Lords Liaison Committee launches review of committees

The House of Lords Liaison Committee has launched a review of House of Lords investigative and scrutiny committees.

This will be a full and wide-ranging review of the structure of investigative committees, the first in the House of Lords for 25 years.

Such committees provide a forum for the House’s expert members to look in detail at significant issues and produce influential reports that have an impact on national life.

The aim of the review is to ensure committees continue to work as well as they can and to consider how we shape our committees for the future, mindful of the Brexit process.

This will include taking stock of the balance between ad hoc committees – committees that are appointed for a set period of time to explore a single issue, and sessional committees – which are broader in scope and whose work is ongoing across different inquiries.

The committee are inviting written submissions from any interested parties, with a deadline for responses of Monday 19 March 2018.

Chair of the Liaison Committee, Senior Deputy Speaker, Lord McFall of Alcluith, said: “Committee activity is a crucial part of the work of the House of Lords. The diverse and expert membership of the House is well suited to this work, which adds significant value to the work of Parliament as a whole and contributes to society more widely through its influence on government policy and societal change.

“Our committees need to be at the forefront of engaging the public in their work and I want to see that engagement develop into a national conversation about the work of our committees and how and why they are relevant to the public. Committees provide a unique opportunity for people to interact with the House of Lords and I want committee inquiries to inspire conversation and debate about the important issues they address.

“This is an ideal time to take stock of what our committees do well, and where we can do better. I hope that a diverse range of people and organisations will send us their views to help us ensure House of Lords committees are fit for the future and relevant to as many people as possible.”

Consultation document: Review of investigative and scrutiny committees

Submit written evidence to the inquiry