The Committee of Public Accounts is appointed by the House of Commons to examine "the accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted by Parliament to meet the public expenditure, and of such other accounts laid before Parliament as the committee may think fit" (Standing Order No 148).

Current membership
Mr Edward Leigh MP (Conservative, Gainsborough) (Chairman)
Mr Richard Allan MP (Liberal Democrat, Sheffield Hallam)
Mr Richard Bacon MP (Conservative, South Norfolk)
Jon Cruddas MP (Labour, Dagenham)
Mr Ian Davidson MP (Labour, Glasgow Pollock)
Rt Hon Frank Field MP (Labour, Birkenhead)
Mrs Cheryl Gillan MP (Conservative, Chesham and Amersham)
Mr Brian Jenkins MP (Labour, Tamworth)
Mr Nigel Jones MP (Liberal Democrat, Cheltenham)
Ms Ruth Kelly MP (Labour, Bolton West)
Mr George Osborne MP (Conservative, Tatton)
Jim Sheridan MP (Labour, West Renfrewshire)
Mr Siôn Simon MP (Labour, Birmingham Erdington)
Mr Gerry Steinberg MP (Labour, City of Durham)
Jon Trickett MP (Labour, Hemsworth)
Rt Hon Alan Williams MP (Labour, Swansea West)

The following were also members of the Committee during the period of this inquiry.

Mr Nick Gibb MP (Conservative, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Mr David Rendel MP (Liberal Democrat, Newbury)

Powers
Powers of the Committee of Public Accounts are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 148. These are available on the Internet via www.parliament.uk.

Publications
The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the Internet at http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/committee_of_public_accounts.cfm. A list of Reports of the Committee in the present Session is at the back of this volume.

Committee staff
The current staff of the Committee is Nick Wright (Clerk), Christine Randall (Committee Assistant), Leslie Young (Committee Assistant), and Ronnie Jefferson (Secretary).

Contacts
All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk, Committee of Public Accounts, House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 5708; the Committee's email address is pubaccom@parliament.uk.