6. The work of Parliamentary Committees, whether Commons or Lords, is the concern of the House that appointed them and on whose behalf they conduct their enquiries. Therefore, questions about the work of a Committee, eg. how or when the Government will respond to a Committee's report, will normally only be raised in the relevant House. It is, however, acceptable for reference to be made in either House, in debates or during questions, to the substance of Committee reports and to their recommendations.
Powers of the Committees
7.
Select Committees (and their sub-committees) normally have the power to send for persons, papers and records". This power is understood as a power to "order" the attendance of persons and the submission of papers, but its interpretation and its application to Ministers are examined in detail in the memorandum by the Clerk of the House which was reproduced at Appendix C, to the First Report from the Select Committee on Procedure, Session 1977–78 (HC 588-1).
As the
8. Any official who appears before a Select Committee or who submits papers to it does so on behalf of his Ministers. Procedure Committee emphasised in its Report:
"The over-riding principle concerning access to government information should be that the Rouse has power to enforce the responsibility of Ministers for the provision of information or the refusal of information. It would not, however, be appropriate for the House to seek directly or through its committees to enforce its rights to secure information from the Executive at a level below that of the ministerial head of the department concerned (normally Cabinet Minister), since such a practice would tend to undermine rather than strengthen the accountability of Ministers to the House."
In practice, Committees normally proceed on the basis of "requests for departmental witnesses and evidence rather than through the exercise of formal powers.
9.
It should be noted that, in addition to examining the expenditure, administration and policy of Government Departments and associated public bodies, Select Committees are free to seek evidence from whomsoever they please, and are entitled to require the production of papers by private bodies or individuals so long as these are relevant to the Committees' work.