Burstow 'Honoured' to become Member of Health Select Committee

Sutton & Cheam MP Paul Burstow, today had his appointment to the House of Commons Health Select Committee confirmed by the Speaker, Michael Martin MP.

Mr Burstow, who takes a keen interest in matters surrounding the health of people in Britain, was asked to join the influential 11 strong committee that scrutinises health policy implementation by Government Ministers.

Recent highly publicised reports have looked at sexual health, smacking, Victoria Climbie, delayed discharge (so-called bed blocking of hospital beds by older people) and Maternity Services.

Paul Burstow MP said:-

"I am honoured to be able to join the Health Select Committee. It allows me to hold Ministers to account and critically analyse public health policies that directly affect the residents of Sutton and Cheam.

"The Health Select Committee is a vital check on the government. It undertakes detailed examination of policies and activity that is beyond the scope of the House of Commons as a whole. I hope that my input will ensure that the NHS is protected from the worst of Labours' policies."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Mr Burstow will join the first meeting on Thursday 26th June 2003 and will be hearing evidence from a number of experts on obesity

Questions & Answers on Select Committees

What are Commons select committees?

Set up in 1979, they are cross-party groups of backbench MPs, usually between 10 and 20 strong, led by a chairman or chairwoman.

Why are they important?

Select committees provide checks and balances on Government departments. They look at specific policies that are beyond the time and remit of the House of Commons.

They are viewed as especially important when the government commands a large majority or faces a weak official opposition.

Many MPs regard their work on committees as the most significant of their parliamentary careers. The position of chair of a committee is particularly prestigious, and they are regularly called in relevant debates and quoted in the media.

How do the committees work?

It varies, but normally they meet in committee rooms inside the Houses of Parliament or nearby. In contrast to the floor of the Commons, members sit round a horse-shoe shaped table and refer to each other by name.

Having chosen a topic to examine, the committee takes evidence from witnesses - politicians, civil servants or outside experts - in normally public hearings or in writing.

Private deliberations follow before a report with recommendations is produced for the whole House of Commons.

A government response to the report and its recommendations is expected within two months. Some reports are subject to their own debates either in the Commons or the new side chamber in Westminster Hall.

What powers do select committees have?

They can order the attendance of witnesses and production of evidence but apart from the watchdog of MPs conduct, the Committee on Standards and Privileges, no MP is compelled to attend. However, ministers normally accept invitations to give evidence. The same applies to requests for information from government departments.

Committees can meet outside Westminster and even outside the UK, appoint specialist advisers and meet when the Commons is not sitting.

All are supported by staff provided by the Houses of Parliament.

How is membership decided?

In typical parliamentary style, it is complicated. Committees are formally reconstituted at the start of each parliament, and the membership of each committee is voted on by all MPs soon after the Commons starts sitting.

Members are appointed for the full parliamentary term, though changes are fairly common - for instance, when members become ministers or frontbenchers. Changes must formally be voted on by the whole House of Commons.

Chairs of the committees are elected at the first meeting by the committee itself, though there is usually an obvious 'senior' candidate.

However, there are certain conventions, such as the chair of the public accounts committee being an opposition member (Conservative David Davis in the last parliament).

Membership of each committee is effectively decided by the committee of selection, which makes formal recommendations to the Commons.

The selection committee is in turn controlled by party whips. In the opening stages of a parliament, a great deal of 'horse-trading' goes on behind the scenes while mutually acceptable selections are hammered out.

An effort is made to ensure that members who have demonstrated a clear interest in a subject find an appropriate berth, and there are also meant to be a few places for self-conscious 'rebels'.

Do select committees really have any effect?

There are numerous examples of departmental select committees making an impact.

In the recent past, Mrs Dunwoody made determined attacks on both the management of Railtrack and government plans for the privatisation of the air traffic control system.

Mr Anderson hit the headlines with a devastating report into the arms-to-Africa affair.

Further back, in the 1992-97 parliament, Tory Quentin Davies gave then minister David Willetts a notorious grilling over his attempts to rig another committee's inquiry, which ultimately led to the latter's resignation as paymaster general.