Which MPs have been elected to chair the influential House of Commons select committees?
Our latest Dods Political Intelligence report details the background and interests of the newly elected chairs and the past work of each select committee. The report also includes analysis on which policy areas the select committees could focus on over this Parliament.
Select Committees
Select committees are cross-Party groups of at least 11 backbench MPs which work to hold Government to account through scrutiny of spending, policies and administration. They run inquiries on specific topics, gathering written and oral evidence, and publishing reports. The Government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee’s recommendations.
The chair has a key role in determining which policy areas the committee will scrutinise.
Most select committees mirror a government department. However, there are a number of cross-cutting select committees, such as the Public Accounts Committee, which has the remit to examine value for money across all Government projects, programmes and service delivery.
House of Lords select committees do not shadow the work of government departments. Their investigations look into specialist subjects.
Election of Chairs
Following the general election, the ‘usual channels’ and the Speaker of the House allocate which Party will chair each select committee, depending upon the Party’s share of seats in the House of Commons. Of the 26 Commons select committees, Labour has been allocated the chairs of 18. The Conservatives have been allocated five chairs, and the Liberal Democrats have been allocated three.
Most committee chairs are elected by the whole House by secret ballot using the alternative vote system, under which MPs rank candidates in order of preference. Exceptions include the Public Accounts Committee and the Committee on Standards, which must be chaired by a member of the Opposition. The Backbench Business Committee must be chaired by a member of a party which is not in Government.
To secure their names on the ballot, those running to chair each select committee must have the backing of 15 MPs from their party, or 10 percent of MPs in their party, whichever is lower.
What happens next?
The seats on each select committee are allocated between all Parties on a roughly proportional basis. The members who will occupy these seats are decided by internal Party election processes.
Once each Party has decided who will take its allotted seats in each committee, a motion setting out the membership of each committee must be agreed on the floor of the House.
The select committee chairs report highlights newly elected MPs, their policy priorities, and potential areas of focus. To stay informed on the latest select committee developments, download our Dods report today.