Committee of Public Accounts
The Committee of Public Accounts is appointed under
Standing Order No. 148 to examine on behalf of the House of Commons
"the accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted
by Parliament to meet the public expenditure, and of such other
accounts laid before Parliament as the committee may think fit,
to consist of not more than sixteen Members, of whom four shall
be a quorum. The Committee shall have the power to send for persons,
papers and records, to report from time to time, and to adjourn
from place to place.".
On 5 July changes to Standing Orders affecting the
majority of select committees set the quorum of the Committee
of Public Accounts at four, allowed it to meet and deliberate
concurrently with other committees and to publish jointly agreed
reports.
The Committee has power to require the submission
of written evidence and documents, to examine witnesses, and to
make Reports to the House.† The Committee may
not arrange to meet at any time when the House is adjourned, prorogued
or dissolved. It also has power to meet at any place in the United
Kingdom and may also travel abroad.
This Parliament's Committee was nominated on 16 July
2001. The Committee's Members are nominated by the House and continue
to be Members of the Committee for the remainder of the Parliament
unless the House orders otherwise. The Committee's Chairman is
drawn from the major opposition party. Members nominated to the
Committee in this Parliament are as follows:
Mr Edward Leigh, Gainsborough, Conservative (added
19.07.2001) (elected Chairman 17.10.01)
Mr Richard Bacon, South Norfolk, Conservative
Rt Hon Paul Boateng, Brent South, Labour
Mr Ian Davidson , Glasgow Pollok, Labour
Mr Geraint Davies, Croydon Central, Labour
Rt Hon David Davis, Haltemprice and Howden, Conservative (elected
Chairman from 18.07.01 to 17.10.01)
Mr Barry Gardiner, Brent North, Labour
Mr Nick Gibb, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, Conservative (added
05.11.01)
Mr Brian Jenkins, Tamworth, Labour
Mr George Osborne, Tatton, Conservative
Mr David Rendel, Newbury, Liberal Democrat
Mr Gerry Steinberg, City of Durham, Labour
Mr Jon Trickett, Hemsworth, Labour
Rt Hon Alan Williams, Swansea West, Labour
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 www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/pachome.htm
All correspondence should be addressed to The Clerk
of the Committee of Public Accounts, Committee Office, House of
Commons, London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general inquiries
is: 020-7219-5708. The Committee's e-mail address is: pubaccom@parliament.uk
| † | 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 'Evidence' or 'Evidence, Appendix ......', followed by a page number.
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