The Parliamentary Committees of the United Kingdom are sub-legislative organizations each consisting of small number of Members of Parliament from the House of Commons, or peers from the House of Lords, or a mix of both appointed to deal with particular areas or issues; most are made up of members of the Commons. The majority of parliamentary committees are Select Committees. The remit of these committees vary depending on whether they are committees of the House of Commons or the House of Lords.
Select committees in the Commons are designed to oversee the work of departments and agencies, examine topical issues affecting the country or individual regions, and review and advise on the procedures, workings and rules of the House.
Departmental (Dept) select committees are designed to oversee and examine the work of individual government departments and any related departmental bodies and agencies.
Topical select committees examine topical issues of importance.
Internal select committees have responsibility with respect to the day-to-day running of Parliament.
Public bill committees (formerly known as Standing Committees on Bills)
Delegated Legislation Committees
European Committees
Northern Ireland Grand Committee
Regional Affairs Committee
Scottish Grand Committee
Welsh Grand Committee
Advisory Committee on Works of Art
House of Commons Commission
Administration Estimate Audit Committee
Members Estimate Committee
Members Estimate Audit Committee
Public Accounts Commission
Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
The House of Lords appoint select committees to examine and explore general issues such as the Constitution or the economy.
Communications Select Committee
Constitution Committee
Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Select Committee
Economic Affairs Committee
Economic Affairs Finance Bill Sub-Committee
European Union Committee
Hybrid Instruments Committee
International Relations
Merits of Statutory Instruments Select Committee
Science and Technology Committee
Administration and Works Select Committee
House Committee
Liaison Committee
Committee for Privileges
Procedure Committee
Refreshment Select Committee
Committee of Selection
Joint committees are committees formed to examine a particular issue, whose membership is from both the Commons and the Lords.
Joint Committee on Consolidation, &c., Bills
Ecclesiastical Committee
Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy
Joint Committee on Human Rights
Joint Committee on Security (advises on the security of the Parliamentary Estate)
Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments
Joint Committee on Tax Law Rewrite Bills
Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster
Occasionally, committees will be discharged by one of the Houses of Parliament, namely the Commons or the Lords. This occurs when existing committees are no longer required or have their responsibilities transferred to a different committee, effectively rendering the original committee void. It is more common, however, for committees to be discharged as a result of the abolition of government departments, for example the abolition of the Department of Education and Skills in June 2007 resulted in the abolition of the Education and Skills Select Committee shortly afterwards.
Agriculture Select Committee - dissolved in 2001, and replaced by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee following the replacement of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Business and Enterprise Select Committee - dissolved 30 September 2009, and replaced by the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee following the replacement of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Constitutional Affairs Select Committee - dissolved 25 July 2007, and replaced by the Justice Select Committee following the replacement of the Department for Constitutional Affairs with the Ministry of Justice.
Education and Employment Select Committee - split in 2001 into the Education and Skills Select Committee and the Work and Pensions Select Committee following the splitting of the Department for Education and Employment into two distinct departments.
Education and Skills Select Committee - dissolved 25 July 2007, and replaced with the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee and the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Select Committee following the replacement of the Department of Education and Skills with the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Select Committee - abolished in 2001, with the environment portion of the committee's remit being transferred to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee and the remainder being transferred to the new Transport, Local Government and the Regions Select Committee following changes to several government departments following the 2001 general election.
Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Select Committee - dissolved 30 September 2009 following the abolition of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. Technically replaced by the Science and Technology Select Committee.
Lord Chancellor's Department Committee - abolished in 2003 following the merging of the Lord Chancellor's Department into the Department for Constitutional Affairs
Committee on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - abolished in 2006 and replaced with the Communities and Local Government Select Committee following the abolition of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, which was replaced by the Department for Communities and Local Government
Science and Technology Committee - abolished in 2007 following the creation of the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Select Committee
Social Security Select Committee - abolished in 2001 and replaced with the Work and Pensions Select Committee following the replacement of the Department of Social Security with the Department for Work and Pensions
Trade and Industry Select Committee - dissolved 25 July 2007, and replaced with the Business and Enterprise Select Committee following the replacement of the Department of Trade and Industry with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
Transport, Local Government and the Regions Select Committee - abolished after less than one year and replaced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Select Committee and the Transport Select Committee
Energy and Climate Change Select Committee - abolished after the Department for Energy and Climate Change was abolished, although the chairman Angus MacNeil became chairman of the International Trade Select Committee
All five domestic committees were abolished in 2005 and replaced by a single committee - the Administration Committee.
Accommodation and Works Committee
Administration Committee
Broadcasting Committee
Catering Committee
Information Committee
Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons (examined how Commons practices and procedures could be modernised)
The House of Commons set up eight regional select committees in November 2008, whose members were first appointed on 3 March 2009. The committees were formed of 5 Labour members, as opposed to the 9 members from various parties as was agreed in the original motion, due to the refusal of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to nominate any members as a sign of their opposition to setting up the committees. The resolution that formed the committees expired at the end of the 2005/10 Parliament. The succeeding coalition government of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats chose not to renew it.
East of England Regional Select Committee
East Midlands Regional Select Committee
North East Regional Select Committee
North West Regional Select Committee
South East Regional Select Committee
South West Regional Select Committee
West Midlands Regional Select Committee
Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Select Committee
Barnett Formula Select Committee
House of Lords Select Committee on Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England
Intergovernmental Organisations Select Committee
Select Committee on Regulators
House of Lords Offices Committee
Joint Committee on House of Lords Reform
Joint Committee of Tax Simplification
