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Chris Atkinson23 January 2014

House of Lords procedure for Select Committees

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Different types of Select Committee

Domestic – concerned with the administration of the House

• Legislative• Investigative

Policy committees

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Characteristics of Lords committees

“Cross-cutting” rather than departmental

Complement the Commons

Most committees are outward-facing and engage with “interested parties”

Distinctive style

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Lords European Union Committee

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Membership

Usually about 12 members on each

committee

General political balance (eg 4 Lab, 4

Cons, 2 X-B and 2 LD). Government not

to have a majority under the coalition

About 170 Members currently involved –

rotation rule = 4 sessions

Selected by Committee of Selection, on

nomination of Chief Whips and Convenor of the Crossbenchers;

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The process of committee work

Investigation and

exploratory work;

seminars

Call for evidence

Oral/written

evidence collected;

visits

Deliberation Report

Where time is tight some of these steps may be dispensed with, especially by legislative

committees.

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Committee powers

Despite the terminology – “witnesses”; “evidence”; “submission” – they are political, not judicial bodiesPowers of committees in practice depend on cooperation by outside bodies, and Government

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Sessional committees

European Union (6 sub-

committees)

Science & Technology

(with power to appoint a Sub-

Committee)

Economic Affairs (Finance

Bill sub-committee)

Constitution Communications

Joint Committee on Human

Rights

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Other select Committees

• Ad hoc Select Committees – Eg Joint Parliamentary Commission on

Banking Standards– Olympic and Paralympic Legacy– Soft power and the UK’s influence abroad

• Pre-Legislative Scrutiny Joint Committees– Draft Deregulation Bill– Draft Voting Eligibility (Prisoners) Bill

• Post-Legislative Scrutiny Committees– Inquiries Act 2005– Mental Capacity Act 2005

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Select Committees on Delegated Powers• Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee

– policy merit– appropriateness /gold plating

• Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee– appropriate use of powers– draft legislation reform orders

• Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments

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Outcomes

Committees report to the House, but have a wider audience

Investigative reports are usually debated on the floor and all receive a written response from Government within 2 months, & sometimes a response from others eg European Commission,Reports from committees may feed into legislative process; EU Committee scrutiny of EU legislative proposals; legislative committee reports often “tagged” on order of business; growing practice to table committee amendments to bills

Evaluation and “Follow-up”

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Engaging with the work of Select Committees

Talk to committee

staff

Go and see a committee sitting, or watch a webcast

Subscribe to web alerts