This episode looks at how the essential jobs, or "core tasks," of UK House of Commons select committees have changed over time. First set in 2002 to make committee work more organised and accountable, these tasks were updated in 2012 to match growing demands and add new areas like "Strategy" and "Public Engagement". More recent proposals, like in 2019 and 2024, have focused on not just what committees should do, but how they should do it, including better engagement and scrutinising the government's "National Strategy".

Key Takeaways

• Select committees first adopted a set of ten core tasks in 2002 to make their scrutiny more methodical.
• The tasks were revised in 2012 to reflect increased workload and changing priorities, adding areas like strategy and public engagement.
• In 2019, a shorter list was proposed focusing on the "how" of committee work, like collaboration and follow-up, but this was not endorsed by the House.
• A 2024 report recommended adding a "National Strategy" task to the 2019 list to improve scrutiny of government strategic thinking.
• The evolution shows a move towards a more defined and strategic approach to parliamentary oversight.

Important Definitions and Concepts

• Select Committees: Groups of Members of Parliament who examine the work, spending, and policies of government departments.
• Core Tasks: Agreed-upon objectives that guide select committees in their work and help hold them accountable.
• Liaison Committee: A specific committee in the House of Commons that looks at the overall work of select committees and is involved in setting their core tasks.

Discussion: Considering the proposed shifts in core tasks, especially the focus on "how" committees work and the addition of "National Strategy," how might these changes impact the ability of select committees to truly influence government policy and hold ministers accountable?

Source: Select Committees - Core Tasks - Research Briefing

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No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.

Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.