DSCs

• Structure

  11 members of HoC elected by MPs across Parliament and individual parties. Chair eleted by the committee. Reflects the party balance in HoC.
• Process

  • Investigate an enquiry with oral and written evidence and then report
  • Reports usually unanimous, and hearings televised
  • Invite witnesses to give oral evidence (cannot compell people outside Parliament)
  • Gov has to respond within 8 weeks, and then the committee decides whether further investigation will be carried out or not
• Effective

  Looks at issues not yet addressed by govenment
• Effective

  More consensual - cross party

  • June 2023 Privileges Committee which produced the Partygate report, formed of 4 Tory MPs, two Labour MPs, and one SNP MP
• Effective

  Can get in public officials, civil servants and ministers who cannot get away with glib answers like in UQs/PMQs

  • PM has to appear before the liaison committee twice a year to answer about government’s current policies
• Effective

  MPs have autonomy

  • DSCs elected by BBs, making them more independent as outspoken MPs are often elected
  • 2014 - MP Wollaston criticised government’s health policies and was elected as the new Chair of the Health Committee
• Effective

  Can be influential

  • UCL study showed that from 1997 to 2010, across 7 DSCs, the government followed 44% of their recommendations 
  • Amber Rudd steps down in 2018 as she misled the Home Affairs Select Committee over targets for removal of illegal immigrants 
  • Public opinion can influence people to appear before a DSC e.g. Murdoch in 2012 appeared before the Department of Culture and Media, over the Phone Hacking report
• Effective

  Unanimous reports

  • all 7 of the June 2023 Privileges Committee ruled that Johnson had acted in contempt
• Ineffective

  Governing party has a majority
• Ineffective

  LIimited powers

  • Individuals outside of Parliament can refuse to attend a DSC
  • Limited options for punishing one who lies to / misleads a DSC 
  • Can only give recommendations
• Ineffective

  UCL report - recommendations not followed 66% of the time and some reports unanimous and therefore have less strength e.g. 2012 Phone Hacking report, where Tory MPs disagreed that Murdoch was “not fit to lead major international company”
• Ineffective

  Chairs earn less than even the most junior minister so for career and salary minded MPs it is more attractive to follow the party whip and advance to a ministerial position, so DSCs are not attracting and keeping the most talented MPs