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 announcements and changes:

Selection

Sir George Young discharged; Mr Oliver Heald added

Public Accounts

Angela Eagle discharged; Sarah McCarthy-Fry added

Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

Sir Stuart Bell Liz Blackman Nick Harvey Mr Don Touhig

Sir George Young

West Midlands Regional

Dr Richard Taylor added

Yorkshire and the Humber

Mary Creagh discharged; Mr Austin Mitchell added

Select Committee Meetings
26 - 30 October 2009

Monday 26 October

South West Regional Subject: Transport in the South West Witnesses: Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Institute of Directors, SW Stakeholders and Travel Watch Southwest, and Friends of the Earth; West of England Partnership, Plymouth City Council, UK Bus First, Campaign for Better Transport Bristol and Bath Travel to Work Area, Sustrans, and Dr Gabriel Scally, Regional Director for Public Health, South West Region, Department of Health.	10:30am	Rosalind Franklin Room, At-Bristol, Anchor Rd, Bristol
Work and Pensions Subject: Decision-making and appeals in the benefits system Witnesses: National Association of Welfare Rights Advisors, Citizens Advice, RNID, Age Concern / Help the Aged, and Mind.	4:15pm	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Public Accounts Subject: A second progress report on administration of the Single Payment Scheme by the Rural Payments Agency Witnesses: Dame Helen Ghosh DCB, Permanent Secretary, and Katrina Williams, Director General, Food and Farming, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Tony Cooper, Chief Executive, Rural Payments Agency.	4:30pm	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Communities and Local Government Subject: Beyond Decent Homes Witnesses: Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, and Chartered Institute of Housing; Tenants and Residents Organisations of England, and National Organisation of Residents Associations.	5:10pm	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Tuesday 27 October

Treasury Subject: Credit searches Witnesses: moneysupermarket.com, and moneysavingexpert.com; Equifax, Experian, British Banker's Association, Finance and Leasing Association, and Callcredit Information Group; Office of Fair Trading, and Office of the Information Commissioner.	9:45am	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Environmental Audit Subject: Carbon Budgets Witnesses: Lord Turner of Ecchinswell, Chairman, and David Kennedy, Chief Executive, Committee on Climate Change; Rt Hon Edward Miliband MP, Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change.	10:20am	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Culture, Media and Sport Subject: The Future of Local and Regional Media Witnesses: Local Government Association, Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council, and Stockport Council; Andrew Harrison, Chief Executive, RadioCentre, Travis Baxter, Managing Director, Bauer Radio, and Steve Fountain, Head of Radio, KM Group.	10:30am	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Home Affairs Subject: The Cocaine Trade Witnesses: Paul Hayes, Chief Executive, National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, and The Priory Hospital; Professor Nutt, Chair, Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs.	10:30am	Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Welsh Affairs Subject: Wales Office Annual Report Witnesses: Rt Hon Peter Hain MP, Secretary of State, Wales Office	11:00am	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Northern Ireland Affairs Subject: Television Broadcasting in Northern Ireland Witnesses: Peter Johnston, Director, BBC Northern Ireland, Michael Wilson, Managing Director, UTV and Stuart Cosgrove, Director of Nations and Regions, Channel 4; Denis Wolinski, Director, Ofcom Northern Ireland, and Stewart Purvis, Partner, Content and Standards, Ofcom; Séamus Dooley, Irish Secretary, and Dot Kirby, Chair of NI Broadcasting Branch, National Union of Journalists, and John McVay, Chief Executive, and Jannine Waddell, NI Representative, Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television.	11:30am	Senate Chamber, Northern Ireland Assembly, Parliament Buildings, Belfast

Wednesday 28 October

Energy and Climate Change Subject: Department of Energy and Climate Change Departmental Annual Report and Resource Accounts Witnesses: Rt Hon Edward Miliband MP, Secretary of State, Moira Wallace OBE, Permanent Secretary, Phil Wynn Owen, Director General, National Climate Change and Consumer Support, Simon Virley, Acting Director General, Energy Markets Infrastructure, and Chris Hix, Head of Financial Accounting, Department of Energy and Climate Change.	9:15am	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Children, Schools and Families Subject: Early years funding formula Witnesses: Early Education, Federation of Small Businesses, National Day Nurseries Association, and Pre-School Learning Alliance.	9:30am	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Treasury Sub Committee Subject: Administration and expenditure of the Chancellor's departments, 2008-09 Witnesses: HM Revenue and Customs.	2:30pm	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Transport Subject: Priorities for investment in the railways Witnesses: Transport for London, The Northern Way, and Passenger Transport Executives Group; Passenger Focus, and ASLEF.	2:45pm	Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Subject: Dairy Farmers of Britain Witnesses: Tesco; Michael Oakes, former Director of Dairy Farmers of Britain (at 3.15pm); Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Minister of State, DEFRA.	3:00pm	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Public Accounts Subject: DWP: Management of Benefit Overpayment Debt Witnesses: Sir Leigh Lewis KCB, Permanent Secretary, John Codling, Finance Director General, and Carol Sheridan, Head of Debt Management, Department for Work and Pensions.	3:30pm	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster
European Scrutiny Subject: Scrutiny related issues and future developments in the European Union Witnesses: Chris Bryant MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.	4:30pm	Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster

Thursday 29 October

Public Administration
Subject: Work of the Cabinet Office in 2008-09
Witnesses: Sir Gus O'Donnell KCB, Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Home Civil Service.

10:00am

The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Health
Subject: Social Care
Witnesses: David Behan, Director General of Social Care, John Bolton, Director of Strategic Finance in the Social Care Directorate, and Alexandra Norrish, Head of Social Care Strategy, Department of Health, and Jeff Jerome, National Director for Social Care Transformation.

10:30am

The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Friday 30 October

None

Forthcoming Select Committee Meetings
2 - 6 November 2009

Monday 2 November

South West Regional Subject: Transport in the South West Witnesses: RAC Foundation, First Great Western Trains, National Express, SW Regional Ports Association, Exeter Airport, and Passenger Focus; Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, Exmoor National Park Authority, Cornwall Council, Dorset County Council, Devon and Cornwall Business Council, and St Germans Rail Users Group (at 12.30pm).	11:40am	Taunton Library, Taunton
Children, Schools and Families Subject: Sure Start Children's Centres Witnesses: Professor Edward Melhuish, Executive Director, National Evaluation of Sure Start, Professor Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Institute of Education, and Dr Margy Whalley, Director, Pen Green Research Centre.	3:45pm	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Business, Innovation and Skills* Subject: Broadband Speed Witnesses: BT, Vtesse, The TalkTalk Group, and Avanti Communications; Commission for Rural Communities, Consumer Focus, Intellect, and IT Support Line Ltd (at 5.00pm).	4:15pm	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Committee on Issue of Privilege (Police Searches on Parliamentary Estate) * Witnesses: Rt Hon Lord Martin of Springburn	4:15pm	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Public Accounts Subject: Contracting for Highways Maintenance Witnesses: Graham Dalton, Chief Executive, Stephen Dauncey, Director of Finance, and Derek Turner, Director of Network Operations, The Highways Agency.	4:30pm	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Communities and Local Government Subject: Departmental Annual Report 2009 Witnesses: Rt Hon John Denham MP, Secretary of State, Rt Hon John Healey MP, Minister for Housing, and Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP, Minister for Regional Economic Development and Coordination, Department for Communities and Local Government.	4:40pm	Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster

Tuesday 3 November

Treasury* Subject: (i) The Walker Review (ii) Proposals for European macro and micro prudential financial regulation Witnesses: (i) Sir David Walker (ii) Dr Jon Danielsson, London School of Economics and Political Science, and Dr Kern Alexander, Centre for Financial Analysis and Policy, Cambridge University (at 10.30am).	9:30am	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Environmental Audit Subject: Green Jobs and Skills Witnesses: Kevin Brennan MP, Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and David Kidney MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change.	10:20am	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Business, Innovation and Skills Subject: Motor sport and aerospace industries Witnesses: Airbus, BAE Systems, Royal Aeronautical Society, and Aerospace, Defence and Security Group Ltd.	10:30am	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Welsh Affairs Subject: Potential benefits of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics games for Wales - follow up Witnesses: Aberystwyth University, Newport City Council, and Wrexham County Borough Council; Swansea Council, Swansea University, and the Welsh Assembly Government (at 11.15am).	10:30am	The Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House
North East Regional Committee Subject: Industry and Innovation in the North East of England Witnesses: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and the Government Office for the North East.	2:15pm	Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Justice Subject: Justice issues in Europe Witnesses: Lord Bach, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice.	4:15pm	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Wednesday 4 November

Energy and Climate Change Subject: Low carbon technologies in a green economy Witnesses: Desertec, UK PV Manufacturers Association, and Solar Trade Association; Carbon Capture and Storage Association, and Professor Jon Gibbins, Imperial College London (at 10.15am).	9:15am	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Science and Technology Sub-Committee Subject: Evidence Check: Literacy Interventions Witnesses: Professor Bob Slavin, Director of the Institute for Effective Education, University of York, Jean Gross, Director, Every Child a Chance Trust, and Professor Greg Brooks, Research Director, Sheffield National Research and Development Centre, University of Sheffield; Dr Chris Singleton, Director, Lucid Research Ltd, Professor Julian Elliott, Director of Research in the School of Education, Durham University, and Shirley Cramer CBE, Chief Executive Officer, Dyslexia Action (at 10.15am).	9:30am	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Work and Pensions Subject: Working Better: Meeting the changing needs of families, workers and employers in the 21st century Witnesses: Baroness Prosser OBE, Deputy Chair, and Anne Madden, Head of Education, Skills and Employability Policy, Equality and Human Rights Commission.	9:30am	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Northern Ireland Affairs Subject: Television Broadcasting in Northern Ireland Witnesses: Siôn Simon MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Keith Smith, Deputy Director-Media, and Phillip Bland, Private Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport.	2:10pm	Committee Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Treasury* Subject: (i) UK Financial Investments Ltd (ii) Proposals for European macro and micro prudential financial regulation Witnesses: (i) UK Financial Investments Ltd (ii) Lord Myners CBE, Financial Services Secretary, HM Treasury (at 3.30pm).	2:30pm	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Foreign Affairs Subject: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Departmental Annual Report 2008-09 Witnesses: Martin Davidson, Chief Executive, Gerard Lemos, Acting Chairman, and Sue Beaumont, Regional Director Near East and North Africa, British Council; Peter Horrocks, Director, Richard Thomas, Chief Operating Officer, and Behrouz Afagh, Head of Asia Pacific Region, BBC World Service (at 3.30 pm).	2:30pm	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Transport* Subject: (i) Update on Road Safety - UK Statistics Authority (ii) Secretary of State: Question time Witnesses: (i) Richard Alldritt, Head of Assessment and Board member of the UK Statistics Authority (ii) Rt Hon Lord Adonis, Secretary of State, for Transport (at 3.15pm).	2:45pm	Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Subject: Waste Strategy for England 2007 Witnesses: Environment Agency; Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (at 4.00pm).	3:00pm	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Public Accounts* Subject: The Equality and Human Rights Commission Accounts Witnesses: Jonathan Rees, Director General, Government Equalities Office, and Neil Kinghan CB, Interim Director, Equality and Human Rights Commission.	3:30pm	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Thursday 5 November

Welsh Affairs
Subject: The National Assembly for Wales (Culture and Other Fields) (Local Government) Order 2009
Witnesses: Alun Ffred Jones AM, Minister for Heritage, Welsh Assembly Government; Wayne David MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Wales Office (at 10.30am).

9:45am

Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Health
Subject: Social Care
Witnesses: Raphael Wittenberg, Personal Social Services Research Unit, London School of Economics and Political Science, and Professor Carol Jagger, Leicester Nuffield Research Unit, University of Leicester; Richard Humphries, The King's Fund, James Lloyd, Social Market Foundation, and Donald Hirsch (at 11.15am).

10:00am

The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Public Administration*
Subject: Work of the Ombudsman 2008-09
Witnesses: Ann Abraham, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

10:00am

The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Friday 6 November

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.