Select Committees: Current Inquiries

Select Committee evidence is published as a House of Commons Paper; there is generally a delay of 4-6 weeks before the material is available. When published it is also made available on the Parliament website. All HC paper numbers shown are from the 2007-08 session unless otherwise stated. Select Committees may also publish uncorrected transcripts of Ministers' evidence on the website as soon as the transcript is available. Hard copies of Select Committee publications can be purchased from The Stationery Office, contact details are shown on the back page of this bulletin.

The website address for Select Committee publications is:

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm/cmselect.htm

More details of current Select Committee inquiries can be found on the Parliament website:

http://www.parliament.uk/what_s_on/hoc_news4.cfm

Committee on Arms Export Controls
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Scrutiny of Arms Export Controls (2008): UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2006, Quarterly Reports 2007, licensing policy and review of export control legislation	Report published 17 July 2008; Government response published 3 November 2008

Business and Enterprise Committee
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Committee to revisit the role of pubcos	Inquiry announced: Written evidence invited
Companies House	One-off oral evidence session concluded: Report in preparation
Consumer Focus	One off oral evidence session 11 November
Creating a Higher Value-Added Economy	Oral evidence in progress.
Post Office closure programme	Government response published 17 October Report to be published 10 November 2008
Pub Companies	Oral evidence in progress 1st oral evidence session 18 November
Spring Supplementary Estimates	Oral evidence in progress
The role and responsibilities of the regional development agencies	Oral evidence in progress

Children, Schools and Families
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Draft Apprenticeships Bill	One-off evidence concluded
Diversity of School Provision: Faith Schools	Oral evidence in progress
Diversity of School Provision: Links between independent and maintained schools	Oral evidence in progress
Diversity of Schools Provision: Trust Schools	Oral evidence to be taken on Wednesday 12 November
Early Years Foundation Stage	One-off evidence completed
Looked-after Children	Oral evidence in progress
National Curriculum	Oral evidence to be taken on Monday 10 November
Public Expenditure	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation
Social Mobility	One-off evidence concluded
The Work of Ofsted	Oral evidence concluded: Draft report in preparation

Communities & Local Government
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Channel 4 Annual Report for 2007	Oral evidence in progress
Communities & Local Government's Departmental Annual Report 2008	Oral evidence in progress
Housing and the Credit Crunch	Oral evidence session to be announced
Local Authority Investments	Oral evidence session to be announced
London 2012 Games	Oral evidence in progress
Planning Skills	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation
Provision of Public Toilets	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation
The Balance of Power: Central & Local Government	Inquiry announced: Written evidence invited
The Licensing Act 2003	Oral evidence in progress
The Tenant Services Authority	Inquiry announced

Culture, Media & Sport
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Commercial Operations of the BBC	Written evidence invited. Closing date for evidence was 10 October but submissions are still being accepted

Defence
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Defence Equipment	Inquiry Announced: Written evidence invited Deadline for submissions 7 November
MOD'S performance against expenditure plans	Inquiry announced.
UK Defence: commitments and resources	Oral evidence concluded Further written evidence invited
UK national security & resilience	Oral evidence in progress

Environmental Audit
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Forests: the future role of carbon markets in their protection and the timber trade	Inquiry announced: Written evidence invited
Greener Homes for the future? An environmental analysis of the Government's house-building plans	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation
Halting UK Biodiversity Loss	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation
Personal Carbon Trading	Report published 26 May 2008. Government response published 5 November
Reducing CO2 and other emissions from shipping	Inquiry announced written evidence invited.

Environmental Audit Sub-Committee
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Environmental Labelling	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation

Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Climate Change: international policy post-2012	Inquiry cancelled. Written evidence has been placed in the House of Commons Library
Defra science	Invitation to help frame inquiry
Energy efficiency and fuel poverty	Inquiry re-opened Special report published Special Report published as HC 1099, 6 November
The English Pig Industry	Oral evidence in progress.

Waste Strategy for England 2007	Oral evidence in progress Evidence session on 12 November

European Scrutiny
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Developments in the European Union	Oral evidence in progress
Subsidiarity and the Role of National Parliaments	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation
Subsidiarity, National Parliaments and the Lisbon Treaty	Report published 21 October

Foreign Affairs
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Developments in the European Union	Oral evidence in progress
FCO Annual Report	Oral evidence in progress
Global Security: Japan and Korea	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation
Global Security: Non-Proliferation	Inquiry announced. Closing date for submission extended to 1 December 2008
Proposed appointment of Rt Hon Jack McConnell MSP as High Commissioner to Malawi	Report published Tuesday 24 June (HC 507) Government Response published Monday 3 November (HC 1157)

Health
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Foundation trusts and Monitor	One-off oral evidence session concluded
Health Inequalities	Oral evidence in progress Next evidence session 13 November. Written evidence published 3 April
NHS Next Stage Review	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation
Our NHS our future	Oral evidence concluded
Patient Safety	Oral evidence in progress
Public Expenditure on Health and Personal Social Services 2007	Oral evidence published 4 November (HC 26-ii and iii)
The responsibilities of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Care Services	Oral evidence published 30 October (HC 832-i)

Home Affairs
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Draft Citizenship & Immigration Bill	Inquiry announced
Human Trafficking	Oral evidence in progress
Knife Crime	Inquiry announced
Managing Migration: Points-Based System	Oral evidence in progress
Police and the Media	Oral evidence concluded
Policing in the 21st Century	Report to be published on Monday 10 November at 00.01 am
The rights of Gurkhas to settle in the UK	Oral evidence concluded
The work of the Home Office	One-off oral evidence session 13 November
Wheel Clamping on Private Land	Inquiry announced

Joint Committee on Human Rights
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
British Bill of Rights	Oral evidence concluded: Report in Preparation
Immigration and Human Rights	Oral evidence in progress
Policing and Protest	Oral evidence in progress
Rights for People with Disabilities	One-off Ministerial Evidence Session 18 November 2008. Written evidence by 3 November 2008

Innovation, Universities, Science & Skills
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Engineering (incorporating Plastic Electronics & Nuclear case studies)	Oral evidence in progress

Innovation, Universities, Science & Skills Sub-Committees
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
After Leitch: implementing skills and training policies	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation

International Development
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Department for International Development Annual Report 2008	Oral evidence in progress
DFID and China	Oral evidence in progress
DFID's Programme in Nigeria	Inquiry postponed
HIV/AIDS: DFID's New Strategy	Inquiry announced: Written evidence invited
Sustainable Development in a Changing Climate	Written Evidence invited

Joint Committee on the Draft Constitutional Renewal Bill
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Constitutional Renewal Bill	Oral evidence in progress

Joint Committee on the Draft Marine Bill
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Draft Marine Bill	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation

Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Business under Standing Order No 151, followed as necessary by meetings of the Select Committee on Statutory Instruments for business under Standing Order No 151(10)	30th Report of 2007-08 to be published 10 November

Justice
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Devolution: A Decade On	Oral evidence in progress
Judicial Appointments Commission	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation Uncorrected oral evidence on website: HC 416-I & ii
Justice Reinvestment	Oral evidence in progress.
Ministry of Justice: Departmental Annual Report 2007-08	One-off oral evidence session concluded. Uncorrected oral evidence on website: HC 1121-i
Pre-Appointment Hearing: Office for Legal Complaints	One-off oral evidence session concluded. Uncorrected oral evidence on website: HC 1122-i
Sentencing Commission	One-off oral evidence session concluded. Uncorrected oral evidence on website: HC 1095-i
The work of the Crown Prosecution Service	Inquiry announced: Written evidence invited
The Work of the Ministry of Justice	One-off oral evidence session announced Uncorrected oral evidence on website

Northern Ireland Affairs
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Inquiry into Cross border cooperation	Written evidence requested

Public Accounts
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Compensating victims of violent crime	Report in preparation
Data loss at HM Revenue and Customs	Report in preparation
DEFRA Single Payment Scheme: follow-up	Report in preparation
Department for International Development: CDC - Investing to reduce poverty	One-off oral evidence session announced 15 December
DFID: Operations in insecure environments	One-off oral evidence session 5 November
DoH/NHS: End of life care	One-off oral evidence session announced 17 December
DoH/NHS: Reducing alcohol-related harm	One-off oral evidence session announced 12 November
Efficient grant making in the culture, media and sport sector	Report published 6 November
Fire and Rescue Service: the New Dimension Programme	One-off oral evidence session announced 10 November
Independent Police Complaints Commission	One-off oral evidence session announced 24 November
Leaving the Services	Report in preparation
Managing change in operational PFI projects	Report in preparation
MoD: Renewal of the nuclear deterrent	One-off oral evidence session announced 19 November
Primary Schools: teaching mathematics	One-off oral evidence session announced 8 December
Prison procurement	One-off oral evidence session announced 10 December
Programmes to reduce household energy consumption	One-off oral evidence session 3 November
Renewing the physical infrastructure of English further education colleges	One-off oral evidence session announced 17 November
Securing Host Nation Sporting Success in 2012	Report in preparation
The supervision of community orders in England and Wales	Report published 4 November
Use of office property by government departments	Report in preparation

Public Administration
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Better Government	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation
Charities & Public Benefit	Oral evidence concluded
Data Handling Procedures in Government	Oral evidence in progress
Equitable Life	Oral evidence in progress. Second evidence session 11 November
Good Government	Oral evidence in progress
Lobbying	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation

Quadripartite Committee
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Road Safety	Oral evidence in progress

Scottish Affairs
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Credit Unions in Scotland	Oral evidence in progress
Office of the Advocate General for Scotland	One-off oral evidence session announced Evidence session 19 November

Transport
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Department for Transport Annual Report 2008	One-off oral evidence session concluded Report in preparation
Network Rail engineering delays over the new year period	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation
Road Safety	Oral evidence concluded: Report in Preparation
School Travel	Oral evidence in progress
Taxes and charges on road users	Oral evidence in progress
The enforcement activities of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA)	1st oral evidence session 12 November
The opening of Heathrow Terminal 5	Report published 3 November Government response awaited
The Use of Airspace	Oral evidence session: To be arranged.
Transport Security: Travelling without Fear	Oral evidence concluded: Report in preparation

Treasury
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Banking Crisis	Evidence Session: 3 November 2008
Economics of Housing Market	Oral evidence in progress
Offshore Financial Centres	Oral evidence in progress
Private Equity	Report published: continuing scrutiny
Regulation of Oil Markets	Inquiry announced

Treasury Sub-committee
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Administration and expenditure in the Chancellor's Departments, 2007-08	Oral evidence in progress

Welsh Affairs
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Proposed Legislative Competence Order in Council: Dealing with Vulnerable Children	Inquiry announced
Proposed Legislative Competence Order in Council: Housing	Oral evidence in progress
Provision of cross-border public services for Wales	Oral evidence in progress Next evidence session 11th November

Work & Pensions
INQUIRY	STAGE & NOTES
Department of Work and Pensions IT Procurement	One-Off evidence session 19 November 2008
Department for Work and Pensions' commissioning strategy and the employment programme market	Oral evidence in progress Final evidence session 10 December
Pension, Disability and Carers Service	One-off oral evidence session announced. Deadline for submissions 17 November



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