Both, the House of Commons as well as the House of Lords have Select Committees, which scrutinize everything from the works of the Government departments to the economic affairs. The reports of the Committee are made public and solicit feedbacks from the government.
Duties of the Select Committee in the House of Commons
The main function of the Select Committee of the House of Lords is to examiner and scrutinize the work of the government departments.
Duties of the Select Committee in the House of Lords
The main areas of function of the Select Committee of the House of Lords are Europe, science, economics and the UK Constitution.
The Select Committee of the House of Commons
A Select Committee of the House of Commons is there for each and every government department. They examine the three main factors like policies, administration and expenses. These committees usually comprise of a minimum of 11 members, who are vested with the responsibility of deciding the line of enquiry. Then they collect written as well as oral evidence. Next the findings are sent to the House of Commons, printed and published on the website of the Parliament. Thereafter the government takes about 60 days to give a reply to the Committee’s recommendations. Some Select Committees have the jurisdiction to look after the affairs of many government departments simultaneously. Other Select Committees in the House of Commons are responsible for the general administration of the House of Commons. They also look after any allegations that are made against the conduct of any particular MP.
The Select Committee of the House of Lords
The Select Committee of the House of Lords is not responsible for the works of any government department. They look after finer things like the Lord’s expertise or the greater amount of time that they can give to a particular issue.
Presently, there are 4 major Lords Select Committees:
The European Union Committee
The Science and Technology Committee
The Constitution Committee
The Economic Affairs Committee
At the beginning of each new session, these committees are re-appointed. Each Committee looks after the functions of ir concerned committee although at times they also look into issues outside the four major groups.
