Constitutional reform should be scrutinised by a dedicated committee
29 March 2015
MPs publish report on the work of the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee during the 2010 Parliament.
- Report: The work of the Committee in the 2010 Parliament
- Report: The work of the Committee in the 2010 Parliament (PDF)
- Political and Constitutional Reform Committee
Graham Allen MP, Chair of the Committee, said
"The Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee was established in June 2010 to consider political and constitutional reform.
Over the last five years the Committee has scrutinised the Government’s substantial programme of political and constitutional reform—which included fixing the term of a Parliament, bringing forward proposals for recalling MPs, establishing a register of third party lobbyists and implementing Individual Electoral Registration.
The establishment of a dedicated select committee to consider these matters has brought additional parliamentary scrutiny to a substantial part of the Government’s programme. We have recommended that, should the next Government plan to take forward constitutional reform, a select committee be established to examine the Government’s proposals, to keep the progress of any political and constitutional reform under regular review, and to continue the work this Committee has undertaken.
We have also highlighted the extent to which we have engaged the public with our work through consultations and increased use of social media, online surveys and informal events. This public engagement is one of our greatest innovations, and something which we we encourage other committees to adopt in the future."
The Committee has recommended that relevant committees in the next Parliament follow up its work on Parliament’s role in conflict decisions and the ongoing transition to Individual Electoral Registration. The Committee has also recommended that the next administration commit early in the next Parliament to making pre-legislative scrutiny of Bills a standard part of the legislative process.