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:

Standards and Privileges: Sir Malcolm Rifkind appointed Chairman

Select Committee Meetings
30 November - 4 December 2009

Monday 30 November

East Midlands Regional Committee
Subject: Share of funding in the East Midlands
Witnesses: Janet Birkin, Chairman, Derbyshire Police Authority, and Richard Compton, Chief Constable, Lincolnshire Police; Big Lottery Fund, Sport England, and Art Council

Work and Pensions
Subject: Management and Administration of Contracted Employment programmes
Witnesses: Huw Davies, Chief Executive, British Association for Supported Employment, Rob Murdoch, Chair, Employment Related Service Association (ERSA) and Executive Director, A4e, and Matthew Lester, Vice Chair, ERSA and Director of Operations, The Papworth Trust

Science and Technology Sub-Committee
Subject: Evidence check: homeopathy
Witnesses: Mike O'Brien QC MP, Minister for Health Services, Department of Health; Professor David Harper, Director General, Health Improvement and Protection, and Chief Scientist, Department of Health; Professor Kent Woods, Chief Executive, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency

Communities and Local Government
Subject: Preventing Violent Extremism
Witnesses: Quilliam, Institute of Community Cohesion, and New Local Government Network; Muslim Council of Britain, An-Nisa Society, and Islamic Human Rights Commission; Forward Thinking, Ulfah Arts, and JUST

Public Accounts
Subject: Department for International Development's Assistance to Malawi
Witnesses: Dr Nemat Minouche Shafik, Permanent Secretary, Gwen Hines, Head of Malawi Country Office, and Sam Sharpe, Director, Finance and Corporate Performance Division, Department for International Development

Tuesday 1 December

Environmental Audit
Subject: Adapting to Climate Change
Witnesses: Natural England; Water UK; and UK Climate Impacts Programme

Culture, Media and Sport and Business, Innovation and Skills
Subject: Ofcom Annual Plan 2009-10
Witnesses: Dr Colette Bowe, Chairman, and Ed Richards, Chief Executive, Ofcom

Defence
Subject: Defence Equipment
Witnesses: General Sir Kevin O'Donoghue KCB CBE, Chief of Defence Materiel, Dr Andrew Tyler, Chief Operating Officer, Defence Equipment and Support, and Guy Lester, Director, Equipment Resources, Ministry of Defence

Home Affairs
Subject: The Cocaine Trade
Witnesses: Association of Chief Police Officers, and Metropolitan Police; UK Border Agency; Maria Eagle MP, Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, and National Offender Management Service; Serious Organised Crime Agency

Welsh Affairs
Subject: (i) Cross-border provision of public services for Wales: Further and Higher Education; follow-up (ii) Big Lottery Fund
Witnesses: (i) Jane Hutt AM, Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, Welsh Assembly Government (ii) Big Lottery Fund

International Development
Subject: DFID's programme in Bangladesh
Witnesses: Professor Geoff Wood, University of Bath, and Dr Martin Greeley, Institute of Development Studies; Pierre Landell-Mills, Consultant, and Dr Thomas Tanner, Institute of Development Studies

Joint Committee on Human Rights
Subject: Counter-terrorism Policy and Human Rights
Witnesses: Rt Hon David Hanson MP, Minister for Policing and Crime, Home Office

Wednesday 2 December

Energy and Climate Change
Subject: Project Discovery; and the prospect for domestic prices
Witnesses: Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem)

Work and Pensions
Subject: Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
Witnesses: Janet Paraskeva, Chair, and Stephen Geraghty, Commissioner, Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission

Science and Technology
Subject: The work of the UK research councils
Witnesses: Professor Alan Thorpe, Chairman, Research Councils UK

Joint Committee on Human Rights
Subject: Annual Session with the Human Rights Minister
Witnesses: Rt Hon Michael Wills MP, Minister for Human Rights

Scottish Affairs
Subject: Banking in Scotland
Witnesses: Scottish Trades Union Congress, Unite the Union, Clydesdale Ban, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Building Societies Association

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Subject: Defra's Departmental Report 2009: the Rural Payments Agency
Witnesses: Dame Helen Ghosh, Permanent Secretary to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Tony Cooper, Chief Executive, Rural Payments Agency

Foreign Affairs
Subject: Global Security: UK/US Relations
Witnesses: Nick Witney, Senior Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations; Stryker McGuire, Contributing Editor, Newsweek, and Justin Webb, Journalist, BBC; Sir Jeremy Greenstock GCMG, and Sir David Manning GCMG CVO

Transport
Subject: Performance of the Department for Transport
Witnesses: Rt Hon Lord Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport, and Robert Devereux, Permanent Secretary, Department for Transport

Public Accounts*
Subject: Equality and Human Rights Commission Accounts
Witnesses: Mr Jonathan Rees, Director General, Government Equalities Office, Mr Trevor Phillips, Chair and Mr Neil Kinghan CB, Interim Director General, Equality and Human Rights Commission

Thursday 3 December

Health
Subject: Social Care
Witnesses: Caroline Glendinning, Professor of Social Policy, University of York, Peter Beresford, Professor of Social Policy, Brunel University, and In Control; Jenny Owen, President, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, and Councillor Sir Jeremy Beecham, Vice-Chairman, Local Government Association

Public Administration
Subject: Public Administration and the Fiscal Squeeze
Witnesses: Institute for Government, Reform, and Professor Colin Talbot

Culture, Media and Sport
Subject: The Future of Local and Regional Media
Witnesses: Matt Brittin, Managing Director, Google UK; Paul Bradshaw, Lecturer in Journalism, Birmingham University

Welsh Affairs
Subject: Cross-border provision of public services for Wales: follow-up
Witnesses: Rt Hon Mike O'Brien QC MP, Minister of State, Department of Health, Phil Woolas MP, Minister for the North West, and Rt Hon David Lammy MP, Minister for Higher Education and Intellectual Property, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Friday 4 December

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.

Forthcoming Select Committee Meetings
7 - 11 December 2009

Monday 7 December

South West Regional Subject: Transport in the South West Witnesses: Highways Agency South West, and Network Rail; South West Regional Development Agency (at 3.45pm); Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister for the South West, and Chris Mole MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport (at 4.30pm)	3:15pm	Committee Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Children, Schools and Families Subject: Sure Start Children's Centres Witnesses: Association of Directors of Children's Services, London Borough of Newham, and Northumberland County Council; Loughborough Primary School and Children's Centre, Ormiston Children and Families Trust, St Thomas' Children's Centre, and Treetops Children's Centre (at 4.45pm)	4:00pm	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Committee on Issue of Privilege (Police Searches on Parliamentary Estate)* Subject: Police searches on the Parliamentary Estate Witnesses: Sir William McKay KCB; Jill Pay, Serjeant at Arms (at 4.55pm)	4:15pm	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Public Accounts Subject: Dealing with the tax obligations of older people Witnesses: Lesley Strathie, Chief Executive and Permanent Secretary, Sarah Walker, Director, Benefits and Credits, and Jane Frost, Director, Individuals Customer Unit, HM Revenue and Customs	4:30pm	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Communities and Local Government Subject: Beyond Decent Homes Witnesses: BRE Housing Group, Ridge and Partners, and Savills Ltd; Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Executive, Homes and Communities Agency, Peter Marsh, Chief Executive, Tenant Services Authority, and Rt Hon John Healey MP, Minister for Housing, Department for Communities and Local Government (at 5.10pm)	4:40pm	Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster

Tuesday 8 December

Treasury Sub Committee Subject: Administration and expenditure of the Chancellor's departments, 2008-09 Witnesses: Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Financial Secretary, and Sarah McCarthy-Fry MP, Exchequer Secretary, HM Treasury	9:45am	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Environmental Audit Subject: Adapting to Climate Change Witnesses: Local Government Information Unit; Town and Country Planning Association (at 11.00am)	10:20am	Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Defence Subject: Defence Equipment 2010 Witnesses: Finmeccanica UK Limited, BAE Systems, General Dynamics UK Limited, Defence Industries Council, and ADS Group Ltd	10:30am	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Business, Innovation and Skills Subject: Pub Companies: Follow Up Witnesses: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors; British Beer and Pub Association (at 11.15 a.m.); Independent Pub Confederation (at 12.15 p.m.)	10:30am	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Home Affairs* Subject: The Home Office's response to Terrorist Attacks; The Cocaine Trade Witnesses: (i) Andy Hayman CBE; Sir Ian Blair (at 11.20 a.m.) (ii) Keith Hellawell (at 11.45 a.m.); Alan Campbell MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (at 12 noon)	10:30am	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Culture, Media and Sport* Subject: The Future of Local and Regional Media Witnesses: Michael Grade CBE, Executive Chairman, and Michael Jermey, Director of News, Current Affairs and Sport, ITV plc; Siôn Simon MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, and Keith Smith, Deputy Director of Media, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (at 11.30 a.m.)	10:30am	Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Welsh Affairs Subject: Welsh prisoners in the prison estate Witnesses: Maria Eagle MP, Minister of State, Ministry of Justice	11:00am	Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Justice Subject: (i) Justice issues in Europe (ii) HM Chief Inspector, Crown Prosecution Service Witnesses: (i) Nuala Mole, AIRE Centre, Jago Russell, Fair Trials International, and Jodie Blackstock, Justice (ii) Stephen Wooler CB, HM Chief Inspector, Crown Prosecution Service (at 5.00 p.m.)	4:15pm	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Wednesday 9 December

Children, Schools and Families Subject: Early Years Single Funding Formula Witnesses: Birmingham City Council, Hertfordshire County Council, and Sheffield City Council; Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo MP, Minister for Children, Young People and Families, Department for Children, Schools and Families (at 10.30 a.m.)	9:30am	T he Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Foreign Affairs Subject: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Departmental Annual Report 2008-09 Witnesses: Sir Peter Ricketts KCMG, Permanent Under-Secretary, Keith Luck, Director General Finance, and James Bevan, Director General Change and Delivery, Foreign and Commonwealth Office	9:45am	Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Foreign Affairs* Subject: Developments in the EU Witnesses: Rt Hon David Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and Matthew Rycroft, Director EU, Foreign and Commonwealth Office	2:30pm	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Scottish Affairs* Subject: Banking in Scotland Witnesses: Archie Kane, Group Executive Director, Insurance, Lloyds Banking Group	2:30pm	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Transport* Subject: Update on the London Underground and the public-private partnership (PPP) agreements Witnesses: Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, and Richard Parry, Interim Managing Director, Transport for London; Tube Lines (at 3.15 p.m.); ASLEF, RMT, and London Travel Watch (at 3.45 p.m.); Rt Hon Sadiq Khan MP, Minister of State, Department for Transport (at 4.15 p.m.)	2:45pm	Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Public Accounts Subject: The procurement of criminal legal aid in England and Wales by the Legal Services Commission/The Legal Services Commission Accounts Witnesses: Carolyn Regan, Chief Executive, and Hugh Barrett, Executive Director, Legal Services Commission, and Peter Handcock CBE, Director General, Access to Justice, Ministry of Justice	3:30pm	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Thursday 10 December

Public Administration
Subject: Work of the Charity Commission in 2008-09
Witnesses: Dame Suzi Leather, Chair and Andrew Hind, Chief Executive, Charity Commission

10:00am

The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House