Committee of Selection (House of Commons)

The Committee of Selection is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Unlike the Commons' other select committees, the Committee of Selection exists by virtue of the House's Standing Orders for Private Business, its rules for bills that affect only specific organizations or individuals.^[1] Despite that, the committee is best known for appointing members of committees established under resolutions of the House and the Standing Orders for Public Business.

With few exceptions, notably the Committee of Selection itself, the Standards and Privileges Committee, and the Liaison Committee, only members of the committee acting on its behalf may nominate new members to committees or propose the discharge of members. Appointments to select committees are made through motions put before the House of Commons, while appointments to general committees (such as public bill committees) are made by the committee's own authority.^[2] With respect to private business, all private bills are automatically referred to the committee, which in turn either refers unopposed bills to the Unopposed Bill Committee and refers opposed bills to committees whose members it also appoints.^[1]

Role in the selection of public bill committees

The Committee of Selection performs a crucial, yet often overlooked function in the scrutiny of legislation. The current structure of the committee, which is dominated by party whips, means that the government effectively chooses which MPs will scrutinize its bills. Advocates of reform highlight that the current organization of the committee means that MPs who are subject specialists or may hold views contrary to the leadership of their party can be kept off public bill committees. Suggested reforms include limiting the number of whips that can serve on the committee and allowing MPs a vote on public bill committee nominations.^[3]

Current members

Members are elected at the beginning of each session. Aside from Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the members are all whips. As of 9 May 2013, the committee's membership is as follows:

	Party	Constituency
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP (Chair)	Conservative	Cotswold
Heidi Alexander MP	Labour	Lewisham East
Tom Blenkinsop MP	Labour	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
Alan Campbell MP	Labour	Tynemouth
David Evennett MP	Conservative	Erith and Crayford
Greg Hands MP	Conservative	Chelsea and Fulham
Mark Hunter MP	Liberal Democrat	Cheadle
Anne Milton MP	Conservative	Guildford
Mark Tami MP	Labour	Alyn and Deeside

References

Current Parliamentary Committees of the United Kingdom

Commons

Departmental	Business, Innovation and Skills Communities and Local Government Culture, Media and Sport Defence Education Energy and Climate Change Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Foreign Affairs Health Home Affairs International Development Justice Northern Ireland Affairs Political and Constitutional Reform Science and Technology Scottish Affairs Transport Treasury Welsh Affairs Work and Pensions

Topical	Arms Export Controls Environmental Audit European Scrutiny Public Accounts Public Administration Regulatory Reform Statutory Instruments

General	Panel of Chairs Public bill committee Delegated Legislation Committee European Committees Northern Ireland Grand Committee Regional Affairs Committee Scottish Grand Committee Welsh Grand Committee

Internal	Administration Finance and Services Backbench Business Liaison Members' Expenses Procedure Selection Standards and Privileges Works of Art

Lords

Topical	Communications Constitution Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Economic Affairs European Union Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Science and Technology

Private business	Hybrid Instruments Standing Orders Internal: House Liaison Committee Privileges and Conduct Procedure Selection

Domestic	Administration and Works Information Refreshment Works of Art

Joint

Select	Consolidation, &c., Bills Human Rights National Security Strategy Statutory Instruments Tax Law Rewrite Bills

Other	Security

Statutory

Commons	House of Commons Commission Administration Estimate Audit Members Estimate Members Estimate Audit Public Accounts Commission Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

Joint	Ecclesiastical Committee Intelligence and Security

Committee of Selection (House of Commons)

Role in the selection of public bill committees

Current members

See also

References