Powers of Select Committees
16 July 2012 (updated on 16 July 2012)
The Liaison Committee has published a paper by Clerk of the House Robert Rogers on Powers of Select Committees.
Since the modern departmental select committee system was established in 1979, thousands of select committee inquiries have been concluded successfully, with tens of thousands of witnesses contributing written and oral evidence across a very wide range of subjects. Incidents where committees have been frustrated by witnesses who have been unhelpful or unwilling to co-operate fully have been a rare occurrence.
However, some recent events have given a higher profile both to the securing of attendance and to questions of false or misleading evidence.
The paper examines the present powers of select committees, looks at the pros and cons of possible courses of action, and is a useful resource for anyone interested in this complex area.