Committee publication · Correspondence · 23 June 2026
Correspondence with the Procedure Committee relating to Select Committee statements
From: Modernisation Committee
Summary
The Procedure Committee writes to the Modernisation Committee raising concerns about insufficient parliamentary time for select committee statements. It welcomes a recent rule change extending the deadline from five to ten sitting days, but proposes three alternative mechanisms—slots before Adjournment debates, alignment with ten-minute rule motion scheduling, and expanded Westminster Hall capacity—to provide committees greater flexibility and opportunity to communicate significant work to the House.
Key findings
- Procedure Committee received representations from the Health and Social Care Committee and others on difficulty scheduling select committee statements, despite their enhanced parliamentary profile since 2010.
- A Standing Order change agreed 28 April 2026 extended the window for making statements from five to ten sitting days after report publication—welcomed but viewed as insufficient.
- Unprecedented number of select committee statements occurred in the 2024–26 Session, reflecting growing demand and the enhanced scrutiny role of select committees.
- Three concrete procedural options proposed: (1) slots before daily Adjournment debates; (2) statement availability on days without ten-minute rule motions; (3) expanded Westminster Hall scheduling outside Thursdays.
- Modernisation Committee acknowledged the issue and committed to consider it within its ongoing inquiry, with potential for further collaboration.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Sir Alan Campbell MP, Cat Smith MP, Health and Social Care Committee, Backbench Business Committee, Liaison Committee, Bob Blackman MP, Meg Hillier MP, Layla Moran MP
Notable line
“… select committees have seen an enhancement in their reputation and the profile of their work since 2010, and that this has played a significant role in the enhancement of Parliament's scrutiny function.”
Key Quotes
“We were invited to consider whether greater flexibility could be provided to committees in making select committee statements, particularly on the basis of anecdotal evidence that some committees have not been able to make statements on significant pieces of work that would be of considerable …”
“… select committees have seen an enhancement in their reputation and the profile of their work since 2010, and that this has played a significant role in the enhancement of Parliament's scrutiny function”
“My Committee is therefore sympathetic to the suggestion that there should be greater flexibility, and perhaps more opportunities, for committees to make select committee statements.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗