House of Commons - Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs

Select Committee on Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs First Report

The Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee is appointed to examine on behalf of the House of Commons the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (and any associated public bodies). Its constitution and powers are set out in House of Commons Standing Order No. 152.

The Committee has a maximum of seventeen members, of whom the quorum for any formal proceedings is five. The members of the Committee are appointed by the House and unless discharged remain on the Committee until the next dissolution of Parliament. The present membership of the Committee is as follows[1]:

(Labour, Leeds Central)

Labour, Denton and Reddish

Liberal Democrat, Carshalton and Wallington

Labour, Castle Point

Labour, Easington

Labour, Cunninghame South

Labour, Crewe and Nantwich

Labour/Co-operative, Liverpool Riverside

Ulster Unionist, Antrim South

Conservative, Billericay

Conservative, Wiltshire North

(Labour, Thanet South)

Conservative, Vale of York

Labour, Normanton

Labour, Nuneaton

Conservative, Uxbridge

Labour, Stoke-on-Trent South

On 15 July 1997, the Committee resolved that Andrew F Bennett or Gwyneth Dunwoody would be called to the Chair as it saw fit.

The Committee has the power to appoint Sub-committees, require the submission of written evidence and documents, to examine witnesses, and to make Reports to the House. The Sub-committees have the power to require the submission of written evidence and documents, to examine witnesses, and to make Reports to the Committee.

The Committee and Sub-committees may meet at any time (except when Parliament is prorogued or dissolved) and at any place within the United Kingdom. The Committee and Sub-committees may meet concurrently with other committees or sub-committees established under Standing Order No. 152 and with the House's European Scrutiny Committee (or any of its sub-committees) for the purpose of deliberating, taking evidence or considering draft reports. The Committee may exchange documents and evidence with any of these committees, as well as with the House's Public Accounts, Deregulation and Environmental Audit committees.

The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the internet at http://www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/etrahome.htm.

All correspondence should be addressed to The Clerk of the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee, Committee Office, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. The telephone number for general inquiries is: 020 7219 4972; the Committee's e-mail address is: etracom@parliament.uk.