House of Commons

Session 2008 - 09
Publications on the internet
Weekly Information Bulletin

Weekly Information Bulletin: 7th March 2009

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 John Randall discharged; Michael Fabricant added

Regional Select Committees appointed by the House on 3 March 2009

East of England Regional Select Committee:

Mr Charles Clarke Dr Ian Gibson Patrick Hall Margaret Moran Mr Anthony Wright

East Midlands Regional Select Committee:

Mr John Heppell Mr Bob Laxton Judy Mallaber Sir Peter Soulsby Paddy Tipping

North East Regional Select Committee:

Mr David Anderson Mr David Clelland Mrs Sharon Hodgson Ms Dari Taylor Phil Wilson

North West Regional Select Committee:

Rosie Cooper Mr David Crausby Tony Lloyd Mr Eric Martlew Geraldine Smith

South East Regional Select Committee:

Ms Celia Barlow Dr Stephen Ladyman David Lepper Gwyn Prosser Mr Andrew Smith

South West Regional Select Committee:

Mr David Drew Linda Gilroy Kerry McCarthy Dr Doug Naysmith Alison Seabeck

West Midlands Regional Select Committee:

Mr Adrian Bailey Richard Burden Mr David Kidney Mr James Plaskitt Joan Walley

Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Select Committee:

Chairman: Mr Eric Illsley

Mr Clive Betts Mr Ian Cawsey Mary Creagh Mr Eric Illsley Shona McIsaac

Select Committee Meetings
2 - 6 March 2009

Monday 2 March

Welsh Affairs
Subject: Proposed Draft National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Social Welfare) Order 2009 relating to Carers.
Witnesses: Gwenda Thomas AM, Deputy Minister for Social Services, Welsh Assembly Government; Wayne David MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Wales Office.

Public Accounts
Subject: Pay modernisation in the NHS: Agenda for change.
Witnesses: David Nicholson CBE, NHS Chief Executive, Clare Chapman, Director General of Workforce, Department of Health and Michael Griffin, Executive Director of Human Resources, Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Communities and Local Government
Subject: Traditional Retail Markets.
Witnesses: Ann Coffey MP, Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Markets Group; Dr Sophie Watson, Professor of Sociology, Open University; National Market Traders' Federation, Association of Town Centre Management and National Farmers' Retail and Markets Association.

Tuesday 3 March

Treasury

Subject: Banking Crisis.
Witnesses: Glenn Moreno, Chairman and John Kingman, Chief Executive, UK Financial Investments Ltd.

Environmental Audit
Subject: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation.
Witnesses: Michael Foster MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development, Joan Ruddock MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change, and Huw Irranca-Davies MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

International Development
Subject: Sustainable Development in a Changing Climate.
Witnesses: Jodie Keane, Research Officer, International Economic Development Group, and Leo Peskett, Research Fellow, Climate Change, Environment and Forests Group, Overseas Development Institute; WWF.

Home Affairs
Subject: (i) Managing Migration: Points-Based System; (ii) The Visa Entry Clearance Process.
Witnesses: (i) Professor Paul Wellings, Universities UK and Vice-Chancellor, Lancaster University, and Simeon Underwood, Registrar, London School of Economics and Political Science; Louise De Winter, Director, National Campaign for the Arts, Malcolm Clay, Secretary, Association of Circus Proprietors, and Ruth Jarratt, Director of Policy Development, Royal Opera House (ii) Meg Hillier MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Identity, Home Office.

Welsh Affairs
Subject: Digital Inclusion.
Witnesses: Dr Neil Selwyn and Dr Ben Anderson; Ofcom

Speaker's Conference

Witnesses: Peter Facey, Director, and Alexandra Runswick, Deputy Director, Unlock Democracy; Sarah Veale, Head of Equality and Employment Rights, and Narmada Thiranagama, Policy Officer (Women's Equality), TUC; Trevor Phillips, Chairman, Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Justice
Subject: Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Witnesses: Jonathan Slater, Acting Chief Executive, and Catherine Lee, Director, Delivery and Communications, Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Ministry of Justice

Wednesday 4 March

International Development
Subject: Aid Under Pressure: Support For Development Assistance in a Global Economic Downturn.
Witnesses: Dambisa Moyo; Neil McCulloch, Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, Dr David McNair, Senior Economic Justice Adviser, Christian Aid, and Dr Dirk Willem de Velde, Programme Leader (Investment and Growth), Overseas Development Institute.

Energy and Climate Change
Subject: The work of the Committee on Climate Change.
Witnesses: Lord Turner of Ecchinswell, Chair, and David Kennedy, Chief Executive, Committee on Climate Change.

Scottish Affairs
Subject: Banking in Scotland.
Witnesses: Scottish Trades Union Congress and Unite the union; Scottish Financial Enterprise.

Foreign Affairs
Subject: Global Security: The Middle East.
Witnesses: Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State, and Dr John Jenkins, Director, Middle East, FCO.

Transport
Subject: The use of Air Space.
Witnesses: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways and International Air Transport Association; Ministry of Defence.

Public Accounts
Subject: Management of Asylum Applications by the UK Border Agency.
Witnesses: Sir David Normington KCB, Permanent Secretary, Home Office, Lin Homer, Chief Executive and Matthew Coats, Head of Immigration, UK Border Agency, Home Office.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Subject: Securing Food Supplies up to 2050: The Challenges for the UK.
Witnesses: National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations; National Farmers' Union, and Country Land and Business Association.

Thursday 5 March

Public Administration
Subject: (i) Leaks and Whistleblowing in Whitehall (ii) Outside appointments to the Senior Civil Service.
Witnesses: Janet Paraskeva, First Civil Service Commissioner and Richard Jarvis, Head of Independent Offices, Office of the Civil Service Commissioners.

Health
Subject: Patient Safety.
Witnesses: Professor Sir Ian Kennedy, Chairman, Healthcare Commission, Baroness Young of Old Scone, Chair, Care Quality Commission, and Dr Bill Moyes, Executive Chairman, Monitor; Finlay Scott, Chief Executive, General Medical Council and Steve Walker, Chief Executive, NHS Litigation Authority; Geoffrey Podger, Chief Executive, Health and Safety Executive, and Professor Kent Woods, Chief Executive, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

Friday 6 March

None

Forthcoming Select Committee Meetings
9 - 13 March 2009

Monday 9 March

European Scrutiny*
Subject: Commission Communication: The impact of the free movement of workers in the context of EU enlargement
Witnesses: Lord Mandelson Secretary of State and Government Spokesperson for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reforms

2:00pm Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster

Children, Schools and Families
Subject: Early Intervention
Witnesses: Graham Allen MP

4:00pm The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Innovation, Universities and Skills Sub Committee
Subject: Students and Universities
Witnesses: Professor Bob Burgess, Chair, Higher Education Achievement Report Implementation Group and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, Professor Gina Wisker, Heads of Education and Development Group, Professor James Wisdom, Staff and Educational Development Association, and Professor Geoffrey Alderman; Professor Paul Ramsden, Higher Education Authority, Peter Williams, Quality Assurance Agency, and Anthony McClaran, UCAS

4:15pm The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Public Accounts
Subject: HM Revenue & Customs: The Control and Facilitation of Imports
Witnesses: Leslie Strathie, Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive, Melanie Dawes, Acting Director General Business Tax and Douglas Tweddle CBE, Director Customs and International, HM Revenue & Customs, and Mr Brodie Clarke, Head of Border Force, UK Border Agency, Home Office

4:30pm Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Tuesday 10 March

Communities and Local Government
Subject: Traditional Retail Markets
Witnesses: Committee Visit

(am) Ridley Road Market and Chapel Market

Regulatory Reform
Subject: Themes and Trends in Regulatory Reform
Witnesses: Sir William Sargent, Executive Chair and Jitinder Kohli, Chief Executive, Better Regulation Executive

9:35am Committee Room 19, Palace of Westminster

Welsh Affairs
Subject: Digital Inclusion in Wales
Witnesses: BT Wales; Geo Networks and Virgin Media (at 11:15 am)

10:30am Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster

Business and Enterprise*
Subject: Digital Britain
Witnesses: Lord Carter CBE

10:30am Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster

Culture, Media and Sport*
Subject: Press standards, privacy and libel
Witnesses: Max Mosley

10:30am The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Home Affairs
Subject: Knife Crime
Witnesses: West Midlands Mediation and Transformation Service, Kid's Company, and Damilola Taylor Trust; Philip Hearne; Philip Lawrence Awards

11:00am The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Joint Committee on Human Rights
Subject: Childrens Rights
Witnesses: Sir Al Aynsley-Green, Children's Commissioner; Kathleen Marshall, Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People; Keith Towler, Children's Commissioner for Wales, and Patricia Lewsley, Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People; on Children's Rights.

1:45pm Committee Room 5, Palace of Westminster

Culture, Media and Sport*
Subject: Press standards, privacy and libel
Witnesses: Gerry McCann, Clarence Mitchell, Adam Tudor, Carter Ruck solicitors

2:45pm The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Justice
Subject: (i)The work of the Crown Prosecution Service; (ii) The work of the Criminal Cases Review Commission
Witnesses: (i) Rt Hon Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC, Attorney General;
(ii) Richard Foster CBE, Chairman, Alastair MacGregor, Deputy Chairman, Colin Albert, Principal Director, Karen Kneller, Director of Casework, Criminal Cases Review Commission (at 5:15pm)

4:15pm The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

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.)

10:40am The Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House

Wednesday 11 March

Energy and Climate Change
Subject: UK offshore oil and gas
Witnesses: Steve Jenkins, Chairman Alan Booth, Chief Executive Officer, Encore Oil Martyn Millwood, Chief Executive Officer, Ikon Science, Oil and Gas Independents' Association; Martin Harper, Head of Sustainable Development Dr Sharon Thompson, Senior Marine Policy Officer, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (at 10:15 am)

9:15am The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Work and Pensions
Subject: Jobcentre Plus
Witnesses: One off evidence session: Mel Groves, Chief Executive and Ruth Owen, Chief Operating Officer of Jobcentre Plus, Mark Fisher, Welfare to Work Director, Department for Work and Pensions.

9:30am The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Health
Subject: Operating Framework for the NHS in England
Witnesses: Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, Secretary of State, Department of Health

9:30am Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Committees on Arms Export Controls
Subject: Strategic Export Controls
Witnesses: Amnesty UK, Oxfam GB and Saferworld; Export Group for Aerospace & Defence (at 10:30 a.m.)

9:45am Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster

International Development
Subject: Sustainable Development in a Changing Climate
Witnesses: Professor Lord Stern of Brentford

2:00pm The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Foreign Affairs
Subject: Developments in the European Union
Witnesses: Baroness Catherine Ashton, European Trade Commissioner

2:30pm The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Transport
Subject: The effects of adverse weather conditions on transport in the United Kingdom
Witnesses: Local Government Association, County Surveyors Society and TAG Transportation Committee; Paul Clark MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport, and Highways Agency (at 3:45 pm)

2:45pm The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

European Scrutiny*
Subject: Commission Communication: The impact of the free movement of workers in the context of EU enlargement
Witnesses: Phil Woolas MP, Minister of State for The Home Office and HM Treasury

3:00pm Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster

Public Accounts
Subject: The Warm Front Scheme
Witnesses: Dame Helen Ghosh DCB, Permanent Secretary, DEFRA, Moira Wallace, Permanent Secretary, and Simon Virley, Director General (acting), National Climate Change and Consumer Support, Department of Energy and Climate Change, and Paul Varley, Divisional Managing Director - Managed Services, eaga plc

3:30pm Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Thursday 12 March

Public Administration
Subject: Leaks and Whistleblowing in Whitehall/Outside Appointments to the Senior Civil Service/Executive pay in the Public Sector
Witnesses: FDA, Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and Prospect

10:00am The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House