HC Deb 01 May 1991 vol 190 cc183-4W
Sir Peter Emery

To ask the Lord President of the Council when he will publish the Government's response to the second report of Session 1989–90 from the House of Commons Select Committee on Procedure on the working of the Select Committee system.

Mr. MacGregor

I have today published the Government response and copies have been placed in the Library.

The Government welcome the Procedure Committee's comprehensive report, the first Parliamentary inquiry into the present system since it was set up in 1979. The Select Committee system has been shown to be sound, with no need for major reform. The Committees are making an important contribution to parliamentary scrutiny of the Executive.

The Government welcome and accept most of the recommendations addressed to them by the Procedure Committee. Amendments to standing orders will be brought forward shortly:

  • —to increase the size of the Education, Science and Arts Committee and empower it to appoint a Sub-Committee to look at science and technology issues;
  • —to extend select committee scrutiny to matters within the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor's and Law Officers' Departments, including the work of staff provided for the administrative work of courts and tribunals but excluding individual cases and appointments, advice given within government by the Law Officers, and prosecution policy.

The Government welcome the proposed liaison arrangements, aimed at reducing unproductive duplication and overlap between the Public Accounts Committee and the departmental select committees. They accept the recommendations concerning the role of the National Audit Office, subject to understandings designed to ensure that any use made by the departmental select committees of NAO resources does not prejudice the main thrust of the NAO's work for the PAC.

The Government also reaffirm their existing policy to make as much information as possible available to Select Committees. Their approach will continue to be constructive and open within certain well-established conventions which can be justified in the interests of good government.