Alternative meaning: Select Committee (U.S. Congress)

A Select Committee of the British Parliament is a committee made up of a small number of members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues. They can be appointed, as most are, from the House of Commons, like the Foreign Affairs Committee , from the Lords, like the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee , or as a "Joint Committee" drawn from both, such as the Joint Committee on House of Lords Reform (note that the Intelligence and Security Committee, though containing members from both houses, is a unique committee of parliamentarians appointed by the Prime Minister and reporting to him, not Parliament). The Commons Select Committees are generally responsible for overseeing the work departments and agencies, whereas those of the Lords look at general issues, such as the constitution or the economy; both Houses have their own Committees to review drafts of European directives .

There are also Standing Committees of the Commons (and sometimes Joint Standing Committees) that are tasked with the detailed analysis of individual Bills, and five Domestic Committees responsible for the day-to-day running of the Palace of Westminster, including the running of the bars and supervision of security measures.

Select Committees also exist in other parliamentary systems developed on the lines of the British model, including that of the United States and New Zealand.

See also

• List of Committees of the United Kingdom Parliament