The Regional Affairs Committee is a general committee of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom that considers any matter related to regional affairs in England that may be referred to it.[1] The Committee comprises thirteen MPs from English constituencies, although any MP representing an English constituency may participate in its debates and proceedings. In that way it is similar to the Northern Ireland, Scottish, and Welsh Crand Committees effectivly making it a de facto English grand committee. Also like those committees, provision is made for it to meet away from Westminster.
History
editThe committee in its present form was created by House of Commons Standing Order 117 in 2000 as the Standing Committee on Regional Affairs, superceding an earlier standing committee established in 1975.[2][3] It last met in June 2004.[4] No members have been appointed since the 2005/10 Parliament.[5]
The standing order establishing the Regional Affairs Committee was suspended between 2009 and 2010 when Regional Grand Committees and Regional Select Committees were established by temporary standing orders.[6] In May 2010, the Leader of the House of Commons, Sir George Young, said that the Government would not reintroduce the temporary standing orders for the regional select committees.[7][5][needs update]
During the present parliament elected in 2024, Standing Order 117 remains valid and the committee continues to exist, however as of October 2024, no appointments have been made to it.[8][9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ https://erskinemay.parliament.uk/section/6104/regional-affairs-committee
- ^ https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2000-04-11/debates/0b95cd8a-c744-46af-871f-afba08b641a5/StandingCommitteeOnRegionalAffairs#289
- ^ https://academic.oup.com/pa/article-abstract/XXXI/2/201/1492563?redirectedFrom=PDF
- ^ "House of Commons - Standing Committee on Regional Affairs".
- ^ a b House of Commons Debates 12 November 2008 v 482, c 829
- ^ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c09beed915d414762260d/7376.pdf
- ^ House of Commons Debates 27 May 2010 c 286
- ^ https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmstords/1020/body.html
- ^ https://erskinemay.parliament.uk/section/6104/regional-affairs-committee