The House of Lords gets relatively little media attention. That applies not only to the chamber but also to committees. The House used to be a chamber-oriented institution, making little use of investigative committees. That has changed in recent years and the House has become a much more specialised body. It has created more select…
The picture shows a Central Lobby with no members of the public present. I use it as a means of raising the question: how concerned should we be that the public take a limited interest in what Parliament does? I have raised this question before in two contexts. One relates to the work of select…
Select committees spend most of their time taking evidence, mostly oral evidence in public session, though a good deal of time is taken up reading written submissions. When a committee decides on an inquiry, it puts out a call for evidence and anyone wishing to submit evidence is free to do so. This may produce…
Although Parliament has risen for the recess, reports from select committees continue to be published. Indeed, what has been remarkable so far has been the number published and the publicity they have received. Although we are now in the quiet season (more commonly known as the silly season), the extent of media coverage has been notable. Since…
Talking of attracting media attention brings me on to a related issue: the impact of select committees. There has been a significant growth in the number of committees in the Lords in recent years. They produce substantial and well-researched reports. However, one query that variously arises (as it does with committees in the Commons) is:…
