Liaison Committee - Second Report
The Work of Committees in Session 2008-09

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Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 4 March 2010.

Contents

Terms of Reference

Summary

1  Introduction

Work of the Liaison Committee: an overview

2  Review of Committees' work

The core tasks of select committees

Task 1: Scrutiny of policy proposals

Proposed European legislation

Task 2: To identify and examine areas of emerging policy, or where existing policy is deficient, and make proposals

Task 3: Scrutiny of draft bills

Number of Draft Bills published

Problems with the scrutiny process

Other legislative scrutiny by committees

Scrutiny of secondary legislation in draft

Public Bill Committees

Task 4: To examine specific output from the department

Task 5: Scrutiny of expenditure plans and outturn

Introduction

Departmental annual reports

Estimates

Other scrutiny of expenditure

Alignment and improving parliamentary scrutiny of Government budgets in the future

Task 6: Scrutinising Public Service agreements, Departmental Strategic Objectives and targets

Autumn Performance Reports

Task 7: Monitoring the work of agencies and other public bodies

Task 8: Scrutiny of major appointments

Pre-appointment hearings

Post-appointment scrutiny

Task 9: Implementation of legislation and major policy initiatives

Task 10: Debates in Westminster Hall and the Chamber

3  Working practices

Introduction

Changes to committee remits

Membership issues

Working with others

Cooperation between committees

Relations with government departments

Relations with the devolved administrations

Relations with the European Union

Relations with other legislatures

Sources of advice and assistance

The National Audit Office

The Scrutiny Unit

Information gathering and engagement with the public

Introduction

Seminars and informal meetings

Visits and visitors

Taking evidence away from Westminster

Outreach service

Engaging with the media

Use of electronic media

Petitions

4  Recent Developments

National Policy Statements

Amendments by select committees

Post-legislative scrutiny

Investigation of leak procedures

Regional select committees

Notification of publication of select committee reports on the Order Paper

5  Activity and Resources

Costs of select committees

6  Work and Resources

Background

Resources

Mainstreaming select committees

7  Conclusion

Conclusions and recommendations

Formal Minutes

Annex 1: Select Committee Activity

Annex 2: List of Sessional Reports of Select Committees for 2008-09

Annex 3: An Evaluation of Pre-Appointment Scrutiny Hearings

Appendix 1: Letter from the Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts

Appendix 2: The work of the Scrutiny Unit in 2008-09

Appendix 3: National Audit Office Support for House of Commons Select Committees in 2009

List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament

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Prepared 16 March 2010