Select Committee on Scottish Affairs First Report



The Scottish Affairs Committee

The Scottish Affairs Committee is appointed to examine on behalf of the House of Commons the expenditure, administration and policy of the Scotland Office (including (i) relations with the Scottish Parliament and (ii) administration and expenditure of the offices of the Advocate General for Scotland (but excluding individual cases and advice given within government by the Advocate General)). Its constitution and powers are set out in House of Commons Standing Order No. 152.

The Committee has a maximum of eleven members, of whom the quorum for any formal proceedings is three. 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]

Mr David Marshall MP (Labour, Glasgow Shettleston)[2]
Mrs Irene Adams MP (Labour, Paisley North)2
Mr Peter Atkinson MP (Conservative, Hexham)2
Miss Anne Begg MP (Labour, Aberdeen South)2
Mr Russell Brown MP (Labour, Dumfries)[3]
Mr Eric Clarke MP (Labour, Midlothian)2
Mr Mohammed Sarwar MP (Labour, Glasgow Govan)3
Sir Robert Smith MP (Liberal Democrat, Aberdeenshire West and Kincardine)[4]
Mr Desmond Swayne MP (Conservative, New Forest West)2
Mr Bill Tynan MP (Labour, Hamilton South)3
Mr Andrew Welsh MP (SNP, Angus)2

On 16 July 1997, the Committee elected Mr David Marshall as its Chairman.

The Committee has the power to require the submission of written evidence and documents, to examine witnesses, and to make Reports to the House. In the footnotes to this Report, references to oral evidence are indicated by 'Q' followed by the question number, references to the written evidence are indicated by 'Ev' followed by a page number.

The Committee may meet at any time (except when Parliament is prorogued or dissolved) and at any place within the United Kingdom. The Committee 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 and Deregulation 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 at www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/scothome.htm on the Internet.

All correspondence should be addressed to The Clerk of the Scottish Affairs Committee, Committee Office, House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general inquiries is: 020 7219 6123; the Committee's e-mail address is: scotaffcom@parliament.uk.


1  Mrs Rosemary McKenna MP (Labour, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth), was appointed on 14 July 1997 and discharged on 2 March 1998; Mr John McAllion MP (Labour, Dundee East), was appointed on 14 July 1997 and discharged on 29 November 1999; Mr Michael Moore MP (Liberal Democrat, Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale), was appointed on 14 July 1997 and discharged on 1 November 1999; Mrs Sandra Osborne MP (Labour, Ayr), was appointed on 2 March 1998 and discharged on 29 November 1999; Mr David Stewart (Labour, Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber), was appointed on 14 July 1997 and discharged on 29 November 1999. Back

2  Appointed on 14 July 1997. Back

3  Appointed on 29 November 1999. Back

4  Appointed on 1 November 1999. Back


 
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Prepared 1 May 2001