TNAG-1841-FCO40-2616-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 35

1

(3) Sessional Committees reappointed at the beginning of every session to consider certain subjects referred to them

eg the Selection Committee, the Standing Orders Committee, the Public Accounts Committee, the Select Committee on Procedure,

etc;

(4) Select Committees related to Government Departments.

Fourteen such committees were established in 1979, with the

primary purpose of scrutinising the work of the administration. There is a committee for each principal Department of Government, among them the Select Committee on Foreign

Affairs.

3. Constitution of Select Committees

Like the other Select Committees related to Government Departments,

the Foreign Affairs Committee derives its existence and powers from

a Standing Order of the House of Commons. According to the

"Memorandum of Guidance for Officials Appearing before Select

Committees" issued by the Cabinet Office in March 1988, the relevant

Standing Order is S.0. 130, the full text of which appears as Annex

The key terms of reference of Select Committees are in paragraph (1), namely,

A.

"to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the

principal Government Departments

and associated public

bodies,

• • •

"

4. It should be noted that the Select Committees are responsible

for the interpretation of their own terms of reference. They are

also entitled to select any topic falling within their area of reference for investigation. Some guidance on the meaning of these

terms of reference was provided by the then Chancellor of the Duchy

of Lancaster in a speech on 25 June 1979. He said:-

"The Government also accept the Procedure Committee's view that

the Committees must be able to look at the activities of some

public bodies that exercise authority of their own and over

which Ministers do not have the same direct authority as they