Home Affairs Select Committee
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The Home Affairs Select Committee is a Committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The proper name is the House of Commons, Home Affairs Committee.
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[edit] Remit
The Home Affairs Committee is one of the House of Commons Select Committees related to government departments: its terms of reference are to examine "the expenditure, administration and policy of the Home Office and its associated public bodies".
The Committee chooses its own subjects of inquiry, within the overall terms of reference. It invites written evidence from interested parties and holds public evidence sessions, usually in committee rooms at the House of Commons, although it does have the power to meet away from Westminster.
At the end of each inquiry, the Committee will normally agree a Report based on the evidence received. Such Reports are published and made available on the internet. Reports usually contain recommendations to the Government and other bodies. The Government by convention responds to reports within about two months of publication. These responses are also published.
[edit] Inquiries
The Committee can examine any area of work related to the Home Office and its associated public bodies, such as HM Prison Service and United Kingdom Passport Agency.
Recent inquiries have focused on
- Rehabilitation of prisoners
- Sexual Offences Act 2003
- Immigration Control
- Terrorism
- Sentencing for Robbery
- Corporate manslaughter
[edit] Chair
Keith Vaz MP has been Chair of the Committee since July 2007.
[edit] Members
Members are appointed by the full house on the nomination of the Committee of Selection, and should be representative of the state of political parties in the House of Commons. Members receive an extra allowance on top of their salaries for select committee duties.
The current membership is as follows:
- Keith Vaz (Chair)
- Richard Benyon
- Jeremy Browne
- Karen Buck
- James Clappison
- Ann Cryer
- Janet Dean
- Margaret Moran
- Gwyn Prosser
- Bob Russell
- Martin Salter
- David Davis
- Gary Streeter
- David Winnick
