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:

Administration Committee:

Mr Simon Burns discharged and Alistair Burt be added

Select Committee Meetings
30 March - 3 April 2009

Monday 30 March

Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills
Subject: Students and Universities
Witnesses: Professor Janet Beer, Vice-Chancellor, Oxford Brookes University, and Dr John Hood, Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford; Professor Roger Goodman, University of Oxford, Professor Margaret Price, Oxford Brookes University, Dr Chris Rust, Oxford Brookes University, and Professor Alan Ryan, University of Oxford; Panel of Students from Oxford Brookes University

Welsh Affairs
Subject: The National Assembly of Wales (Legislative Competence) (Welsh Language) Order 2009
Witnesses: Welsh Language Board; Federation of Small Businesses; BT

South West Regional
Subject: Impact of the Economic Downturn on the South West and the Region's Response
Witnesses: : Harry Studholme, Board Member, and Stephen Peacock, Executive Director, Enterprise and Innovation, South West of England Regional Development Agency, Peter Brown, Deputy Chief Executive, South West Regional Assembly and South West Councils, and Councillor Rod Bluh, Leader, Swindon Borough Council and Leader, South West Strategic Leaders Board; Ben Bradshaw MP, Minister for the South West, and Jon Bright, Regional Director, Richard Bayly, Deputy Regional Director, and Thoss Shearer, Deputy Regional Director, Government Office for the South West

Public Accounts
Subject: Northern Rock
Witnesses: Sir Nick Macpherson, Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury, and John Kingman, Chief Executive, UK Financial Investments Ltd

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Subject: Securing food supplies up to 2050: the challenges for the UK
Witnesses: Soil Association

Tuesday 31 March

International Development
Subject: Aid Under Pressure: Support for Development Assistance in a Global Economic Downturn.
Witnesses: Professor Cathy Pharoah, Professor of Charity Funding, Cass Business School, Dr David Hudson, Director of International Public Policy, University College London, Hetan Shah, Chief Executive, Development Education Agency, and Oxfam.

Communities and Local Government
Subject: Traditional Retail Markets
Witnesses: Michael Felton Associates and Quarterbridge Project Management Ltd; St Albans District Council and Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council; London Borough of Southwark, City of Westminster Council and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Environmental Audit
Subject: The Role of Carbon Markets in Preventing Dangerous Climate Change
Witnesses: WWF; Sandbag Climate Campaign. Carbon Trade Watch; The Corner House and World Development Movement

Speaker's Conference
Subject: Speaker's Conference (on Parliamentary Representation)
Witnesses: Baroness Uddin, Chair, Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Women Councillors Taskforce, Dame Jane Roberts, Chair, Councillors Commission, and Councillor Anjana Patel, Lead Member for Equalities, London Councils

Business and Enterprise
Subject: Post Offices - Securing their Future
Witnesses: National Federation of Sub-Postmasters; Federation of Small Businesses

Home Affairs
Subject: Follow Up to Policing in the 21st Century.
Witnesses: Vernon Croaker MP, Minister of State, Home Office; Chief Constable Med Hughes QPM; Jan Berry, Chair, Police Federation of England and Wales; Chief Constable Dr Tim Brain OBE QPM

Welsh Affairs
Subject: Digital Inclusion in Wales
Witnesses: Family Online Safety Institute, Ofcom, and Professor Sonia Livingstone; Get Safe Online and e-crime Wales

Justice
Subject: Role of the Prison Officer
Witnesses: Colin Moses, National Chairman, Prison Officers Association; Peter Olech, Secretary, and Mike Nolan, President, NOMS Group, Public and Commercial Services Union; Paddy Scriven, General Secretary, and Dave Hoskins, Finance Officer, Prison Governors Association.

Scottish Affairs
Subject: Crisis in the Scottish Press Industry
Witnesses: National Union of Journalists, and Scottish Trades Union Congress; Professor Neil Blain, University of Stirling, and Martin Boyle, Cardonald College Glasgow

Wednesday 1 April

Energy and Climate Change
Subject: Future of Britain's Electricity Networks
Witnesses: Dr Michael Pollitt, Electricity Policy Research Group, University of Cambridge, Professor Goran Strbac, Imperial College, London, and Dr Jim Watson, Sussex Energy Group

Children, Schools and Families
Subject: School Accountability
Witnesses: Councillor Les Lawrence, Chair, Children and Young People's Board, Local Government Association; Councillor Les Lawrence, Chair, Children and Young People's Board, Local Government Association, Declan McCauley, Primary School Improvement Partner, Lynda Jones, Secondary School Improvement Partner, and Laurie Cooper, Acting Head School Performance for Primary Schools, Warwickshire County Council, and School Improvement Partner

Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills
Subject: (i) Putting Science and Engineering at the Heart of Government Policy (ii) Technology Strategy Board
Witnesses: (i) Dame Deirdre Hutton, Chair, Food Standards Agency, Professor Chris Gaskell, Chair, Defra Science Advisory Council, and Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, former Chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ii) Iain Gray, Chief Executive, David Bott, Director, Innovation Programmes, and David Golding, Head of Strategy, Technology Strategy Board.

International Development
Subject: Aid Under Pressure: Support for Development Assistance in a Global Economic Downturn
Witnesses: OECD Development Assistance Committee, European Commission

Transport
Subject: The use of Air Space
Witnesses: Airport Operators Association, BAA Airports Ltd, Birmingham International Airport Ltd, London City Airport and Manchester Airports Group; General Aviation Alliance, British Business and General Aviation Association and Light Aircraft Association.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Subject: Securing Food Supplies up to 2050: Challenges for the UK
Witnesses: Anastassios Haniotis, Head of Unit, Agricultural Policy Analysis and Perspectives, European Commission

Northern Ireland Affairs
Subject: Political Developments in Northern Ireland
Witnesses: Rt. Hon. Shaun Woodward MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Thursday 2 April

Public Administration
Subject: Leaks and Whistleblowing in Whitehall
Witnesses: Sir Sumi Chakrabarti KCB, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice

Transport
Subject: The Effects of Adverse Weather Conditions on Transport in the United Kingdom
Witnesses: Valerie Shawcross, Chair, London Assembly Transport Committee and Nigel Barrett, Chief Executive Officer, East London Bus Group; Boris Johnson, Mayor of London and Peter Hendy, Transport Commissioner, Transport for London.

Friday 3 April

None

Forthcoming Select Committee Meetings

20 - 24 April 2009

Monday 20 April

West Midlands Regional Committee Subject: The impact of the current economic and financial situation on businesses in the West Midlands Region Witnesses: Barclays Bank, HSBC, Lloyds TSB and Royal Bank of Scotland	11:30am	The Old Library, The Custard Factory, Birmingham
Children, Schools and Families Subject: Teacher Training Witnesses: Keith Bartley, Chief Executive, General Teaching Council for England (GTCE); Professor Sonia Blandford, Director of Leadership Development, Teach First; Professor Chris Husbands, Dean, Faculty of Culture and Pedagogy, Institute of Education, University of London; and Professor Roger Woods, Chair, Universities' Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET)	3:45pm	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Welsh Affairs Subject: The National Assembly of Wales (Legislative Competence) (Welsh Language) Order 2009 Witnesses: Professor Robert Dunbar and Quebec and Catalan Governments; RWE npower, E-On, Virgin Media (at 4:45pm)	4:15pm	Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Communities and Local Government Subject: Traditional Retail Markets Witnesses: National Retail Planning Forum, and Geraud Group of Companies; Iain Wright MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (at 5:20pm)	4:40pm	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Tuesday 21 April

Treasury Subject: MPC Appointment Hearing: Paul Fisher, Executive Director, Markets, Bank of England Witnesses: Paul Fisher, Executive Director, Markets, Bank of England	9:45am	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Defence Subject: Russia: A new confrontation? Witnesses: Rt. Hon Baroness Taylor of Bolton, Minister for International Defence and Security, Ministry of Defence and Rt. Hon Caroline Flint MP, Minister for Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office	10:00am	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Speaker's Conference Subject: Speaker's Conference (on Parliamentary Representation) Witnesses: Janet Gaymer CBE QC, Commissioner for Public Appointments; Hansard Society and Electoral Reform Society (at 10:35am); and Ray Collins, General Secretary, Labour Party, Rt Hon Theresa May MP and Lord Rennard, Chief Executive, Liberal Democrats (at 11:00am)	10:15am	The Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House
Environmental Audit Subject: The role of carbon markets in preventing dangerous climate change Witnesses: CBI and EEF; The Carbon Trust (at 11:00am)	10:20am	Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Business and Enterprise Subject: Post Offices - securing their future Witnesses: Communication Workers Union, Unite; Post Office Ltd (at 11:30am)	10:30am	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Culture, Media and Sport Subject: Press standards, privacy and libel Witnesses: Nick Davies, journalist and Roy Greenslade, Professor of Journalism, City University	10:30am	Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Scottish Affairs Subject: Scottish transport links and the credit crunch Witnesses: To be confirmed	11:15am	Committee Room 21, Palace of Westminster
Justice Subject: The role of the Prison Officer Witnesses: Stephen Shaw CBE, Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, and Dame Anne Owers, HM Chief Inspector of Prisoners Bobby Cummines, Chief Executive, UNLOCK	4:15pm	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Foreign Affairs Subject: Global Security: Afghanistan Witnesses: Oral evidence from David Loyn, BBC Journalist and author; James Fergusson, Journalist and author; Christina Lamb, Sunday Times Journalist and foreign correspondent; and Dr Stuart Gordon, Lecturer at Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Daniel Korski, Senior Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations and Sajjan Gohel, Director of International Security at the Asia-Pacific Foundation	4:30pm	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Wednesday 22 April

Energy and Climate Change Subject: Future of Britain's Electricity Networks Witnesses: National Grid, Scottish and Southern Energy, Scottish Power; Energy and Utility Skills (at 10:15am)	9:15am	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Children, Schools and Families Subject: School Accountability and National Curriculum Tests Witnesses: Awarding Bodies	9:30am	Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Work and Pensions Subject: Tackling Pensioner Poverty Witnesses: Pensions Policy Institute, Professor John Hills, Department for Social Policy, London School of Economics.	9:30am	Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Committees on Arms Export Controls Subject: Strategic Export Controls Witnesses: Rt Hon Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office	9:45am	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Northern Ireland Affairs Subject: To be confirmed Witnesses: To be confirmed	2:30pm	Committee Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Transport Subject: The use of air space Witnesses: Department for Transport, Civil Aviation Authority	2:45pm	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
International Development Subject: Aid Under Pressure Witnesses: Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP, Secretary of State for International Development	3:30pm	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Thursday 23 April

Public Administration Subject: Operation of the Honours System Witnesses: Denis Brennan, Head of the Honours and Appointments Secretariat, Cabinet Office, Dame Alexandra Burslem, Chair of the Education Honours Committee, Sir John Parker, Chair of the Economy Honours Committee and Dame Steve Shirley	10:00am	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Health Subject: Alcohol Witnesses: Professor Ian Gilmore, President, Royal College of Physicians and Dr Peter Anderson, Public Health Consultant; Professor Martin Plant, University of Western England, Dr James Nicholls, Bath Spa University, and Dr James Kneale, University College London (at 10:45am)	10:30am	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Culture, Media and Sport Subject: Press standards, privacy and libel Witnesses: Paul Dacre, Editor, Daily Mail	11:30am	Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster

Friday 24 April

None

All public Select Committee meetings are webcast.

Details of Select Committees which will be taken by BBC Parliament were not available at the time of going to print.

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.