House of Commons

Session 2008 - 09
Publications on the internet
Weekly Information Bulletin

Weekly Information Bulletin: 17th October 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 announcements and changes:

Business and Enterprise Committee will now be known as Business, Innovation and Skills Committee

Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee will now be known as Science and Technology Committee

Committee on Standards and Privileges:

Sir George Young discharged; Mr David Curry added

Chairmen's Panel

Mr Graham Brady, Mr Nigel Evans and Mr George Howarth added

Select Committee Meetings
20 - 24 July 2009

Monday 20 July

Transport
Subject: The major road network
Witnesses: Campaign to Protect Rural England, and North-East Combined Transport Activists' Roundtable; Chris Mole MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport.

Communities and Local Government
Subject: Pre-appointment hearing: Deputy Chairs of the Infrastructure Planning Commission
Witnesses: Robert Upton and Dr Pauleen Lane, the Government's preferred candidates for Deputy Chairs of the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

Tuesday 21 July

Culture, Media and Sport
Subject: Press standards, privacy and libel
Witnesses: News International Ltd; Andy Coulson, former Editor, and Stuart Kuttner, former Managing Editor, News of the World.

Wednesday 22 July

None

Thursday 23 July

None

Friday 24 July

None

Select Committee Meeting

Summer Recess 2009

Wednesday 2 September

Culture, Media and Sport
Subject: Press standards, privacy and libel
Witnesses: Christopher Graham, Information Commissioner David Clancy, Investigations Manager, Information Commissioner's Office Assistant Commissioner John Yates, Metropolitan Police. Detective Chief Superintendent Philip Williams, Metropolitan Police.

Select Committee Meetings

12 - 16 October 2009

Monday 12 October

Children, Schools and Families
Subject: (i) Children's Commissioner for England: Pre-appointment Hearing (ii) Elective home education
Witnesses: (i) Maggie Atkinson, Government's preferred candidate (ii) Diana R. Johnson MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools, Department for Children, Schools and Families, and Graham Badman CBE.

Communities and Local Government
Subject: Pre-appointment hearing for Local Government Ombudsman and Vice-Chair of the Commission for Local Administration in England
Witnesses: Dr Jane Martin, Government's preferred candidate.

Tuesday 13 October

Business, Innovation and Skills
Subject: Departmental Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09
Witnesses: Simon Fraser, Permanent Secretary, Howard Orme, Director General, Finance Group, and John Alty, Director General, Fair Markets, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Home Affairs
Subject: (i) The Home Office's Response to Terrorist Attacks; (ii) The Work of Association of Chief Police Officers of England Wales and Northern Ireland (ACPO)
Witnesses: (i) Lord West of Spithead, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Security and Counter-Terrorism, Home Office; Rt Hon Dr John Reid MP; DCC Margaret Wood, Terrorism and Allied Matters, ACPO (at 11.40 a.m.); (ii) Sir Hugh Orde, President, ACPO.

North East Regional
Subject: This meeting has been POSTPONED
Witnesses: Kirstin Green, Deputy Director, Regional Policy and Partnership, Economic Development Directorate, Graeme Reid, Deputy Director, Economic Impact, Research Base, and Jonathan Blackie, Regional Director, Government Office North East.

Justice
Subject: Ministry of Justice: Departmental Annual Report 2008-09
Witnesses: Sir Suma Chakrabarti KCB, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice.

Wednesday 14 October

Energy and Climate Change
Subject: Severn Estuary Tidal Power Project
Witnesses: Lord Hunt of King's Heath, Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Work and Pensions
Subject: DWP Departmental Annual Report 2009
Witnesses: Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Children, Schools and Families
Subject: Elective Home Education
Witnesses: Autism in Mind, Education Otherwise, Home Education Advisory Service, and Simon Webb; Association of Directors of Children's Services, National Children's Bureau, NSPCC, and West Sussex County Council.

Science and Technology
Subject: Setting the scene on science, engineering and technology issues across government
Witnesses: Lord Drayson, Minister for Science and Innovation, and Professor John Beddington, Government Chief Scientific Adviser.

Treasury
Subject: Women in the City
Witnesses: Dr Daniel Ferreira, Reader, Department of Finance, and Professor Charles Goodhart, Professor Emeritus of Banking and Finance, London School of Economics, and Fawcett Society; Nichola Pease, Deputy Chairman, J O Hambro Capital Management, Dr Ros Altmann, and Sandra Curtis; Royal Bank of Scotland, Institute for Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and Barclays Bank plc.

Transport
Subject: The new European motorcycle test
Witnesses: Motor Cycle Industry Association, Motor Cycle Industry Trainers Association, Motorcycle Action Group and British Motorcyclists' Federation; Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety; Paul Clarke MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport, and Driving Standards Agency.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Subject: Dairy Farmers of Britain
Witnesses: National Farmers' Union; Panel of former members of Dairy Farmers of Britain.

Public Accounts
Subject: HM Revenue and Customs Standard Report
Witnesses: Lesley Strathie, Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive, Richard Summersgill CBE, Director Benefits and Credits, and Jim Harra, Director Corporation Tax and VAT, HM Revenue and Customs.

Thursday 15 October

Public Administration
Subject: Ministerial and other appointments from outside Parliament
Witnesses: Ministerial and other appointments from outside Parliament Witnesses: Professor Anthony King, Professor of Government, University of Essex, Jonathan Powell, and Lord Andrew Turnbull KCB CVO.

Health
Subject: Alcohol
Witnesses: ASDA, Sainsbury's, and Waitrose; William Bush, Director, Communications and Public Policy, Premier League, and Stewart Thomson, Commercial Director, Football League.

Friday 16 October

Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Committee
Subject: The Work of Yorkshire Forward
Witnesses: Yorkshire and Humber Chambers of Commerce, Engineering Employers Federation, Federation of Small Businesses and Confederation of British Industry.

Forthcoming Select Committee Meetings
19 - 23 October 2009

Monday 19 October

West Midlands Regional Committee Subject: The effects of the economic downturn on the people of the West Midlands Witnesses: Mick Laverty, Chief Executive, Advantage West Midlands, and Margaret Tovey, Customer Services Director, Jobcentre Plus; Trudi Elliot, Director, Government Office for the West Midlands (at 5.15pm).	4:15pm	Committee Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Committee on Issue of Privilege (Police Searches on Parliamentary Estate) * Witnesses: Damian Green MP.	4:15pm	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Public Accounts* Subject: The failure of Metronet Witnesses: Robert Devereux, Permanent Secretary, and Paul Collins, Head of Regional Transport London and South East, Department for Transport, and Chris Bolt, Arbiter for London Underground Public-Private Partnership agreements.	4:30pm	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Communities and Local Government Subject: Departmental Annual Report 2009 Witnesses: Officials from the Department for Communities and Local Government.	4:40pm	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Tuesday 20 October

Treasury* Subject: Women in the City Witnesses: Trevor Phillips OBE, Chairman, and Baroness Prosser OBE, Deputy Chairman, Equality and Human Rights Commission; Sarah McCarthy-Fry MP, Exchequer Secretary, HM Treasury, and Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP, Minister for Women and Equality (at 10.30am).	9:45am	Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Environmental Audit Subject: Green Jobs and Skills Witnesses: Tim Balcon, Chief Executive, Energy and Utility Skills; Brian Berry, Director of External Affairs, and Richard Diment, Director General, Federation of Master Builders (at 11.10am).	10:20am	Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Home Affairs Subject: The Cocaine Trade Witnesses: Steve Rolles, Transform, and Professor McKeganey, Centre for Drug Misuse Research, Glasgow University; Mitch Winehouse, and Sarah Graham (at 11.15am).	10:30am	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Defence Subject: The contribution of ISTAR to operations Witnesses: Thales UK, Intellect, and General Dynamics; Brigadier Gordon Messenger DSO OBE, Commander, 3rd Commando Brigade Royal Marines, Air Commodore Stuart Atha DSO ADC, UK Air Component Commander, and Lt Col Andrew McInerney, Command Support Group, 3rd Commando Brigade Royal Marines, Ministry of Defence (at 11.15am).	10:30am	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
International Development Subject: DFID's programme in Bangladesh Witnesses: Dr Naomi Hossain, Institute of Development Studies, and Professor David Hulme, Brooks World Poverty Institute; Women and Children First, Christian Aid and Professor Anthony Costello, Director of the Centre for International Health and Development, University College London (at 11.30am).	10:30am	Committee Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Business, Innovation and Skills Subject: Exporting out of recession Witnesses: Adam Marshall, Director of Policy, British Chambers of Commerce, Mike Josypenko, Chairman, Sponsors' Alliance Andy Scott, Director of International and UK Operations, CBI, Gary Campkin, Head of International, CBI.	10:30am	Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Speaker's Conference* Subject: Speaker's Conference (on Parliamentary Representation) Witnesses: Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, Prime Minister and Leader, The Labour Party, Rt Hon David Cameron MP, Leader, The Conservative Party and Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, Leader, The Liberal Democrats.	10:30am	The Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House
Culture, Media and Sport* Subject: Department for Culture, Media and Sport Annual Report 2009 and Responsibilities of the Secretary of State Witnesses: Rt Hon Ben Bradshaw MP, Secretary of State and Jonathan Stephens, Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport.	11:00am	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Public Accounts Commission Subject: NAO's Strategy 2010-11 to 2012-13 Witnesses: Sir Andrew Likierman, Chairman, National Audit Office, and Amyas Morse, Comptroller and Auditor General.	11:10am	Committee Room 7, Palace of Westminster
Joint Committee on Human Rights Subject: The work of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Witnesses: Professor Kay Hampton, Professor Francesca Klug OBE, Sir Bert Massie CBE, and Ben Summerskill OBE.	1:45pm	Committee Room 5, Palace of Westminster

Wednesday 21 October

Energy and Climate Change Subject: Low carbon technologies in a green economy Witnesses: Professor Julia King, Aston University, Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, and Stuart Hillmansen, University of Birmingham; UK Chamber of Shipping, and Sustainable Aviation (at 10.15am).	9:15am	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Children, Schools and Families* Subject: (i) Public Expenditure (ii) 21st Century Schools White Paper Witnesses: Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State, and David Bell, Permanent Secretary, Department for Children, Schools and Families.	9:30am	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Treasury Sub Committee Subject: Administration and expenditure of the Chancellor's departments, 2008-09 Witnesses: Debt Management Office; National Savings and Investments (at 3.15pm); Royal Mint (at 4.00pm).	2:30pm	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Foreign Affairs Subject: Scrutiny of Diplomatic Appointment Witnesses: Rt Hon Baroness Amos of Brondesbury.	2:30pm	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Subject: Dairy Farmers of Britain Witnesses: The Co-operative Group (at 3.00pm); Lord Grantchester, Chairman of the Dairy Farmers of Britain Board (at 4.00pm).	3:00pm	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Public Accounts Subject: Financial Management in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Witnesses: Sir Peter Ricketts KCB, Permanent Under Secretary, Mr Keith Luck, Director General of Finance and Mr Tim Gardner, Finance Director, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.	3:30pm	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Thursday 22 October

International Development Subject: HIV/AIDS: Progress on Implementation of DFID's HIV/AIDS Strategy Witnesses: Interact Worldwide, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, and UK Consortium on AIDS and International Development; Mike Foster MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development (at 10.45am).	9:45am	Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Public Administration* Subject: Ministerial and other appointments from outside Parliament Witnesses: Rt Hon Lord Adonis, Secretary of State, Department for Transport, Professor Lord Darzi of Denham KBE, and Admiral The Lord West of Spithead GCB DSC, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office.	10:00am	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Health Subject: Commissioning Witnesses: Professor Gwyn Bevan, LSE, and British Medical Association; Gary Bellfield, interim Director-General of Commissioning and Systems Management, Department of Health, David Stout, Primary Care Trust Network, NHS Confederation, and Mark Britnell (at 11.15am).	10:15am	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Friday 23 October

None

[The decision of a Committee to sit in public may be rescinded without notice]

All public select committee meetings are webcast
Select committees marked with * will be taken by BBC Parliament
Recorded information about forthcoming select and standing committee meetings over the next two sitting days is available on:[Tel 020 7219 2033]. Please note: The decision of a Committee to sit in public may be rescinded, and the place altered without notice and Committees which sit at short notice may not be included in this list.