Select committee

A select committee is a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues originating in the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Select committees exist in the British Parliament, as well as in other parliaments based on the Westminster model, such as those in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and New Zealand.

It is a special subcommittee of a legislature or assembly governed under a committee system, like Robert's Rules of Order. They are often investigative in nature, collecting data or evidence for a law or problem, and will dissolve immediately after they report their findings to their superiors.

These are very common in government legislatures, and are used to solve special problems, hence their name.

New Zealand

United Kingdom

United States

In the United States, notable select committees include the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities (for investigating Nixon's role in Watergate), Select Committee on Benghazi, and the 9/11 Commission (for uncovering further details on the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Centers).

Parliamentary select committees of the United Kingdom

The parliamentary select committees of the United Kingdom can be appointed from the House of Commons, like the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, from the House of Lords, like the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee, or as a "Joint Committee" drawn from both, such as the Joint Committee on Human Rights. Committees may exist as "sessional" committees - i.e. be near-permanent - or as "ad-hoc" committees with a specific deadline by which to complete their work, after which they cease to exist, such as the recent Lords Committee on Public Service and Demographic Change.

The Commons select committees are generally responsible for overseeing the work of government departments and agencies, whereas those of the Lords look at general issues, such as the constitution, considered by the Constitution Committee, or the economy, considered by the Economic Affairs Committee. Both Houses have their own committees to review drafts of European Union directives: the European Union Committee in the House of Lords, and the European Scrutiny Committee in the House of Commons.