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difficult to draw, and in any case of doubt Departments will wish

to consult Ministers before official witnesses give evidence.

appearances by Ministers, see paragraph 8).

Legislation

(On

29. The Committees do not normally consider topics on which the

Government have already undertaken to legislate. This limitation

is designed to ensure that the Committees do not preempt discussions

which will take place on the floor of the House or in Standing

Committee when the legislation is being considered, and thus simply

add another Parliamentary stage to the legislation. Cfficials should

not enter into discussion of legislative proposals with a Committee

in the period between their submission to the relevant policy committee

and the introduction of a Bill unless these proposals have already

been published in the form of a White Paper or a statement to the

House.

Subjects where Departmental Responsibility is Not Self-Evident

30. Generally speaking the subjects of enquiry by Select Committees,

and particularly those by the Sub-Committees of the Expenditure

Committee, will fall clearly within the responsibilities of particular

departments. Occasionally, however, problems may arise when

Committees inquire into subjects where departmental responsibility is

not self-evident. The 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 mutters which go outside

that role. This indicates that where in such cases the Committee

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