The Government, including the Civil Service, is committed to being as accommodating as possible when requests are made by Select Committees. The Cabinet Office has dedicated guidance for Civil Servants about giving evidence to House of Lords Select Committees. Officials will always carefully consider requests to give evidence. When they do accept such invitations, they require Ministerial agreement and are there to represent the Minister's views.<\/p>
In the event that a Select Committee requests a named civil servant from a department and the department feels that they are not the most appropriate person to represent the Minister, the department has the right to suggest an alternative to the Committee. There may be rare examples where the Department and Ministers feel an official is unable to attend, but the guidance is clear that if a Department considers it is unable to meet any requests from the Select Committee, they should inform the Committee as soon as practicably possible and set out the reasons why.<\/p>
As Leader of the House of Lords, I have made it clear to my Ministerial Colleagues, that Ministers in both Houses should make every effort to facilitate Select Committee requests, including evidence session attendance.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4200", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord True"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord True"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-19T16:38:16.533Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "92"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Leader of the House of Lords"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "House of Lords: Select Committees"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what is their policy on civil servants giving evidence to House of Lords committees, and under what circumstances a request for such evidence may be declined.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/489", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Watts"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Watts"} ], "uin" : "HL3091"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1563815", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "The Senior Deputy Speaker"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1563815/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Committee of Selection considers nominations for memberships of select committees, including hybrid bill committees, and makes recommendations to the House. Nominations are submitted by the usual channels and the choice of nominations is up to each party or group.<\/p>
Hybrid bill committees are unlike other select committees in that they perform a quasi-judicial function. There is an expectation that the choice of nominations will consider the importance of ensuring that the committee is perceived as enabling parties to the proceedings to receive a fair adjudication. In addition, Private Business Standing Order 96 provides that a member with an interest in the outcome of a private bill may not serve on the committee on the bill. This is set out in the footnote on page 11 of the Guide to the Code of Conduct<\/em> (Twelfth Edition: June 2022). Private Business Standing Orders apply to the private bill procedure element of hybrid bills. The usual channels and the Committee of Selection are cognisant of the requirement under Standing Order 96 when formulating nominations and recommending final nominations to the House respectively.<\/p> The decision on the membership of a select committee on a hybrid bill rests ultimately with the House, which is invited to agree to the proposed membership by way of an appointment motion. There are no plans to change the way in which members of select committees on hybrid bills are appointed.<\/p>"}
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, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Gardiner of Kimble"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-01-09T13:40:27.603Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2022-12-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what are the criteria for the eligibility of members of the House of Lords to be appointed to a select committee on a hybrid Bill; whether comments they have expressed about the merits or otherwise of the Bill are taken into account when considering those appointments; and what plans he has to change the process for appointing members.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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