The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is appointed
to examine on behalf of the House of Commons the expenditure,
administration and policy of the Northern Ireland Office; administration
and expenditure of the Crown Solicitor's
Office (but excluding individual cases and advice given by the
Crown Solicitor); and other matters within the responsibilities
of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (but excluding
the expenditure, administration and policy of the Office of the
Director of Public Prosecutions, Northern Ireland and the drafting
of legislation by the Office of the Legislative Counsel.) Its
constitution and powers are set out in House of Commons Standing
Order No. 152.
The Committee has a maximum of thirteen members,
of whom the quorum for any formal proceedings is four. The members
of the Committee are appointed by the House and unless discharged
remain on the Committee until the dissolution of this Parliament.
The present membership of the Committee, appointed on 19 July
2001, is as follows:
Mr Adrian Bailey, Labour/Co-operative, West Bromwich
West
Mr Harry Barnes, Labour, North East Derbyshire
Mr Roy Beggs, Ulster Unionist Party, East Antrim
Mr Henry Bellingham, Conservative, North West
Norfolk
Mr Tony Clarke, Labour, Northampton South
Mr Stephen McCabe, Labour, Birmingham, Hall Green
Mr Eddie McGrady, Social Democratic and Labour
Party, South Down
Mr Michael Mates, Conservative, East Hampshire
Mr Stephen Pound, Labour, Ealing North
Mr Peter Robinson, Democratic Unionist Party,
Belfast East
Rev Martin Smyth, Ulster Unionist Party, Belfast
South
Mr Mark Tami, Labour, Alyn & Deeside
Mr Bill Tynan, Labour, Hamilton South
On 19 July 2001, the Committee elected Mr Michael
Mates 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.
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 for
the purpose of deliberating, taking evidence or considering draft
reports, and with the House's
Environmental Audit Committee or with the European Scrutiny Committee
(or any of its sub-committees) for the purpose of deliberating
or taking evidence. The Committee may exchange documents and evidence
with any of these committees, as well as with the House's
Public Accounts and Deregulation and Regulatory Reform 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) may be accessed on
the Internet through www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/niahome.htm.
A list of the Committee's
Reports in the last session of the previous Parliament is included
in this volume.
All correspondence should be addressed to The Clerk
of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Committee Office, House
of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. The telephone number for general
inquiries is 020 7219 2172; the Committee's fax number is 020
7219 0580; and the Committee's
e-mail address is: northircom@parliament.uk.
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