or to refrain from doing so. Departments may not themselves make public use of any evidence prior to its publication by the Committee, without the permission of the Committee. Committees frequently publish on a daily basis evidence given in public as well as publishing the evidence as a whole with their Reports. Whether published as a "daily part" or in collected form, the evidence may be quoted without risking a breach of Parliamentary privilege, as may documents supplied to the Committee which are already in the public domain. Letters addressed to the Clerk to the Committee, however informal, are strictly speaking "evidence" and liable to be published. Copies of evidence may also be sent by the Committee which received it to other departmental Committees which might have an interest in it.
Inter-Departmental Liaison
The
24. Generally speaking the subjects of enquiry by Select Committees will fall clearly within the responsibilities of particular Departments. Occasionally, however, Committees may enquire into subjects which span the work of more than one Department, or where departmental responsibility is not self- evident. Inquiries by the Lords Science and Technology Committee are almost always "multi-disciplinary" and it is important in these cases that one Department takes the lead to ensure that the different Departments give evidence which is consistent. aim must be to ensure that Committees direct their questions on each aspect of such subjects to the Department chiefly concerned with that aspect, and do not question Departments whose role is that of co-ordination about matters which go outside that role. This indicates that where in such cases the Committee needs a memorandum covering the interests of several Departments, it may be better for this to be submitted by the Department with the predominant role in the field concerned (rather than by a co- ordinating office such as the Cabinet Office.) If the Committee then asks that Department questions (whether in writing or orally) proper to some other Department, they can be re-directed.
25.
In these cases it is clearly desirable for all the Departments concerned, in accordance with normal procedure, to keep in touch in the preparation of their evidence – eg by exchanging drafts (see also paragraph 23 regarding the copying of evidence between departmental Committees). Where there is no co- ordinating machinery already available for this purpose it may be best for the Department with the predominant role to act as a central point. The most convenient way of doing this is through the Select Committee Liaison Officer in each Department who should always be informed of requests for evidence involving other Departments. Since there is no separate Select Committee for Northern Ireland, a Department with this role should particularly ensure that Northern Ireland interests are taken into account as necessary. It is important that Departments should clear with any other Department which may have an interest both memoranda and the line to be taken in oral evidence, even if the time for this is short.
26. Greater difficulties may arise when the subject under enquiry is one in which no Department'can be said to have a predominant interest, where in such cases the Committee needs a memorandum covering the interests of several Departments - eg setting out the range of Government activities in the field
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