allowed the govt to
combative ignore many of the
recommendations made
Public Bill committees are Public Bill committees aren’t
effective effective
Committees
Select committees
Scrutinise the work of departments
Chair elected via secret ballot – can be from any party – means you
get experts who want to be there
Chair gets increased salary – wright reform 2010
There is a government majority, but committees are not party
political
Publishes report contain a number of recommendations for
government – Govt has to respond in 2 months
Public accounts committee
Examines public finances – government project, programmes,
allocation on public services, collection of tax – how well that is done
Can call witness who are obligated to attend
Chair always member of opposition – Increased salary
Elected members
Member act independent of party
High media profile - many hearing are broadcast as news
2020 gambling and regulation investigation:
Critical of the Gambling Commission and DCMS for underestimating
gambling's impact. Recommended stronger action. In 2020, the
government planned to ban credit card use on gambling sites to
reduce debt.
Liaison committee
Made up of chair of all the departmental select committees.
Main function is to call the PM to account and consider overall work
of the HOC – twice a year the PM must appear before the
committee.
Powerful as the PM has nowhere to hide and has to undergo a 2-
hour grilling where they can’t dodge questions
Has been seen as weak as Boris Johnsson cancelled serval planes
appearances
Backbench business committee
Set up after the wright reforms 2010 – made up of elected
backbench MP’s
Determines what issues should be debated one day of the week
Before 2010 most parliamentary agenda was controlled by Govt and
main opposition party
, Debates come from – E-petitions that receive over 100,000
signatures, initiative of select committees, requests from MPs,
request from national and local campaigns
Example – the future of the BBC (from the digital, culture, media
and sport SC)
Example 2 – In 2011, the Liaison Committee played a key role in
responding to an e-petition with over 100,000 signatures calling for
the release of documents on the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. This led
to a parliamentary debate and the government releasing previously
secret papers, resulting in a new inquest and further inquiries.
Public bill committees
Temporary established to examine a bill
Membership chosen by the whips
Turn down amendments made by the opposition
Dominated by party whips so amendments rarely made
Sarah Champion – child exploitation justice bill – amendment to
make 1st time contact with a child prosecutionable, amendment
turned down. Amendment put in 3 months later by opposition
Sarah Wollaston – worked as a doctor for 24 years – prevented from
sitting on committee scrutinising the NHS as it was claimed she
would be too critical ogf government policy
Committees are effective Committees aren’t effective
40% of select committee Can only advice government by
recommendations have been making recommendations, which
accepted are non-binding and usually only
concern minor policy change
Have the power to gather written Weak power to summon witness.
and oral evidence and to summon Dominic cummings flat out refused
witness to give evidence to digital, media,
culture, and sport committee. Mark
Zuckerberg refused. May in 2017
blocked home affairs SC interview
head of MI5 Andrew parker.
Are sperate to government and
enjoy freedom. Voice backbench
concerns as whips, ministers,
oppositions frontbenchers don’t
serve in them
MPs aren’t concerned about point Not all work on consensus. The
scoring and they aren’t party exiting EU committee publicly
political meaning work carried out criticised for being too pro-remain.
is consensual rather than These divides allowed the govt to
combative ignore many of the
recommendations made
Public Bill committees are Public Bill committees aren’t
effective effective
