Find out what’s happening in committees and get up to speed on parliamentary business. Keep track of new bills and follow debates in both the House of Commons and Lords.
A committee of a House of Parliament (or other body) looks at issues, makes laws and considers questions of procedure and practice. Its members are drawn from all sides of the political spectrum and represent a broad range of interests, professions and expertise.
Committees also investigate complaints about public services and hold inquests into the deaths of members of the public. They are an important part of the work of Parliament and help to shape public policy in the UK and around the world.
Once a committee has completed its deliberations, the members vote on what action to take. The result is known as the committee report and will describe what the committee has decided on. It is usually published within two months of the date of the committee’s decision. The government’s response to a committee report can be published separately (as Command Paper) or within the committee’s report itself, often with further detail. A committee may also choose to table its report, meaning it will not be considered further by the House.
Each committee holds hearings and invites witnesses to testify on a bill or issue it is considering. The dates and locations of these hearings are listed in the House Schedules. In addition, a transcript of each hearing is normally available for inspection in the committee office. Hearings are also often recorded and broadcast by television, radio and webcast.
At the conclusion of deliberations, a committee usually votes on what to do with a bill. If the committee decides to recommend approval of a bill, it is reported and the bill is sent to the House for further consideration. The House then votes on the bill. If a bill is voted down, it is tabled, meaning it will not be considered further by either the House or a joint committee. The committee may also choose to report a ‘clean bill’ incorporating all amendments approved by the committee. This will then have a new bill number and be considered by the full House.
A generational battle over committee assignments has erupted ahead of the start of the new Congress in January. Amid a shift to the left by younger Democrats, long-serving House leaders such as Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and Jim Clyburn defended their spots on top oversight panels against challenges from younger colleagues. The fight over committee leadership highlights tensions in a Democratic Party facing a potentially large Republican majority in 2022.