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Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee

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The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, previously known as the Public Administration Select Committee, is a committee designated by the British House of Commons. Its purpose is to scrutinize reports from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, address issues pertaining to the quality of administration delivered by civil service departments, and explore various matters concerning the civil service, primarily in England and Wales, as well as constitutional affairs.

It is the principal select committee to which Cabinet Office ministers are accountable and thus handles pre appointment and accountability hearings for independent officers, with an independent civil society or cross departmental role, such as the First Civil Service Commissioner, the chair of the UK Statistics Authority and the chair of the Charity Commission.

The committee chooses its own subjects of inquiry, within its overall terms of reference; however, it seeks evidence from a wide variety of individuals and groups with relevant interests and experience. The members of the committee are elected by their peers from any political party, and the committee itself mainly publishes its results through reports and making its recommendations known to the government.[1]

Membership

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Membership of the committee is as follows:[2]

Member Party Constituency
Simon Hoare MP (Chair) Conservative North Dorset
Richard Baker MP Labour Glenrothes and Mid Fife
Markus Campbell-Savours MP Labour Penrith and Solway
Charlotte Cane MP Liberal Democrats Ely and East Cambridgeshire
Lauren Edwards MP Labour Rochester and Strood
John Grady MP Labour Glasgow East
Peter Lamb MP Labour Crawley
Richard Quigley MP Labour Isle of Wight West
Luke Taylor MP Liberal Democrats Sutton and Cheam
Richard Baker MP Labour Glenrothes and Mid Fife
Michelle Welsh MP Labour Sherwood Forest

Following the resignation of William Wragg in 2024, the committee has no chair. Wragg had served as chairman since being elected in January 2020,[3] defeating fellow Conservative MP David Jones by 335 to 183 votes.[4] A ballot will take place in May 2024 to elect a new chair. The members of the select committee are:[5]

Member Party Constituency
Dame Jackie Doyle-Price MP (chair) Conservative Thurrock
Ronnie Cowan MP SNP Inverclyde
Vacant Conservative
David Jones MP Conservative Clwyd West
John McDonnell MP Labour Hayes and Harlington
David Mundell MP Conservative Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale
Tom Randall MP Conservative Gedling
Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP Labour Brighton, Kemptown
Karin Smyth MP Labour Bristol South
John Stevenson MP Conservative Carlisle
Beth Winter MP Labour Cynon Valley

Changes 2019-present

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Date Outgoing Member
and Party 		Constituency → New Member
and Party 		Constituency Source
21 September 2020 Chris Evans MP (Labour) Islwyn → Navendu Mishra MP (Labour) Stockport Hansard
22 February 2021 Navendu Mishra MP (Labour) Stockport → John McDonnell MP (Labour) Hayes and Harlington Hansard
17 May 2022 Rachel Hopkins MP (Labour) Luton South → Beth Winter MP (Labour) Cynon Valley Hansard
15 April 2024 William Wragg MP (Independent) Hazel Grove → Vacant

2017–2019 Parliament

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The election of the chair took place on 12 July 2017, with the members of the committee being announced on 11 September 2017.[6][7]

Member Party Constituency
Bernard Jenkin MP (Chair) Conservative Harwich and North Essex
Ronnie Cowan MP SNP Inverclyde
Paul Flynn MP Labour Newport West
Marcus Fysh MP Conservative Yeovil
Cheryl Gillan MP Conservative Chesham and Amersham
Kelvin Hopkins MP Labour Luton North
Rupa Huq MP Labour Ealing Central and Acton
David Jones MP Conservative Clwyd West
Sandy Martin MP Labour Ipswich
David Morris MP Conservative Morecambe and Lunesdale

Changes 2017-2019

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Date Outgoing Member
and Party 		Constituency → New Member
and Party 		Constituency Source
15 January 2018 New seat → Sarah Champion MP (Labour) Rotherham Hansard
4 June 2018 Sarah Champion MP (Labour) Rotherham → Tulip Siddiq MP (Labour) Hampstead and Kilburn Hansard
17 February 2019 Paul Flynn MP (Labour) Newport West → Vacant Death of member[8]
25 February 2019 Sandy Martin MP (Labour) Ipswich → Eleanor Smith MP (Labour) Wolverhampton South West Hansard

2015–2017 Parliament

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The election of the chair took place on 18 June 2015, with the members of the committee being announced on 6 July 2015.[9][10]

Member Party Constituency
Bernard Jenkin MP (Chair) Conservative Harwich and North Essex
Ronnie Cowan MP SNP Inverclyde
Oliver Dowden MP Conservative Hertsmere
Paul Flynn MP Labour Newport West
Cheryl Gillan MP Conservative Chesham and Amersham
Kate Hoey MP Labour Vauxhall
Kelvin Hopkins MP Labour Luton North
David Jones MP Conservative Clwyd West
Gerald Jones MP Labour Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
Tom Tugendhat MP Conservative Tonbridge and Malling
Andrew Turner MP Conservative Isle of Wight

Changes 2015-2017

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Date Outgoing Member
and Party 		Constituency → New Member
and Party 		Constituency Source
31 October 2016 Oliver Dowden MP (Conservative) Hertsmere → Marcus Fysh MP (Conservative) Yeovil Hansard
David Jones MP (Conservative) Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney Adam Holloway MP (Conservative) Gravesham
Tom Tugendhat MP (Conservative) Tonbridge and Malling Dan Poulter MP (Conservative) Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
19 December 2016 Adam Holloway MP (Conservative) Gravesham → John Stevenson MP (Conservative) Carlisle Hansard

2010-2015 Parliament

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The election of the chair took place on 10 June 2010, with the members of the committee being announced on 12 July 2010.[11][12]

Member Party Constituency
Bernard Jenkin MP (Chair) Conservative Harwich and North Essex
Kevin Brennan MP Labour Cardiff West
Nick de Bois MP Conservative Enfield North
Michael Dugher MP Labour Barnsley East
Charlie Elphicke MP Conservative Dover
Paul Flynn MP Labour Newport West
Robert Halfon MP Conservative Harlow
Greg Mulholland MP Liberal Leeds North West
Charles Walker MP Conservative Broxbourne

Changes 2010-2015

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Date Outgoing Member
and Party 		Constituency → New Member
and Party 		Constituency Source
26 July 2010 New seat → David Heyes MP (Labour) Ashton-under-Lyne Hansard
Jon Trickett MP (Labour) Hemsworth
2 November 2010 Jon Trickett MP (Labour) Hemsworth → Lindsay Roy MP (Labour) Glenrothes Hansard
17 January 2011 Kevin Brennan MP (Labour) Cardiff West → Kelvin Hopkins MP (Labour) Luton North Hansard
9 May 2011 Charles Walker MP (Conservative) Broxbourne → Alun Cairns MP (Conservative) Vale of Glamorgan Hansard
5 December 2011 Nick de Bois MP (Conservative) Enfield North → Priti Patel MP (Conservative) Witham Hansard
10 December 2012 Michael Dugher MP (Labour) Barnsley East → Steve Reed MP (Labour Co-op) Croydon North Hansard
4 November 2013 Charlie Elphicke MP (Conservative) Dover → Andrew Turner MP (Conservative) Isle of Wight Hansard
11 November 2013 Steve Reed MP (Labour) Croydon North → Sheila Gilmore MP(Labour) Edinburgh East Hansard
12 May 2014 Alun Cairns MP (Conservative) Vale of Glamorgan → Cheryl Gillan MP (Conservative) Chesham and Amersham Hansard
12 May 2014 Robert Halfon MP (Conservative) Harlow → Adam Holloway MP (Conservative) Gravesham Hansard
23 June 2014 Priti Patel MP (Conservative) Witham → Nigel Evans MP (Conservative) Ribble Valley Hansard

Reports

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A March 2004 report considered the prerogative powers of Ministers.[13]

A major report published in July 2011 addressed procurement of Information Technology by the government and found there was an over-reliance "on a small 'oligopoly' of large suppliers", which some witnesses before the Committee had described as a 'cartel'.[14] An independent comment given prominence in the report described the UK as "a world leader in ineffective IT schemes for government".[15] The Office of Fair Trading investigated but did not find sufficient evidence either to confirm that suppliers had been acting in breach of competition law, or to exonerate them.[16] The government welcomed "the Committee's interest in and support for government Information and Communication Technology" and in response noted in particular that the government was "in the process of breaking the contractual lock-in which places the majority of ICT business with a small group of major systems integrators", and "working to improve the quality of its ICT management information".[17]

Reports published in 2021 include The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office, published in June 2021.[18]

In 2022 the committee reported on government ethics. Committee chair William Wragg stated a "robust" system was needed to uphold standards "with proper sanctions for those who break the rules". The committee was also concerned the government maintained its coming ethics adviser would not look into what happened round Suella Braverman's resignation. MP's on the committee stated the government should not be able to decide what the adviser, not yet appointed, could investigate. In its report, the committee also stated there should be legal action against former ministers who broke rules through taking certain jobs after leaving officed. Former ministers should look for advice from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments but ministers cannot be made to accept this committee's advice.[19] The record of the current government was strongly criticised. The committee want the ethics adviser to be able to carry out inquiries into historical behaviour.[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Public Administration Select Committee - role". parliament.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  2. ^ "Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  3. ^ https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/327/public-administration-and-constitutional-affairs-committee/news/144795/william-wragg-elected-chair-of-public-administration-and-constitutional-affairs-committee/[permanent dead link] [bare URL]
  4. ^ https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/Results-spreadsheet-SC-Chairs-2020-a.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  5. ^ UK Parliament, Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, accessed 30 July 2021
  6. ^ "Speaker's Statement: Select Committee Chairs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 627. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 12 July 2017.
  7. ^ "Business without Debate". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 628. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 11 September 2017.
  8. ^ "Tributes as Newport West Labour MP Paul Flynn dies aged 84". BBC News. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 597. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 18 June 2015.
  10. ^ "Committees". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 598. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 6 July 2015.
  11. ^ "Committees". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 511. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 10 June 2010.
  12. ^ "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 513. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 12 July 2010.
  13. ^ "Taming the Prerogative: Strengthening Ministerial Accountability to Parliament" (PDF). House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee. 4 March 2004. p. 5. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  14. ^ House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee, Government and IT - "a recipe for rip-offs": time for a new approach, Volume 1, page 3, published 28 July 2011, accessed 30 July 2021
  15. ^ Dunleavy, P., Margetts, H., Tinkler, J., and Bastow, S. (2006), Digital Era Governance: IT corporations, the state, and e-government, Oxford University Press.p. 70, quoted in Government and IT - "a recipe for rip-offs": time for a new approach, Volume 1, page 6
  16. ^ Feaster-Gee, T., Kilduff, D., Parting shot from OFT regarding supply of ICT to the public sector, Walker Morris, published 16 April 2014, archived 15 May 2021, accessed 15 November 2022
  17. ^ UK Government, Memorandum to the Public Administration Select Committee. Government Response to the Public Administration Select Committee’s report: Government and IT – "a recipe for rip-offs": time for a new approach: Further Report, with the Government Response to the Committee’s Twelfth Report of Session 2010 - 12, March 2012, accessed 26 November 2022
  18. ^ UK Parliament, The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office, published 9 June 2021, accessed 30 July 2021
  19. ^ Suella Braverman reappointment sets dangerous precedent - MPs BBC
  20. ^ Braverman return sets ‘dangerous precedent’, says Commons committee The Guardian
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