Select Committees

Select committees are cross-party groups of MPs (and, separately, peers) that scrutinise the work of government departments and other public bodies in depth. There is one Commons select committee for each major department, plus the Public Accounts Committee (which examines public spending) and others such as the Liaison Committee that questions the Prime Minister twice a year.

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Committees can call ministers, civil servants and outside experts as witnesses, demand documents, hold inquiries that take months or years, and publish reports recommending changes to government policy. Their reports are usually answered formally by ministers within 60 days. Committee chairs are elected by MPs across all parties.

You may be asked which committee scrutinises public spending (the Public Accounts Committee), or who can be summoned to give evidence (ministers and officials).

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1. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the government department that
2. You can find copies of Hansard report in large libraries and on the Internet
3. How can you get a National Insurance number?
4. What do you need to do to apply for a National Insurance Number?
5. In the Church of Scotland, who is the Moderator?
6. Proceedings in Parliament are broadcast on television and published in official reports called

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