From investigating a company’s financial statements to examining the impact of globalisation on business, committees play a vital role in Parliament. The work undertaken by these groups of experts focuses on specific issues or concerns that are raised by citizens or businesses.
Among the highlights of this week’s committee activity was a meeting held by the Business, Environment and Trade Committee to examine the causes of the ongoing water shortage in southern England. The committee has called on Southern Water to appear before it in order to explain the reasons behind the ongoing crisis, which has seen schools close and hospitals struggle.
In a different kind of debate, the Higher Education Committee looked into the impact of foreign funding on US universities. The committee voted to approve the DETERRENT Act, which would create massive new reporting requirements for colleges on their sources of money, including those from China and Qatar. Three Democrats joined the Republicans on the committee in voting for the measure, which is intended to address concerns over Chinese influence and ties with terrorist groups.
Also this week, the Health and Primary Production Committee opened an inquiry into the future nature, impact and risks of cryptocurrencies. The committee is asking for submissions on the issue, and will hold a public evidence session next week. It is hoped that this will help to develop the best possible policy on this emerging issue.
The Justice and Legal Affairs Committee is holding a series of oral evidence sessions on the current state of the criminal law. The committee is looking at the scope and effectiveness of the law, and at how it can be modernised. The Justice and Legal Affairs Committee has a long-standing commitment to the importance of public scrutiny of government activity, and this is reflected in the way that our committee hearings are conducted.
The Government Affairs Office has published a list of the most important and interesting questions that have been submitted to its various committees this year. The list includes a range of topics, including the role of political parties, and is a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning more about how our parliament works. The Government Affairs Office has also recently published a guide on how to make a committee question, which can be downloaded here. If you would like to know more about how to use these resources, or to find out more about the work of our committees, please contact the Government Affairs Team. They are always happy to provide further information. You can also contact them by telephone on 020 7234 7780. They can assist you in finding the best person to answer your questions. We hope that you find these resources useful and we look forward to continuing to serve our members. Thank you for your support.