Select Committees

A complete list of Select Committee membership and a Factsheet (P2) on the work of Select Committees is available on request from the House of Commons Information Office. The list and Factsheet are also on the Parliament website at:

http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_publications_and_archives/factsheets.cfm

An index to the Select Committee home pages together with links to further pages containing information about their work and publications is on the Parliament website at:

http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/parliamentary_committees16.cfm

Membership:

Administration Committee:

Mr Kevan Jones discharged; Mr Stephen Hepburn added

Children, Schools and Families Committee:

Ms Dawn Butler discharged; Derek Twigg added

Select Committee Meetings
26 - 30 January 2009

Monday 26 January

Children, Schools and Families
Subject: National Curriculum Tests.
Witnesses: Lord Sutherland of Houndwood KT.

Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills
Subject: (i) Putting science and engineering at the heart of government policy (ii) Science question time.

Witnesses: Rt Hon Lord Drayson, Minister of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

Work and Pensions
Subject: The work of DWP's Inquiry into the underlying causes of construction fatalities.
Witnesses: Rita Donaghy, Chair, Inquiry into the underlying causes of construction fatalities.

Public Accounts
Subject: Maintaining the Occupied Royal Palaces.
Witnesses: Sir Alan Reid KCVO, Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to The Queen, Michael Stevens LVO, Deputy Treasurer and Director of Finance, Royal Collection, and Graham Sharpe, Director of Property, the Royal Household, and Jonathan Stephens, Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Communities and Local Government
Subject: Local Authority Investments.
Witnesses: The Society of County Treasurers, the Society of District Council Treasurers and Reading Borough Council; Arlingclose, Butlers and Sector Treasury Services; the Local Government Association and London Councils.

Tuesday 27 January

Treasury
Subject: Banking Crisis.
Witnesses: Alternative Investment Managers, BlackRock, The Children's Investment Fund, NewSmith Capital Partners, and Marshall Wace LLP; Legal and General Investment Management, Investment Managers Association, Association of British Insurers, F&C Investments, and Hedge Funds Standards Board.

Environmental Audit
Subject: Pre-Budget Report 2008.
Witnesses: Professor Tim Jackson, Sustainable Development Commissioner and Professor of Sustainable Development, Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey, Sustainable Development Commission; Campaign for Better Transport and Metropolitan Transport Research Unit.

Business and Enterprise
Subject: The Insolvency Service.
Witnesses: Stephen Speed, Inspector General and Agency Chief Executive, and Graham Horne, Deputy Chief Executive, Insolvency Service.

Defence
Subject: UK national security and resilience.
Witnesses: General Sir David Richards KCB CBE DSO, Commander-in-Chief Land Forces, Ministry of Defence, Niki Tompkinson, Director, TRANSEC, Department for Transport, Chief Constable Bernard Hogan-Howe, Lead Officer for Maritime and Air Support Policing, Association of Chief Police Officers, Rod Johnson, Chief Coastguard, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Brodie Clark, Head, Border Force, UK Border Agency.

International Development
Subject: Sustainable Development in a Changing Climate.
Witnesses: International Institute for Environment and Development; Christian Aid, Tearfund and the World Development Movement.

Welsh Affairs
Subject: Potential benefits of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics for Wales.
Witnesses: Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, Minister for the Olympics and Paralympics, Cabinet Office.

Joint Committee on Tax Law Rewrite Bills
Subject: Tax Law Rewrite Bills.
Witnesses: Robina Dyall, Dr Stephen Batterby, John Sellers CB and Adam Broke, HM Revenue and Customs.

Home Affairs
Subject: Knife Crime.

Witnesses: Scout Association.

Justice
Subject: (i) Justice Reinvestment (ii) Pre-appointment Hearing for the Post of Information Commissioner.
Witnesses: (i) Dr Christian Pfeiffer, Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony (ii) Christopher Graham, preferred candidate for the post of Information Commissioner.

Wednesday 28 January

Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills
Subject: Students and Universities.
Witnesses: Universities UK, Russell Group, Million+ and the 1994 Group; GuildHE, 157 Group and University Alliance.

Scottish Affairs
Subject: Credit Unions in Scotland.
Witnesses: Ian Pearson MP, Economic Secretary to HM Treasury.

Foreign Affairs
Subject: Global Security: Non-proliferation.
Witnesses: Dr Dan Plesch, Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, School of Oriental and African Studies, and Roy Isbister, UK Working Group on Arms; David Hayes, Export Group on Aerospace and Defence. Treasury
Subject: Banking Crisis.
Witnesses: Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Financial Reporting Council, Prof Prem Sikka, University of Essex, and Prof Michael Power, London School of Economics; PwC, KPMG, and Independent Audit; Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings.

Transport
Subject: Taxes and charges on road users.
Witnesses: Transport for London and London Mayoral Team, Greater London Authority and the SPARKS Programme; Nottingham City Council, Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council and Local Government Association; Highways Agency.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Subject: Securing food supplies up to 2050: the challenges for the UK.
Witnesses: Professor Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy, City University; Professor John Beddington, Government Chief Scientific Advisor.

Public Accounts
Subject: Management of tax debt.
Witnesses: Lesley Strathie, Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive, Mike Eland CB, Director-General, Enforcement and Compliance, Nick Lodge, Director, Debt Management and Banking, and Dave Hartnett CB, Permanent Secretary for Tax, HM Revenue and Customs.

Thursday 29 January

Health
Subject: Top-up Fees.
Witnesses: Sophia Christie, Chief Executive, Birmingham East and North PCT, Sir Len Fenwick, Chief Executive, Newcastle Hospitals Trust, and Dr Alison Jones, Royal College of Physicians; Hillary Whittaker, Chief Executive, Beating Bowel Cancer, Professor Karol Sikora Medical Director, CancerPartnersUK, and Dr Jacky Davis, Consultant Radiologist, The Whittington Hospital.

Public Administration
Subject: Equitable Life.
Witnesses: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman; Equitable Life Assurance Society; Equitable Members Action Group.

Home Affairs
Subject: Project Contest.
Witnesses: Tim O'Toole, Managing Director, London Underground, and Nick Agnew, Safety and Contingency Planning Manager, Transport for London.

Friday 30 January

None

Forthcoming Select Committee Meetings

2 - 6 February 2009

Monday 2 February

Work and Pensions Subject: Equality Bill: What steps should DWP take to achieve greater equality? Witnesses: Public Interest Research Unit, Citizens Advice Bureau, and Trades Union Congress; Employer Forum on Disability, Confederation of British Industry, and Federation of Small Business (at 5.15 p.m.)	4:15pm	Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Public Accounts Subject: Financial Management in the NHS: Report on the NHS Summarised accounts 2007/08 Witnesses: David Nicholson CBE, NHS Chief Executive, and David Flory, Director General of NHS Finance, Performance and Operations, Department of Health, and Dr Bill Moyes, Chairman, and Stephen Hay, Chief Operating Officer, Monitor	4:30pm	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Tuesday 3 February

Treasury* Subject: Banking Crisis Witnesses: KSFIOM Action Group, Local Government Association, Landsbanki Guernsey Depositors Action Group, Association of Independent Financial Advisors, and Charities Aid Foundation; Tony Shearer, former Chief Executive, Singer and Friedlander (at 10.45 a.m.); Hon Tony Brown MHK, Chief Minister, and Mark Shimmin, Chief Financial Officer, Isle of Man, John Aspden, Isle of Man Financial Supervision Commission, Lyndon Trott, Chief Minister, States of Guernsey, and Peter Neville, Director General, Guernsey Financial Services Commission (at 11.15 a.m.)	9:45am	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Environmental Audit Subject: Pre-Budget Report 2008 Witnesses: Green New Deal Group, Environmental Industries Commission, and Aldersgate Group; Angela Eagle MP, Exchequer Secretary, HM Treasury (at 11.00 a.m.)	10:00am	Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Speaker's Conference* Subject: Speaker's Conference (on Parliamentary Representation) Witnesses: UK Youth Parliament and UpRising; Citizenship Foundation and The Association for Citizenship Teaching (at 10.50 a.m.); Parliamentary Education Service and Department of Information Services, House of Commons (at 11.20 a.m.)	10:20am	The Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House
Welsh Affairs Subject: The provision of cross-border public services for Wales Witnesses: Birmingham International Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport; Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport, Welsh Assembly Government	10:30am	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Home Affairs Subject: Managing Migration: Points-Based System Witnesses: Confederation of British Industry; NHS Employers, and National Care Association (at 11.00 a.m.); National Farming Union, and HOPS Labour Solutions (at 11.30 a.m.)	10:30am	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Joint Committee on Human Rights Subject: UN Convention Against Torture: allegations of abuse and mistreatment involving UK agents in Pakistan Witnesses: Ian Cobain, Senior Reporter, The Guardian, Brad Adams, Director, and Ali Dayan Hasan, Senior Researcher, Asia Program, Human Rights Watch	1:45pm	Committee Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Justice Subject: The work of the Crown Prosecution Service Witnesses: Criminal Bar Association and Public and Commercial Services Union; Victim Support and Mind (at 4.45 p.m.)	4:15pm	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Wednesday 4 February

Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Subject: Science and Technology Facilities Council Witnesses: Professor Keith Mason, Chief Executive, Science and Technology Facilities Council	9:30am	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Children, Schools and Families Subject: The Work of the Department for Children, Schools and Families Witnesses: Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State, and Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister for Schools and Learners, Department for Children, Schools and Families	9:30am	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Environmental Audit* Subject: Carbon Budgets Witnesses: Lord Turner of Ecchinswell, Chair, Committee on Climate Change	9:30am	Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster
European Scrutiny Subject: Scrutiny performance of the FCO Witnesses: Rt Hon Caroline Flint MP, Minister for Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office	2:30pm	Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Foreign Affairs Subject: Global Security: Non-proliferation Witnesses: Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office	2:30pm	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Treasury* Subject: Banking Crisis Witnesses: Alex Brummer, Daily Mail, Lionel Barber, Financial Times, Robert Peston, BBC, Simon Jenkins, Guardian; Graham Beale, Chief Executive, Nationwide, and Adrian Coles, Director General, Building Societies Association (at 4.00 p.m.)	2:30pm	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Transport Subject: Rail Fares and Franchises Witnesses: First Group plc, National Express Group plc, Virgin Trains and First Hull Trains; Passenger Focus, London TravelWatch and Trainline.com Ltd (at 3.30 p.m.); RMT and TSSA (at 4.15 p.m.)	2:45pm	Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Northern Ireland Affairs Subject: Cross border co-operation Witnesses: Alasdair Fraser, Director, Public Prosecution Service; Al Hutchinson, Police Ombudsman, and Jim Coupland, Senior Director of Investigations, Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (at 3.30 p.m.)	3:00pm	Committee Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Public Accounts Subject: Planning for Homes Witnesses: Peter Housden, Permanent Secretary, and Richard McCarthy, Director General, Housing and Planning, and Steve Quartermain, Chief Planner, Department for Communities and Local Government	3:30pm	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Subject: Securing food supplies up to 2050: the challenges for the UK Witnesses: Chatham House Food Supply Project; Rothamsted Research and Warwick HRI	4:30pm	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Thursday 5 February

Public Administration* Subject: Official Statistics: Publication of Statistics Relating to Knife Crime Witnesses: Sir Michael Scholar KCB and Karen Dunnell, UK Statistics Authority; Kevin Brennan MP, Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (at 10.45 a.m.)	10:00am	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Health Subject: Patient Safety Witnesses: Dr Alison Holmes, Director of Infection Prevention and Control, and Consultant in Infectious Diseases, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Professor Matt Griffiths, Nurse Prescriber and Visiting Professor of Prescribing and Medicines Management, Northampton University, and Professor Aneez Esmail, Professor of General Practice, Manchester University; Dr Jo Bibby, Director of Improvement Programmes, The Health Foundation, Captain Guy Hirst, former airline pilot Human Factors trainer, and Dr Olga Kostopoulou, Medical Decision Making Research Group, Birmingham University (at 11.15 a.m.)	10:00am	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Home Affairs Sub-committee Subject: Project CONTEST: The Government's Counter-Terrorism Strategy Witnesses: tbc	10:15am	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Friday 6 February

None

All public select committee meetings are webcast
Select committees marked with * will be taken by BBC Parliament
Please note: The decision of a Committee to sit in public may be rescinded, and the place altered without notice.

Committees which sit at short notice may not be included in this list.