ANNUAL REPORT
2002-03
Committees
51. There has been a significant growth in select committee activity
in recent years and there were further important developments in 2002-03.
Activity centred on the continuing work of the four sessional Select Committees,
two ad hoc Select Committees, and on collaborating with the Commons in
servicing the Joint Committee on Human Rights and two joint pre-legislative
scrutiny Committees.
European Union Committee
52. Lord Grenfell succeeded Lord Brabazon of Tara as Chairman
of the Committee in November 2002. The Committee's six Sub-Committees
published 33 reports and a significant amount of correspondence with
ministers on EU scrutiny matters. For the first time, the Committee
took evidence from the European Commission on its Annual Work Programme.
This complemented the scrutiny already undertaken in respect of the
European Council and the six-monthly Council Presidency. At the end
of 2002, the Committee published a Review of Scrutiny of EU Legislation,
as proposed by the Group on the Working Practices of the House. The
Report made some 70 recommendations, directed to the Government, to
the Committee itself and to the Convention on the Future of Europe.
53. Lord Tomlinson and Lord Maclennan of Rogart served as Alternate
Representatives of the United Kingdom Parliament to the Convention on
the Future of Europe, which is preparing a draft of a new constitutional
treaty for the European Union. The Committee heard evidence and reported
upon Convention drafts. During the year, the House of Commons appointed
a Standing Committee on the Convention.
Sub-Committee D: Environment, Agriculture, Public Health
and Consumer Protection (Chairman: the Earl of Selbourne) of the European
Union Committee receiving evidence in the course of its enquiry into
the Challenge of Waste Management.
The purpose of this Committee was to enable the two Commons' Members
of the Convention and the two Lords Alternate Members to make statements
and be questioned about the work of the Convention; there then followed
an opportunity for general debate. Unusually, Members of the House of
Lords were enabled to take part in these proceedings and frequently
did so.
Science and Technology Committee
54. The Committee continued to operate through its two Sub-Committees.
Reports were published on Systematic Biology and Britain's
Micro-chip Industry. New inquiries began into Fighting Infection,
and Science in the Regional Development Agencies.
Constitution Committee
55. This Committee concluded its Report on Devolution: Inter-institutional
Relations in the UK, and began a new inquiry into the Accountability
of Regulators. It appointed a Legal Adviser (on specialist adviser
terms) to assist with its scrutiny work, and published seven reports
on bills which raised matters of constitutional significance.
Economic Affairs Committee
56. The Committee concluded its long inquiry into Globalisation
and a much shorter one on Recent Developments in Monetary Policy,
and initiated a new inquiry into the Economics of an Ageing Population.
Preparations were made for the appointment of a Sub-Committee to consider
the Finance Bill, following the Report of the Group on the Working Practices
of the House (see paragraph 2).
Joint Committee on Human
Rights
57. The Joint Committee of six Members from each House, chaired
by Jean Corston MP, published its first major Report, on The Case
for a Human Rights Commission. This followed a thorough programme
of evidence gathering which included a visit to India, Australia and
New Zealand. The Committee also continued its extensive consideration
of legislative scrutiny, publishing 15 reports on bills and draft bills.
Ad Hoc Committees
58. The Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures continued
its work, including the holding of a conference which brought together
witnesses from all sides of this highly polarised debate to discuss
key areas. The Report, published in July 2002, argued that research
using animals was still necessary, but that more could be done to find
alternatives. A further ad hoc Committee was set up on Religious
Offences, chaired by Viscount Colville of Culross. The Committee pursued
two principal themes: whether existing religious offences (notably blasphemy)
should be amended or abolished or left alone, and whether a new offence
of incitement to religious hatred should be created and, if so, how
it should be defined. The Committee, which reported in May 2003, agreed
that a degree of legal protection of faith should be accorded, equally
available to all faiths. On matters of detail, where consensus was unlikely,
the Committee provided an analysis of the issues so as to inform further
debate rather than seek to make specific recommendations.
Pre-legislative Scrutiny
59. A Joint Committee, chaired by Lord Puttnam, considered a
draft of the Communications Bill in June and July 2002. Its Report attracted
considerable interest and was referred to throughout the passage of
the Communications Bill, introduced in the following session. Preparations
were made for a further Joint Committee on the draft Corruption Bill
which was appointed in April 2003, with Lord Slynn of Hadley as Chairman.
Providing resources at short notice for pre-legislative committees to
conduct their work effectively is difficult. Following the experience
of the Committee on the Communications Bill, steps were taken to enable
the House more readily to meet the staffing needs of such committees.
Public Presentation of Committee
Work
60. A number of steps were taken during the year to improve public
understanding of the committee work of the House. A new Weekly Bulletin
setting out the current programme of work of Lords' select committees
was designed and launched at the end of the reporting period. A new
style of layout for select committee reports was designed in conjunction
with The Stationery Office and will be introduced with effect from the
beginning of the 2003-04 session. A Press and Publicity Officer (Committees)
was appointed to assist in promoting contact with the press and in generating
press releases and other publicity.
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