Committees

Select Committees and Contempts

Inquiry

The Committee of Privileges has resumed this long-standing inquiry into select committee powers and contempts. Back in 2016 the matter of “the exercise and enforcement of the powers of the House in relation to select committees and contempt” was referred to the Committee of Privileges. The Committee’s inquiry is assessing different options for enforcing the House’s powers to summon witnesses and call for production of documents. This includes reviewing the House’s available sanctions in cases of non-compliance by witnesses and other contempts.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was 11:59pm on 21 September 2021.

Upcoming events

View all events

No upcoming events scheduled

Past events

Tuesday 30 November 2021
9:15am Private
9:45am Public
Select Committees and Contempts - Oral evidence 30 November 2021
9:45am
  • The Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Senior Deputy Speaker at House of Lords)
  • Christopher Johnson (Clerk of Journals at House of Lords)
  • Rt Hon the Lord Judge, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
10:15am
  • Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP (Chair, Women and Equalities Committee at House of Commons)
  • Sir Robert Neill MP (Chair, Justice Committee at House of Commons)
  • Damian Collins MP, Chair, Joint Committee on the Online Harms Bill, and former Chair, DCMS Committee
11:00am
  • Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP (Lord President of the Council and Leader at House of Commons)
Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 26 October 2021
9:00am Private
9:15am Public
Select Committees and Contempts - Oral evidence 26 October 2021
9:15am
  • Professor Tom Hickman QC (Barrister at Blackstone Chambers)
  • Professor Alison Young (Sir David Williams Professor of Public Law at University of Cambridge)
  • Joshua Rozenberg QC (hon)
  • Mark Hutton (former Clerk of Journals at House of Commons)
  • Paul Evans (former Clerk of Committees at House of Commons)
10:00am
  • Mark Hutton (former Clerk of Journals at House of Commons)
  • Paul Evans (former Clerk of Committees at House of Commons)
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 13 July 2021
9:00am Private
Private meeting 13 July 2021
Virtual meeting
Tuesday 27 April 2021
9:00am Private
Private meeting 27 April 2021
Virtual meeting

Contact us

  • Email: COMMITTEEOFPRIVILEG@parliament.uk
  • Phone: General enquiries: 020 7219 6615 | Media enquiries: 020 7219 0969 / CommonsPressOffice@parliament.uk
  • Address: Committee of Privileges, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA