The Committee News section provides updates on the work of parliamentary select committees. The committees oversee departments, examine the public’s rights in areas such as privacy and freedom of information, and run inquiries on specific topics. Their reports are public and the outcomes of their inquiries can influence legislation and change how government operates.
The committees meet at every session of the Assembly and are empowered to conduct investigations, issue subpoenas and summon witnesses, with a view to establishing facts, and making recommendations for action. A select committee may also call in experts to assist with its inquiry.
Each of these committees has a different focus, but all have the same objective: to ensure that the public gets the best value for money in its departments. The committees have a wide range of powers to check and report on the work of departments, including their budgetary appropriations. The committees’ work is crucial to the effectiveness of the Parliament as a whole, and its ability to hold the Executive to account.
While the committees are mostly responsible for checking and reporting on the work of government departments, they can also play a role in writing legislation. Some of the bills passed through the House are drafted by committees, and the committees’ members vote on whether or not to report the bill, allowing extensive amendments to be made to it. The committees also decide whether a bill will be tabled, or not considered further by the House, after it has been debated in committee.
The most significant change to the way the committees operate in 2023-23 was the appointment of a new chair to the Appropriations Committee and one of its subcommittees. The move was in response to Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin’s plan to take over the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee, and was meant to show his commitment to the committees’ traditions and practices. The Appropriations committee has $1.4 trillion in budgets to review, and divides that work among its subcommittees.