Committees

A large part of the work of the House of Commons and the House of Lords takes place in committees, made up of MPs or Lords. These committees consider policy issues, scrutinise the work and expenditure of the government, and examine proposals for primary and secondary legislation. Select committees (see below) operate largely by an investigative process, while legislative committees operate mainly by debate.

Select Committee news

MPs call for root-and-branch overhaul of RIPA

Committee publish interim report on undercover policing

Committees A-Z

Select Committee publications

Inquiries A-Z

New Inquiries Date announced
FSA's report into HBOS 01.03.2013
Climate Change 28.02.2013
A Severn Barrage? 26.02.2013
Asylum 25.02.2013
Post-legislative review of the Mental Health Act 2007 20.02.2013

What's on

Monday 4 March 2013

House of Commons

Main Chamber

Time Business
2:30pm Oral Questions

Education, including Topical Questions
Legislation

Justice and Security Bill [HL] - Report stage
Adjournment - Stephen Barclay

Regulation of health professionals

Westminster Hall

Date Business

No business announced

General Committee

Time Business
4:30pm - Room 11, Palace of Westminster First Delegated Legislation Committee

Draft Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Amendment) Order 2013
4:30pm - Room 12, Palace of Westminster Second Delegated Legislation Committee

Draft Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Conditional Cautions: Code of Practice) Order 2013
4:30pm - Room 10, Palace of Westminster European Committee C

European Union Document No. 17883/12 and Addenda 1 and 2, a Draft Regulation amending Council Regulation (EC) No. 1346/2000 on insolvency proceedings

Select Committee

Time Business
2:30pm - Wellington Academy, Tidworth Defence

The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the children of service personnel - Wellington Academy; Clarendon School
3:15pm - Room 15, Palace of Westminster Public Accounts

The impact of Government's ICT savings initiatives and Improving Government procurement - Andy Nelson, Chief Information Officer, Department of Work and Pensions (formerly Ministry of Justice) and Mike Greatwich, MOD Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Commercial Director, Ministry of Defence; Richard Heaton, Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office, Stephen Kelly, Chief Operating Officer, Cabinet Office, David Shields, Managing Director, Government Procurement Service and Mike Bracken, Executive Director, Government Digital Service/Government Chief Technology Officer
4:10pm - The Wilson Room, Portcullis House Communities and Local Government

Private rented sector - Mark Hayward, Managing Director, NAEA, representing the Association of Residential Letting Agents, Jason Freeman, Legal Director, Goods and Consumer Group, Office of Fair Trading, Geoff Fimister, Senior Policy Adviser, Citizens' Advice and Caroline Kenny, UKALA Executive, UK Association of Letting Agents; Peter Bolton-King, Global Residential Director, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Christopher Hamer, the Property Ombudsman and Louisa Darian, Senior Policy Adviser, Which?
4:30pm - Room 5, Palace of Westminster Work and Pensions

Draft Pensions Bill - Otto Thoresen, Director General, Association of British Insurers and Joanne Segars, Chief Executive, National Association of Pension Funds; Neil Carberry, Director for Employment and Skills, Confederation of British Industry and Malcolm Small, Senior Adviser, Pension Policy, Institute of Directors
4:35pm - The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House Transport

EU Rail - Brian Simpson MEP, Chair of the Transport and Tourism Committee, European Parliament, Keir Fitch, Deputy Head of Cabinet, European Commissioner for Transport and Sian Prout, Head of Unit – Single European rail area, European Commission; Lord Tony Berkeley, Chairman, Rail Freight Group, Richard Brown CBE, Chairman, Eurostar International Limited, Johann Metzner, Head of Transport Policy Europe, Deutsche Bahn AG, Jean-Pierre Ramirez, Railway Network Director, Eurotunnel and Nicola Shaw, Chief Executive, HS1 Limited; Rt Hon. Simon Burns MP, Minister of State, Department for Transport
5:00pm - Room 6, Palace of Westminster Science and Technology

Water quality - Ian Barker, Head of Water, Land and Biodiversity, Environment Agency, Nick Cartwright, Environment and Business Manager, Environment Agency and Regina Finn, Chief Executive, Ofwat

House of Lords

Main Chamber

Time Business
2:30pm Oral Questions - Baroness Turner of Camden

Assisting families facing homelessness as a result of housing benefit changes due in April
Oral Questions - Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

Face-to-face careers guidance for all young people in schools
Oral Questions - Lord McKenzie of Luton

Effects of local council tax support schemes on poverty
Oral Questions - Lord Dykes

Representations received from the public on the negotiations for the new EU budget perspective period to 2020
Legislation - Lord Marland/Viscount Younger of Leckie

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill - Report stage (Day 2) - Lord Marland/Viscount Younger of Leckie
Short Debate - Lord Clark of Windermere

Commemorating the centenary of the First World War

Grand Committee

Time Business
3:30pm Orders and Regulations - Lord Newby

Draft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2013; Draft Financial Services and Markets Act 2012 (Misleading Statements and Impressions) Order 2013; Draft Financial Services Act 2012 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2013; Draft Uncertificated Securities (Amendment) Regulations 2013
Orders and Regulations - Lord Newby

Draft Social Security (Contributions) (Re- rating) Order 2013; Draft Social Security (Contributions) (Limits and Thresholds) (Amendment) Regulations 2013

Select Committee

Time Business
2:30pm - Room 3, Palace of Westminster Economic Affairs Finance Bill Sub-Committee

Private meeting
4:00pm - Room 2, Palace of Westminster Internal Market, Infrastructure and Employment (EU Sub-Committee B)

Private meeting

Select Committee publications

Related information

Select committees

Both Houses establish select committees to conduct inquiries and to produce reports on a range of matters, from the conduct of Government to specialist subject areas. Information on their work can be found on the select committee page.

Legislative committees

Both Houses refer legislation to committees for detailed discussion and approval. These committees are part of the process of making laws and include public bill committees, delegated legislation committees and committees on private bills. There is more in Bills and Legislation.

Other committees

Some other committees are established either by statute of either House, with a range of specific functions. These committees can be found through Committees A-Z.

Guides to committees

The About Parliament section of our site provides information on the types of Parliamentary committees and their work.

Select Committees Film

This short film explains the role and impact of select committees of the House of Commons, their membership, how they conduct inquiries, what it's like to be a witness and how you can get involved.

Independent review of the incident at the Culture, Media and Sport Committee

List of recommendations in the independent review of the incident at the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on 19 July 2011, together with progress report on implementation as at 17 October 2011

List of recommendations in the independent review