House of Commons
Session 2008 - 09
Publications on the internet
Weekly Information Bulletin
Weekly Information Bulletin: 4th July 2009

Select Committees

Select Committees are set up to examine the work of Government Departments, and now constitute the main investigatory system by which the House overseas the exercise of Government responsibilities and the development of public policy and expenditure.

The following information on Select Committees is available on the Parliament website:

Select Committee membership: www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/selmem.cfm

Links to Select Committee home pages containing information on the work of the Select Committee and its publications: www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/parliamentary_committees16.cfm

For further information on Select Committees see HCIO Factsheet P2 produced by the House of Commons Information Office, available in hardcopy on request or to download from the Parliament website.

Membership:

Children, Schools and Families

Mr John Heppell discharged; Helen Southworth added

Regulatory Reform

Mr Mark Prisk discharged; John Penrose added

Work and Pensions

John Penrose discharged; Mr Mark Harper added


Select Committee Meetings
29 June - 3 July 2009

Monday 29 June

South East Regional
Subject: The South East England Development Agency and the Regional Economic Strategy
Witnesses: South East Chamber of Commerce, Hastings Borough Council, Homes and Communities Agency, and Environment Agency

Communities and Local Government
Subject: Supporting People
Witnesses: Hampshire Supporting People County Core Group, Westminster City Council, Stoke-on-Trent Supporting People, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Cambridgeshire Supporting People team and Bath and North East Somerset Supporting People

Public Accounts
Subject: Oversight of the Post Office Network Change Programme
Witnesses: Mr Simon Fraser, Permanent Secretary, Joanna Shanmugalingam, Director, Post Office Policy, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Mr Ed Mayo, Chief Executive, Consumer Focus, and Mr Alan Cook CBE, Managing Director, Post Office Ltd

West Midlands Regional Committee
Subject: The impact of the current economic and financial situation on businesses in the West Midlands Region
Witnesses: Ian Austin MP, Minister for the West Midlands, Advantage West Midlands, and Government Office for the West Midlands

East Midlands Regional Committee
Subject: East Midlands Development Agency; Regional Economic Strategy
Witnesses: Phil Hope MP, Minister for the East Midlands, Tom Levitt MP, Deputy Regional Minister for the East Midlands, and Jonathan Lindley, Regional Director, Government Office for the East Midlands


Tuesday 30 June

International Development
Subject: DFID's Programme in Nigeria
Witnesses: Sam Unom, independent consultant, Dr Raufu Mustapha, Oxford Department of International Development, and Michael Peel, Financial Times

Welsh Affairs
Subject: Ports in Wales
Witnesses: Anglesey County Council, Cruise Wales; Liverpool City Council, Fred Olsen Cruises; Irish Ferries and Stena Line

Business and Enterprise
Subject: The work of the Department in the current crisis
Witnesses: Universities UK; TUC; CBI

Home Affairs
Subject: The e-Borders Programme
Witnesses: Chamber of Shipping; Dover Harbour; TUI Travel PLC; Eurostar.

Defence
Subject: The Comprehensive Approach
Witnesses: Lt Gen Sir John McColl KCB DSO CBE, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Martin Howard CB, Assistant Secretary General (Operations), and Nick Williams, Deputy to Senior Civilian Representative (Kabul), NATO, and Robert Cooper CMG MVO, Director General for External Affairs, Council Secretariat of the European Union; Daniel Korski, European Council on Foreign Relations, Howard Mollett, Care International UK, and Stephen Grey, Sunday Times.

Joint Committee on Human Rights
Subject: Business and Human Rights
Witnesses: CBI; BP, Associated British Foods, Tesco, and Rio Tinto.

Justice *
Subject: (i) Sentencing Guidelines: Principles of sentencing for youths (ii) Constitutional Reform and Renewal
Witnesses: (i) John Drew, Chief Executive, and Brendan Finegan, Director of Strategy, Youth Justice Board (ii) Dr Malcolm Jack, Clerk and Chief Executive, Andrew Kennon, Clerk of Journals, and Michael Carpenter, Speaker's Counsel, House of Commons.


Wednesday 1 July

International Development
Subject: Urbanisation & Poverty
Witnesses: Gareth Thomas MP, Minister of State, Department for International Development.

Transport
Subject: Future of aviation
Witnesses: Virgin Atlantic Airways, easyJet, Board of Airline Representatives in the UK, and Association of Independent Tour Operators; BAA Ltd, Airport Operators Association, Peel Airports Group, and TAG Farnborough Airport.

Northern Ireland Affairs
Subject: A Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland
Witnesses: Lady Trimble, Commissioner, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

European Scrutiny
Subject: Ship-source pollution Directive and first reading agreements
Witnesses: Lord Bach, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice.


Thursday 2 July

Treasury
Subject: Appointment of Professor David Miles to the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England
Witnesses: Professor David Miles, External Member of the Monetary Policy Committee, Bank of England.

Welsh Affairs
Subject: Proposed Draft National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Environment) Order 2009
Witnesses: Jane Davidson AM, Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, Welsh Assembly Government.

Health
Subject: Alcohol
Witnesses: Guy Parker, Chief Executive, Advertising Standards Authority, and Kate Stross, Director, Content and Standards, Ofcom; Derek Lewis, Chairman, The Drinkaware Trust, and David Poley, Chief Executive, Portman Group; Sonya Branch, Senior Director, Markets and Projects - Goods, Office of Fair Trading, Professor David Foxcroft, Chair in Healthcare, Oxford Brookes University, and Alan Downey, UK Head of Healthcare, KPMG.

Public Administration
Subject: Lobbying - Six Months On
Witnesses: Alliance for Lobbying Transparency, Unlock Democracy and Friends of the Earth; Public Affairs Council Working Party, Public Relations Consultants Association, Chartered Institute of Public Relations Government Affairs Group and Association of Professional Political Consultants.

European Scrutiny
Subject: EU Accession: Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia
Witnesses: RT Hon David Millband MP, Foreign Secretary.

Welsh Affairs
Subject: Proposed National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Health and Health Services and Social Welfare) Order 2009
Witnesses: Jonathan Morgan AM, National Assembly for Wales.


Friday 3 July

North East Regional
Subject: Industry and Innovation in the North East of England
Witnesses: New and Renewable Energy Centre, Centre for Process Innovation, and Learning and Skills Council North East; One North East.


Forthcoming Select Committee Meetings
6 - 10 July 2009

Monday 6 July

Scottish Affairs
Subject: Commission on Scottish Devolution
Witnesses: Sir Kenneth Calman KCB, Chairman, Professor Jim Gallagher CB, Secretary, and Mr Paul Kett, Head of Secretariat, Commission on Scottish Devolution.

10:00am

Banqueting Hall, Glasgow City Chambers

Yorkshire and the Humber
Subject: The Work of Yorkshire Forward
Witnesses: Federation of Small Businesses, Yorkshire and Humber Chambers of Commerce, Engineering Employers' Federation, and the CBI.

10:20am Leeds Council Chamber, Leeds Civic Hall
South East Regional
Subject: The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and Regional Economic Strategy
Witnesses: Jonathan Shaw MP, Minister for the South East; Pam Alexander, Chief Executive, SEEDA, and Colin Byrne, Regional Director, Government Office for the South East (at 3.45 pm).

3:45pm Committee Room 18, Palace of Westminster
Communities and Local Government
Subject: Supporting People
Witnesses: Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC); Ian Austin MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (at 5.00 pm).

4:20pm The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Health
Subject: Appointment of the Chair of the Food Standards Agency
Witnesses: The Rt Hon Lord Rooker, nominee for Chair.

5:30pm Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster


Tuesday 7 July

Regulatory Reform
Subject: Themes and Trends in Regulatory Reform
Witnesses: Ian Lucas MP, Minister with responsibility for Regulatory Reform, Jitinder Kohli, Director General of Strategy and Communications, and Philip Rycroft, Chief Executive, Better Regulation Executive, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

9:35am

Committee Room 19, Palace of Westminster

Treasury*
Subject: Mortgage arrears and access to mortgage finance
Witnesses: Jon Pain, Managing Director, Retail Markets, and Leslie Titcombe, Sector Leader, Retail Intermediaries and Mortgages, Financial Services Authority; Lord Myners CBE, Financial Services Secretary, HM Treasury, and Rt Hon John Healey MP, Minister for Housing, Department for Communities and Local Government (at 10.30 am)

9:45am The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Speaker's Conference
Subject: Speaker's Conference (on Parliamentary Representation)
Witnesses: Lesbian and Gay Foundation, Mr Simon Fanshawe; Campaign for Gender Balance (at 10.40 am).

10:05am The Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House
Environmental Audit
Subject: Green jobs and skills
Witnesses: Environmental Industries Commission; British Wind Energy Association, REpower UK Ltd and Mainstream Renewable Power Ltd (at 11.10 am).

10:20am Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster
International Development
Subject: DFID's Programme in Nigeria
Witnesses: Save the Children, Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).

10:30am Committee Room 5, Palace of Westminster
East Midlands Regional Committee
Subject: Regional Economic Strategy
Witnesses: East Midlands Development Agency.

10:30am Committee Room 18, Palace of Westminster
Culture, Media and Sport
Subject: The Future of Local and Regional Media
Witnesses: Press Association; Newspaper Society (at 11.30 am).

10:30am Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Home Affairs
Subject: (i) The future of the Forensic Science Service (FSS) (ii) Missing unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children
Witnesses: (i) Forensic Science Service (FSS); Representatives of Prospects and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) (at 11.00 a.m.) (ii) Hillingdon Borough Council (at 11.30 am).

10:30am Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Welsh Affairs
Subject: Ports in Wales
Witnesses: Association of Chief Police Officers Wales and UK Border Agency.

11:00am Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Defence
Subject: The Comprehensive Approach
Witnesses: Bill Rammell MP, Minister for the Armed Forces, and Brigadier Gordon Messenger DSO OBE ADC, Ministry of Defence, Michael Jabez Foster MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development, Rt Hon Lord Malloch-Brown KCMG, Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, and Nick Pickard, Head of the Security Policy Group, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Richard Teuten, Head of Stabilisation Unit.

11:00am The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Business and Enterprise*
Subject: The work of the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills in the current crisis
Witnesses: The Rt Hon Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, and Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP, Minister for Business, Innovation & Skills, Department for Business, Innovation & Skills.

11:30am The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Joint Committee on Human Rights
Subject: Business and Human Rights
Witnesses: Equality and Human Rights Commission and Scottish Human Rights Commission.

1:45pm Committee Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Justice
Subject: Sentencing Guidelines: principles of sentencing for youths
Witnesses: Mary Duff, Chairman, and Chris Stanley, member, Youth Courts Committee, Magistrates' Association; Tim Bateman, Senior Youth Crime Policy Development Officer, Nacro, and Martin Narey, Chief Executive, and Pam Hibbert, Assistant Director-Policy, Barnardo's (at 4.50 pm).

4:15pm The Wilson Room, Portcullis House


Wednesday 8 July

Energy and Climate Change
Subject: Low carbon technologies in a green economy
Witnesses: Carbon Trust, Energy Saving Trust; Energy Technology Institute

(at 10.15 am).

9:15am

The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Children, Schools and Families
Subject: School Accountability
Witnesses: Mr Vernon Coaker MP, Minister of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families.

9:30am The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Northern Ireland Affairs
Subject: Omagh: 10 years on
Witnesses: Mr Jason McCue, Partner, H2O Law and Dame Nula O'Loan DBE (at 3.00pm).

2:10pm The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Scottish Affairs
Subject: Scotland Office Departmental Annual Report
Witnesses: Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP, Secretary of State for Scotland, Ann McKechin MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, and John Henderson, Deputy Director, Scotland Office.

2:15pm Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Treasury
Subject: Banking Crisis: regulation and supervision
Witnesses: Lord Myners CBE, Financial Services Secretary, HM Treasury

2:30pm The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Transport
Subject: i) Future of Aviation ii) The major road network
Witnesses: (i) Eurostar, UK Ultraspeed, Network Rail, and High Speed Two (ii) Kapsch TrafficCom AG, Intelligent Transport Systems UK, Institution of Engineering and Technology, and Technical Advisors Group Transportation Committee

(at 3.45 pm); Liftshare, Campaign for Better Transport, and National Express UK

(at 4.25 pm).

2:45pm Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Public Accounts
Subject: Support for High Intensity Operations
Witnesses: Sir Bill Jeffrey, Permanent Secretary KCB, Air Marshal Sir Stuart Peach KCB CBE, Chief of Joint Operations PJHQ (UK), and Lieutenant General Dick Applegate OBE, Chief of Materiel (Land), Defence Equipment and Support, Ministry of Defence.

3:30pm Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster
North West Regional Committee
Subject: The impact of the current economic situation on the North West and the Government's response
Witnesses: North West Regional Development Agency; Phil Woolas MP, Minister for the North West, and Liz Meek and David Higham, Government Office for the North West (at 4.15 pm).

3:30pm Committee Room 18, Palace of Westminster


Thursday 9 July

Health*
Subject: Alcohol
Witnesses: JWT, and Big Communications Group (at 10.45 a.m.); Diageo, Carling, and Beverage Brands (at 11.30 a.m.).

10:00am

The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Public Administration*
Subject: Official Language
Witnesses: David Crystal OBE, Honorary Professor of Linguistics, University of Bangor, Matthew Paris, The Times, Marie Clair, Plain English Campaign and Simon Hoggart, The Guardian.

10:00am The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Treasury Sub Committee
Subject: Evaluating the Efficiency Programme
Witnesses: Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Financial Secretary and Sarah McCarthy-Fry, Exchequer Secretary, HM Treasury.

10:00am The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Welsh Affairs
Subject: Proposed National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Health and Health Services and Social Welfare) Order 2009
Witnesses: College of Occupational Therapists and Hafal; Gofal Cymru and Mind Cymru (at 11.45 a.m.).

11:15am Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster


Friday 10 July

None

All public select committee meetings are webcast. Select committees marked with * will be taken by BBC Parliament.
Please note: The decision of a Committee to sit in public may be rescinded, and the place altered without notice. Committees which sit at short notice may not be included in this list.

 
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Prepared 4 July 2009