Session 2010-12
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Weekly Information Bulletin

Weekly Information Bulletin: 19th March 2011

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: http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/select-committee-membership/

Links to Select Committee home pages containing information on the work of the Select Committee and its publications: http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/committees/select/

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:

Joint Committee on Human Rights: Baroness Morris of Bolton discharged, Baroness Stowell of Beeston added

Select Committee Meetings

14 – 18 March 2011

Monday 14 March

Transport
Subject: Impact on transport of recent adverse weather conditions
Witnesses: Rt Hon Philip Hammond, Secretary of State, Department for Transport

Communities and Local Government
Subject: Audit and Inspection of local authorities
Witnesses: Ipsos Mori, Centre for Public Scrutiny and New Local Government Network; Audit Commission

Work and Pensions
Subject: Work Programme: providers and contracting arrangements
Witnesses: Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, Minister of State for Employment

Tuesday 15 March

Transport
Subject: Issues relating to the licensing of taxis and private hire vehicles
Witnesses: RMT, National Taxi Association, and Licensed Private Hire Car Association; National Association of Taxi Users and Travel Watch NorthWest (at 10.50 a.m.); Norman Baker MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport (11.30 am)

Energy and Climate Change
Subject: Electricity Market Reform
Witnesses: Lord Turner of Ecchinswell, Chair, and Dr David Kennedy, Chief Executive, Committee on Climate Change, Duncan Sinclair, Director, Redpoint Energy; CBI and Consumer Focus (at 11.15am)

Public Accounts
Subject: NHS Trust Procurement
Witnesses: Sir David Nicholson KCB CBE, Chief Executive, NHS, and Howard Rolfe, Director of Procurement, East of England NHS Collaborative procurement Hub

Health
Subject: Commissioning: further issues
Witnesses: John Black, President, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Alwen Williams CBE, Chief Executive, East London and the City Alliance PCT cluster, Dr Paul Hobday GP, and Sean Boyle, Senior Research Fellow, London School of Economics; Suzanne Tracey, President, Healthcare Financial Management Association, Noel Plumridge, independent consultant, Andy McKeon, Managing Director for Health, Audit Commission, and Professor Margaret Whitehead, Professor of Public Health, University of Liverpool (at 11.45am)

Business, Innovation and Skills
Subject: Kraft
Witnesses: Marc Firestone, Executive Vice President, Corporate and Legal Affairs and General Counsel, Kraft Foods, Trevor Bond, President of Markets, Kraft Foods Europe, and Nick Bunker, President, Kraft Foods UK and Ireland

Public Administration
Subject: IT Role in Government
Witnesses: Martin Rice, Chief Executive Officer, Erudine, David Clarke MRB, Chief Executive Officer, British Computer Society, Janet Grossman, Chair, Public Sector Council, and Sureyya Cansoy, Director, Public Sector, Intellect; Adam McGreggor, Rewired State, Andy Burton, Chair, Cloud Industry Forum, and Jim Killock, Executive Director, Open Rights Group (at 11.30am)

Culture, Media and Sport
Subject: Football Governance
Witnesses: Burnley, Leeds, Exeter City and Crewe; Supporters Direct and Football Supporters Federation (at 11.45am)

Welsh Affairs
Subject: Inward Investment in Wales
Witnesses: Sir Terry Matthews OBE, Chairman and Simon Gibson OBE, Chief Executive, Wesley Clover

Home Affairs
Subject: Implications for Justice and Home Affairs area of accession of Turkey to EU
Witnesses: Implications for JHA area of accession of Turkey to EU Witness: Ilkka Laitinen, Executive Director, Frontex (via video-link)

Treasury Sub-committee
Subject: Accountability of the Bank of England
Witnesses: Sir David Lees, Chairman, Sir Roger Carr, Lady Rice CBE, and Brendan Barber, Members, Court of the Bank of England

Back Bench Business
Subject: Proposals for backbench debates
Witnesses: Members of Parliament

Joint Committee on Human Rights
Subject: Human Rights Judgments
Witnesses: Martin Howe QC, and Michael Pinto-Duschinsky; Rt Hon the Lord Mackay of Clashfern KT, and Professor Philip Leach (at 2.55pm); Professor Jeremy Waldron (at 3.35pm)

Energy and Climate Change
Subject: Electricity Market Reform
Witnesses: Rt Hon Chris Huhne MP, Secretary of State, and officials, Department of Energy and Climate Change, and HM Treasury officials

Wednesday 16 March

Science and Technology
Subject: Astronomy and Particle Physics
Witnesses: Professor Phil Allport, Head of Particle Physics, University of Liverpool, Professor Mike Bode, Director of the Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Professor Robert C. Kennicutt Jr., Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy Director, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Professor John Peacock, Head of the Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Professor Steve Rawlings, Sub-Department of Astrophysics, Oxford University, and Professor Andrei Seryi, Director, John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science; Professor Keith Mason, Chief Executive, Science and Technology Facilities Council, and Sir Adrian Smith, Director General, Knowledge and Innovation, Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (at 10.15am)

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Subject: Domestic fisheries management – Implications of the Common Fisheries Policy
Witnesses: Richard Benyon MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Education
Subject: 16–19 participation in education and training
Witnesses: Ian MacNaughton, Principal, The Sixth Form College, Colchester, Dr Elaine McMahon CBE, Chief Executive and Principal, Hull College Group, David Lawrence, Principal, Easton College, Jane Machell, Principal, Alton College, and David Wood, Principal and Chief Executive, Lancaster and Morecambe College

Public Accounts Commission
Subject: NAO’s Strategy 2010-11 to 2012-13
Witnesses: Amyas Morse, Comptroller and Auditor General, Andrew Likierman, Chair, Michael Whitehouse, Chief Operating Officer, and Jim Rickleton, Director General Finance and Commerce, National Audit Office

Treasury
Subject: Administration and effectiveness of HMRC
Witnesses: Administration and effectiveness of HMRC Witnesses: Mike Clasper CBE, Chairman, Dame Lesley Strathie, Permanent Secretary, and Chief Executive, and Dave Hartnett CB, Permanent Secretary for Tax, HM Revenue and Customs

Treasury Sub Committee
Subject: Administration and effectiveness of HMRC
Witnesses: Lesley Strathie, Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive; Mike Clasper, Chairman; and, Dave Hartnett, Permanent Secretary for Tax, HMRC

Foreign Affairs
Subject: Developments in UK Foreign Policy
Witnesses: William Hague MP, First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Environmental Audit
Subject: The impact of UK overseas aid on environmental protection and climate change adaptation and mitigation
Witnesses: Department for International Development officials

Public Accounts
Subject: Banking support and the Asset Protection Scheme
Witnesses: Eric Daniels, Chief Executive, Tim Tookey, Group Finance Director, Lloyds Banking Group, Stephen Hester, Chief Executive and Nathan Bostock, Head of Restructuring & Risk Royal Bank of Scotland

Thursday 17 March

None

Friday 18 March

None

Forthcoming Select Committee Meetings
21 – 25 March 2011

Monday 21 March

Environmental Audit
Subject: Climate week
Witnesses: Climate week award winners

3:00pm

The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Public Accounts
Subject: 2012 Olympics
Witnesses: Jonathan Stephens, Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Paul Deighton, Chief Executive, LOCOG, and Dennis Hone, Chief Executive, Olympic Delivery Authority

4:00pm

Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Communities and Local Government
Subject: Audit and Inspection of local authorities
Witnesses: Audit and Inspection of Local Authorities Witnesses: Prospect; Age UK, Women’s Resource Centre, and Taxpayers Alliance (at 4.55pm); Paul O’Brien, Chief Executive, Association of Public Service Excellence, and Professor John Seddon, Vanguard (at 5.30pm)

4:20pm

The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Tuesday 22 March

Transport
Subject: Bus services after the spending review
Witnesses: Stagecoach Group plc, Arriva Bus UK, Compass Travel (Sussex) Ltd, Go West Travel Ltd and Community Transport Association UK; Local Government Association, Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers, pteg, North Yorkshire County Council, and Devon County Council (at 11.15am)

10:15am

Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster

Public Administration
Subject: Good Governance and Civil Service Reform/Cabinet Manual
Witnesses: Good Governance: the effective use of IT Witnesses: Mark Adams-Wright, Chief Information Officer, Suffolk County Council, David Wilde, Chief Information Officer, Westminster City Council, and Martin Ferguson, Head of Policy, Society of Information Technology Management; Joe Harley, Director General and Chief Information Officer, and Malcolm Whitehouse, Group Applications Director, Department for Work and Pensions, Phil Pavitt, Director General and Chief Information Officer and Mark Holden, Director Programmes and Projects IMS, HMRC (at 11.30am)

10:30am

Committee Room 5, Palace of Westminster

Justice
Subject: The operation of the Family Courts
Witnesses: Martha Cover, Interdisciplinary Alliance for Children; Baroness Howarth OBE, Chair, Anthony Douglas CBE, Chief Executive, and Bruce Clark, Director of Policy, Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (at 11.00am)

10:30am

The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Culture, Media and Sport
Subject: Football Governance
Witnesses: Ian Watmore, former Chief Executive of the Football Association; Richard Bevan, Chief Executive, League Managers Association (at 11.45am)

10:45am

The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Subject: Welfare of Laying Hens Directive-Implications for the egg industry
Witnesses: European Commission Directorate General for Health and Consumer Policy (DG SANCO); Rt Hon James Paice MP, Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (at 11.45am)

11:00am

Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster

Home Affairs
Subject: (i) Work of the Home Office - Equalities (ii) Follow-up on domestic violence
Witnesses: (i) Scope, Stonewall, and Equanomics UK (at 11.30 a.m.); (ii) Women’s Aid and Refuge (at 12.15 p.m.); Karma Nirvana (at 12.45pm); Lynn Featherstone MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Equalities, Home Office (at 1.15pm)

11:30am

Committee Room 18, Palace of Westminster

Business, Innovation and Skills
Subject: The future of higher education
Witnesses: Lord Browne of Madingley

11:00am

Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Back Bench Business
Subject: Proposals for backbench debates
Witnesses: (i) Scope, Stonewall, and Equanomics UK (at 11.30 a.m.); (ii) Women’s Aid and Refuge (at 12.15pm); Karma Nirvana (at 12.45pm); Lynn Featherstone MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Equalities, Home Office (at 1.15pm)

1:00pm

Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster

Education
Subject: English Baccalaureate
Witnesses: Matt Brady, Assistant Headteacher, Tile Hill Wood School and Language College, Caroline Jordan, Headmistress, St George’s School, Andrew Chubb, Principal, Archbishop Sentamu Academy, and Hugh O’Neill, Headteacher, St Benedict’s Catholic School; Professor Les Ebdonm, Chair of Students Quality Participation Policy Network, Universities UK, Chris Morecroft, President, Association of Colleges, David Bell, Chief Corporate Development Officer, J C Bamford Excavators Ltd, and Susan Anderson, Director of Public Services and Skills, CBI (at 3.15pm)

2:10pm

Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Health
Subject: Commissioning: further issues
Witnesses: Rt Hon Andrew Lansley CBE MP, Secretary of State, Dame Barbara Hakin DBE, National Managing Director of Commissioning Development, and Professor Sir Bruce Keogh KBE, NHS Medical Director, Department of Health

2:30pm

Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster

Wednesday 23 March

Science and Technology
Subject: Forensic Science Service
Witnesses: Bill Griffiths, Chairman, and Dr Gillian Tully, Research and Development Manager, Forensic Science Service, and Steve Thomas, Officer for Forensic Science Service, Prospect Union

9:15am

The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Public Administration
Subject: Good governance: the effective use of IT
Witnesses: Craig Wilson, Managing Director, UK and Ireland, HP Enterprise Services

10:00am

Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster


Thursday 24 March

Business, Innovation and Skills
Subject: Student visas
Witnesses: Universities UK and CBI; Damian Green MP, Minister of State for Immigration, Home Office, and Jeremy Browne MP, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (at 11.00am)

10:00am

Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster

Treasury
Subject: Budget 2011
Witnesses: Jonathan Portes, Director, and Ray Barrell, Director of Macroeconomic Research and Forecasting, National Institute of Economic and Social Research

10:15am

The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Environmental Audit
Subject: The impact of UK overseas aid on environmental protection and climate change adaptation and mitigation
Witnesses: George Jambiya, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Natural Resources Forum, Government of Tanzania officials, Lars Mikkel Johannesen, Chair, Development Partners Group for Environment and Climate Change, Tanzania, and Department for International Development officials (via video link)

11:05am

The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Friday 25 March

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.