Departmental Select Committees - Essay Example

Order 117407 How effective are the departmental select committees at scrutinising executive action The roles of the European Union in terms of analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the ministers in UK are taken care of by the Westminster. It also looks into the current scrutiny arrangements. In comparison with the UK scrutiny system with that of the European Union member States, it is concluded that though having more effective system of scrutiny, a major weakness is the failure of many parliamentarians, and particularly MPs who engage in this process are found. There are several proposals for the reformation of the scrutiny system, the European scrutiny system should be enforced into the parliament and particularly when tackling the present disconnection amongst the parliamentary committees and the Commons Chamber. Also the parliamentary committees should interact more closely with the outside which will in turn widen their evidence-base. 1 Primarily before scrutinizing, the select committees should bring forth an awareness of the ideological and institutional features of modern British government and politics. This will develop a theoretical concept and a practical application of resolving problems and analysis. 2 One of the major aspects of the parliament is the relationship between a territory's legislature and its executives relating to the central and constitutional political system. This relationship is overlooked sometimes and the use of a prerogative power, which is the power exercised by the ministers are enforced. There need to be an analysis of the source of executive power, its scrutiny by parliament and the views of the major parties. A question of whether the Executives need rebalancing occurs. This is because during these modern times where everything is modernized the relationship between the executives and the parliament should also be strengthened. There is a central proposal which says that the owners of the Select Committees, that is the scrutinisers should belong to the house of the commons and not belong to the executives. 3 Thus the final method that the parliament uses to scrutinize the executive is the Select Committee. These Select Committees are those where the MPs from the floor of the House meet in small debating chambers with the task of taking into account the particular aspects of government policies and administration. The Select Committees do not consider the detailed drafting of bills, all the government policies, administration, working of the parliament and executives is taken into account and analysed by the Committee. Almost all Select Committees with the task of scruitinising the executives are in a way linked to a particular government department, which were 14 and has increased to 16. Among these the Departmental Select Committees were set up in 1979 under SO No. 130. 4 An example of one the Departmental Select Committees is that until when the Transport Research Laboratory was privatized, the department had eight executive agencies, where the Departmental Select Committee held substantive enquiries regarding the work of the Coastguard agency as well as into the privatization of the transport research laboratory. Also the deregulatory work performed by the Vehicle Inspectorates were to be found and scruitinised by the committee. An advantage of the Departmental Select Committee is that all the issues relating to the concerned departments could be raised in public that might not have happened otherwise. As it was discussed openly it gave room for many of the Committees recommendations to be carried out in further development and functioning of the departments. During the analysis of the inquiries an evidence of the Highways Agency and the Marine Safety Agency is stated here. The Committee did not examine any of the agency chief executives, their objectives and performances. In this case the Select Committee was recommended by the Public Service Committee to take the matters more seriously and take a long term interest in the agencies performance and administration by the executives. By the select committee the notability of the work done by these agencies should be recognized and is done so. 5 However, the scrutiny process will be more smoother when it is becomes the rights of the committee to set their own agenda. It may also not be possible by the committees to scruitinise all the agencies in the given stipulated time available to the members of the Departmental Select Committees. A proper scrutiny of the agencies would need a large amount of the time of staff and members of the committee, for preparing and absorbing the materials for any single session of evidence. During the scrutiny at several times there may be little that the committee may to desire to say in a report that follows the session. The Select Committees require the right to discard any evidence from an agency when there was no necessity. The Departmental Select Committees in departments like British Rail, London Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority investigate the work and duties of the associated public bodies of the department. These hearing are a part of the policy matter inquiries relevant to the bodies of the concerned department. 6 The working of the Parliament for many years have been subject to severe criticism, this criticism sometimes also come from its own members than the desiring reforms. The thought of the Select Committees and few other procedural committees, the Hansard society and other leading MPs all throw same charges that the House of Commons are so dominated by executives as a result, it does not function effectively. The introduction of an understanding system of Departmental Select Committees was in 1979 by the leader of the House of Commons. This is the committee where a main debate takes place in which MPs can attempt to exercise some proper and unbiased scrutiny over the Executive. But even then they always carry their own defects. 7 In the Select Committees the relationship as with respect to the parliament and the executives is dynamic. Consequently the necessary reforms have to be constantly changed and adjusted is a way to formulate the relationship. This is dependent on the way the proposing reform views the primary functions and roles of the parliament. Therefore the history of the parliament and parliamentary reforms are identical with each other. The select committees in the parliament has two different roles in which the foremost one is to retain the executives, who perform well and second one is to hold the executive to account between elections, which is done rarely. Thus more often the convention of ministerial responsibilities acts as a hinge on the link between the executives and the parliament. This in turn helps and is made easy to bring forth the distribution of a blame rather that a credit to the British political system. 8 Though there may be a general Departmental Select Committee, it is the responsibility of each department to formulate how to monitor and incentivise the various parts of their organization. For example the PSX, the Public Services Cabinet Committee, serviced by the treasury, scruitinizes on a regular basis on the way the departments are performing against the background of their high-level targets. 9 To be more precise in the decision of the scrutiny there must be a timely delivery of the operational data. On developing reports on leading executives, a focus on the factors affecting future performance can also be made. This is an example from the finance department which need the information which is available and accessed should be understood. 10 Thus the public management reforms in the UK had socio economic changes and initiatives as a part of their context. These socio economic changes changed the attitudes of the people. All the factors led the UK government in the path of a highly accountable performance management reforms in the 1979 when the Departmental Select Committees began its task. Thus on analyzing the different select committees process of scrutinizing, it can be concluded that the task of scruitinising the executives and the organizations of the parliament in the United Kingdom could be made effective by an accurate scrutiny process. 11 Summary Points 1. Though having more effective system of scrutiny, UK scrutiny system has major weakness as well. 2. There are several proposals for the reformation of the scrutiny system. 3. Almost all Select Committees with the task of scruitinising are in a way linked to a particular government department. 4. Various types of Departmental Select Committees and their functions. 5. Select Committees relationship with respect to the parliament and the executives. 6. Recommendations on better functioning of the Select committees. 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Internet;Available from http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2000/rp00-092.pdf Accessed 22 March, 2006 "Shifting the Balance Parliament, the Executives and the British Constitution" Internet;Available from http://www.politicalstudies.org/pdf/flinders.pdf Accessed 22 March, 2006 "The Quality of Public Expenditure - Challenges and Solutions in Results-Focused management in the public sector" Internet;Available from http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/F8F/C4/OECD_results%20focused%20management.pdf Accessed 22 March, 2006 "The Silver Lining in SOX" Internet;Available from http://www.intelligententerprise.com/print_article.jhtmlarticleID=56200373 Accessed 22 March, 2006 "Transport Committee 1992-97" Internet;Available from http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199697/cmselect/cmliaisn/323i/lc0132.htm Accessed 22 March, 2006 Read More