Skip to main content

Parliament: The House of Commons — II

  • Chapter
Introduction to British Government
  • 30 Accesses

Abstract

An assembly of 635 Members can provide the focal point for debates on broad policies and principles, but it is not suitable for the close and detailed scrutiny of the many complex aspects of public administration. The House of Commons therefore sets up a number of committees to examine specific matters. These select committees have power ‘to send for persons, papers and records’, which means they can examine witnesses and study documents submitted to them. Select committees are of two main types:

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Reading

  • Lord Diamond, Public Expenditure in Practice ( London: Allen & Unwin, 1975 ).

    Google Scholar 

  • Members of the Study of Parliament Group, Specialist Committees in the British Parliament ( London: Political and Economic Planning, 1976 ).

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Rose, The Problem of Party Government ( Harmondsworth: Pelican, 1976 ).

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Leonard and V. Herman (eds), The Backbencher and Parliament ( London: Macmillan, 1972 ).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Copyright information

© 1978 S. G. Richards

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Richards, S.G. (1978). Parliament: The House of Commons — II. In: Introduction to British Government. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-15877-5_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics