COMMITTEE OF WHOLE HOUSE-COMMITTEE, SELECT 67
mittee. In practice, however, the term is not applied either to the committees by which private huls (see BILL, PRIVATE) are usually considered in the House of Commons or to the standing committees (see COMMITTEE, STANDING) to which in that House public bills (with certain exceptions) stand committed after second reading unless the House otherwise orders. The usual purpose for which a select committee is appointed is that of taking evidence on some subject and reporting its opinion on it for the information of the House. Select committees are, however, appointed for a great variety of other purposes which it would be impossible to set out in detail. Hybrid bills (see BILL, HYBRID) are regularly, and other public bilis are sometimes, committed to select committees.
Appointment. Select committees are usually appointed when the occasion for such an appointment occurs. They are, however, sometimes appointed to consider all subjects of a particular class which may arise during the session. The standing orders of both Houses provide for the appointment of a number of select committees, eg. the Committee of Public Accounts in the Commons and the Special Orders Committee in the Lords. A number of select committees are reappointed at the beginning of each session, e.g. the Select Committee on Nationalised Industries in the House of Commons and the Committee on House of Lords Offices in the House of Lords. These committees are known as sessional committees. Committees known as "specialist." select committees are sometimes set up with an order of reference merely to consider a subject (such as science and technology) or the activities of a particular Government department. The special features of sessional committees and specialist select committees are described under those headings.
Select committees are almost always appointed on the motion of a government whip. A motion for the appointment of a select committee requires notice.
Nomination. The members of a select committee are usually appointed by the House on a motion moved by the member who moved for the appointment of the committee. Where the inquiry is of a judicial or quasi-judicial nature, the selection of all or some of the members is, however, sometimes entrusted to the Committee of Selection. Important committees were formerly often chosen by ballot, i.e. by secret voting. This method was last resorted to by the House of Commons in 1819 when the Committee on the State of the Bank of England was so chosen.
In the House of Commons at least one day's notice must be given of the names of members intended to be proposed as members of a select committee. In practice notice of the names of the members who are to compose the committee is usually given at the same time as notice of the motion for the appoint- ment of the committee, and the members of the committee are