House of Commons

Session 2009 - 10
Publications on the internet
Weekly Information Bulletin

Weekly Information Bulletin: 15th December 2009

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:

Joint Committee on Human Rights: John Austin discharged; Fiona Mactaggart added

Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee): Michael Jabez Foster and Mr David Kidney discharged; Jeff Ennis, Judy Mallaber and Chris Ruane added

Statutory Instruments (Select Committee): Michael Jabez Foster and Mr David Kidney discharged; Jeff Ennis, Judy Mallaber and Chris Ruane added

Tax Law Rewrite Bills (Joint Committee): Mr David Gauke and Mr George Mudie discharged; Mr William Bain and Mr Andrew Tyrie added

Select Committee Meetings

7 - 11 December 2009

Monday 7 December

South West Regional
Subject: Transport in the South West
Witnesses: Highways Agency South West, and Network Rail; South West Regional Development Agency; Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister for the South West, and Chris Mole MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport

Children, Schools and Families
Subject: Sure Start Children's Centres
Witnesses: Association of Directors of Children's Services, London Borough of Newham, and Northumberland County Council; Loughborough Primary School and Children's Centre, Ormiston Children and Families Trust, St Thomas' Children's Centre, and Treetops Children's Centre

Committee on Issue of Privilege (Police Searches on Parliamentary Estate)
Subject: Police searches on the Parliamentary Estate
Witnesses: Sir William McKay KCB; Jill Pay, Serjeant at Arms

Public Accounts
Subject: Dealing with the tax obligations of older people
Witnesses: Lesley Strathie, Chief Executive and Permanent Secretary, Sarah Walker, Director, Benefits and Credits, and Jane Frost, Director, Individuals Customer Unit, HM Revenue and Customs

Communities and Local Government
Subject: Beyond Decent Homes
Witnesses: BRE Housing Group, Ridge and Partners, and Savills Ltd; Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Executive, Homes and Communities Agency, Peter Marsh, Chief Executive, Tenant Services Authority, and Rt Hon John Healey MP, Minister for Housing, Department for Communities and Local Government

Tuesday 8 December

Treasury Sub Committee
Subject: Administration and expenditure of the Chancellor's departments, 2008-09
Witnesses: Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Financial Secretary, and Sarah McCarthy-Fry MP, Exchequer Secretary, HM Treasury

Environmental Audit
Subject: Adapting to Climate Change
Witnesses: Local Government Information Unit; Town and Country Planning Association (at 11.00am)

Defence
Subject: Defence Equipment 2010
Witnesses: Finmeccanica UK Limited, BAE Systems, General Dynamics UK Limited, Defence Industries Council, and ADS Group Ltd

Business, Innovation and Skills
Subject: Pub Companies: Follow Up
Witnesses: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors; British Beer and Pub Association; Independent Pub Confederation

Home Affairs
Subject: The Home Office's response to Terrorist Attacks; The Cocaine Trade
Witnesses: (i) Andy Hayman CBE; Sir Ian Blair (ii) Keith Hellawell; Alan Campbell MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office

Culture, Media and Sport
Subject: The Future of Local and Regional Media
Witnesses: Michael Grade CBE, Executive Chairman, and Michael Jermey, Director of News, Current Affairs and Sport, ITV plc; Siôn Simon MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, and Keith Smith, Deputy Director of Media, Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Welsh Affairs
Subject: Welsh prisoners in the prison estate
Witnesses: Maria Eagle MP, Minister of State, Ministry of Justice

Justice
Subject: (i) Justice issues in Europe (ii) HM Chief Inspector, Crown Prosecution Service
Witnesses: (i) Nuala Mole, AIRE Centre, Jago Russell, Fair Trials International, and Jodie Blackstock, Justice (ii) Stephen Wooler CB, HM Chief Inspector, Crown Prosecution Service

Wednesday 9 December

Children, Schools and Families
Subject: Early Years Single Funding Formula
Witnesses: Birmingham City Council, Hertfordshire County Council, and Sheffield City Council; Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo MP, Minister for Children, Young People and Families, Department for Children, Schools and Families (at 10.30 a.m.)

Foreign Affairs
Subject: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Departmental Annual Report 2008-09
Witnesses: Sir Peter Ricketts KCMG, Permanent Under-Secretary, Keith Luck, Director General Finance, and James Bevan, Director General Change and Delivery, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign Affairs
Subject: Developments in the EU
Witnesses: Rt Hon David Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and Matthew Rycroft, Director EU, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Scottish Affairs*
Subject: Banking in Scotland
Witnesses: Archie Kane, Group Executive Director, Insurance, Lloyds Banking Group

Transport
Subject: Update on the London Underground and the public-private partnership (PPP) agreements
Witnesses: Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, and Richard Parry, Interim Managing Director, Transport for London; Tube Lines; ASLEF, RMT, and London Travel Watch; Rt Hon Sadiq Khan MP, Minister of State, and Bronwyn Hill, Director general, City and Regional Networks, Department for Transport

Public Accounts
Subject: The procurement of criminal legal aid in England and Wales by the Legal Services Commission/The Legal Services Commission Accounts
Witnesses: Carolyn Regan, Chief Executive, and Hugh Barrett, Executive Director, Legal Services Commission, and Peter Handcock CBE, Director General, Access to Justice, Ministry of Justice

Thursday 10 December

Public Administration
Subject: Work of the Charity Commission in 2008-09
Witnesses: Dame Suzi Leather, Chair and Andrew Hind, Chief Executive, Charity Commission

Friday 11 December

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.

Forthcoming Select Committee Meetings
14 - 18 December 2009

Monday 14 December

West Midlands Regional Committee Subject: Advantage West Midlands Annual Report and Future Priorities Witnesses: Advantage West Midlands	10:00am	Advanatge West Midlands, Aston Science Park, Birmingham
Treasury* Subject: Pre-Budget Report 2009 Witnesses: Sheila Dow, Professor of Economics, University of Stirling, Karen Ward, Chief UK Economist, HSBC, Robert Chote, Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies, and Martin Weale, Director, National Institute of Economic and Social Research; Robert Chote, Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies, John Whiting OBE, Tax Policy Director, Chartered Institute of Taxation and Low Incomes Tax Reform Group, David Harker, Chief Executive, Citizens Advice, and David Heald, Professor of Accountancy, University of Aberdeen (at 4.00pm)	3:15pm	The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Children, Schools and Families Subject: Sure Start Children's Centres Witnesses: 4Children, Action for Children, Barnardo's, and Family Action	3:45pm	The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Committee on Issue of Privilege (Police Searches on Parliamentary Estate)* Subject: Police searches on the Parliamentary Estate Witnesses: Sir Gus O'Donnell KCB, Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Home Civil Service, and Robert Hannigan, Head of Intelligence, Security and Resilience, Cabinet Office; Robert Quick QPM (at 4.55pm)	4:15pm	The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Communities and Local Government Subject: Preventing Violent Extremism Witnesses: Church of England, Board of Deputies of British Jews, Network of Sikh Organisations, and Hindu Council UK; Federation of Muslim Organisations, and Somali Family Support Group (at 4.55pm); Dr Paul Thomas, Senior Lecturer, Youth and Community Work, University of Huddersfield, Bob McDonald, Principal Lecturer, and Yaser Mir, Senior Lecturer, International School for Communities, Rights and Inclusion, University of Lancashire (at 5.30pm)	4:20pm	Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Public Accounts Subject: Maintaining financial stability across the United Kingdom's banking system Witnesses: Sir Nicholas Macpherson KCB, Permanent Secretary, and Tom Scholar, Second Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury	4:30pm	Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Tuesday 15 December

Treasury
Subject: Pre-Budget Report 2009
Witnesses: HM Treasury

9:45am

The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Culture, Media and Sport*
Subject: London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Witnesses: Lord Coe, Chairman, and Paul Deighton, Chief Executive, London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and John Armitt, Chairman, and David Higgins, Chief Executive, Olympic Delivery Authority

10:30am

Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster

Home Affairs
Subject: The work of the National Policing Improvement Agency; The work of the Home Office 2009
Witnesses: (i) National Policing Improvement Agency (ii) Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, Secretary of State, Home Office (at 11.00am)

10:30am

The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Welsh Affairs
Subject: Cross-border provision of public services for Wales: follow-up
Witnesses: Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, Deputy First Minister for Wales and Minister for the Economy and Transport, Welsh Assembly Government; Chris Mole MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Transport, and Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister for the South West (at 11.15am)

10:30am Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

International Development
Subject: DFID's Programme in Nepal
Witnesses: Saferworld, Professor Surya Subedi, and Dr Liz Philipson

10:30am Committee Room 5, Palace of Westminster

Defence*
Subject: Defence Equipment 2010
Witnesses: Quentin Davies MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, General Sir Kevin O'Donoghue KCB CBE, Chief of Defence Materiel, and Vice Admiral Paul Lambert CB, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Capability), Ministry of Defence

10:30am The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Business, Innovation and Skills
Subject: Motor sport and aerospace industries
Witnesses: Colin Hilton, Chief Executive, Motor Sports Association, Andrew Manahan, Managing Director, Lola Group, Chris Aylett, Chief Executive, Motorsport Industry Association, Mike Dickison, Coventry University

10:30am Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster

Joint Committee on Human Rights*
Subject: The work of the Equality and Human Rights Commission
Witnesses: The Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP, Leader of the House of Commons and Minister for Women and Equality, and Mr Jonathan Rees, Director-General, Government Equalities Office

1:45pm The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Welsh Affairs
Subject: Proposed National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Housing and Local Government) Order 2010
Witnesses: Jocelyn Davies AM, Deputy Minister for Housing, Welsh Assembly Government

2:15pm Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Defence*
Subject: Defence Equipment 2010
Witnesses: Bernard Gray; Rt Hon Lord Drayson, Minister of State, and Sir Bill Jeffrey KCB, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence (at 4.30pm)

3:30pm The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Justice
Subject: Crown dependencies
Witnesses: Professor Alastair Sutton, White & Case

4:15pm The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

South East Regional
Subject: Post appointment hearing: the new Chair of SEEDA
Witnesses: Rob Douglas, Chair, Pam Alexander, Chief Executive, and Paul Lovejoy, Executive Director, Strategy and Communications, South East England Development Agency

4:30pm Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster

Wednesday 16 December

Energy and Climate Change
Subject: Low Carbon Technologies in a Green Economy
Witnesses: David Kidney MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Phil Wynn Owen CB, Director General, National Climate Change and Consumer Support, and David Mackay, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department of Energy and Climate Change

9:15am

Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Committees on Arms Export Controls
Subject: Strategic Export Controls
Witnesses: UK Working Group on Arms, and Export Group for Aerospace and Defence

9:30am

The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Work and Pensions
Subject: Management and Administration of Contracted Employment programmes
Witnesses: Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, Department for Work and Pensions

9:30am Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster

Children, Schools and Families
Subject: Sure Start Children's Centres
Witnesses: Association of Teachers and Lecturers, Daycare Trust, National Day Nurseries Association, and National Union of Teachers; Capacity, Community Matters, and Early Childhood Forum (at 10.30am)

9:30am The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

International Development
Subject: DFID's programme in Bangladesh
Witnesses: Michael Foster MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development

1:30pm Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster

Foreign Affairs
Subject: Global Security: UK/US Relations
Witnesses: Ivan Lewis MP, Minister of State, and John Rankin, Director, Americas, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

2:30pm The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Treasury*
Subject: Pre-Budget Report 2009
Witnesses: Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, HM Treasury

2:30pm The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Thursday 17 December

East Midlands Regional Committee
Subject: Share of funding in the East Midlands
Witnesses: Travelwatch East Midlands, Network Rail, East Midlands Trains, and Nottinghamshire County Council; David Parsons CBE, Chair, East Midlands Regional Assembly (at 11.30am)

10:30am

Roundhouse College, Derby