Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee

The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee (PACAC), formerly known as the Public Administration Select Committee, is a committee appointed by the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. Its primary role is to scrutinize reports from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, monitor the quality of administration in civil service departments, and examine issues relating to the civil service and constitutional affairs. The committee primarily focuses on matters in England and Wales but also considers broader constitutional and administrative issues affecting the United Kingdom.

PACAC plays a vital role in ensuring transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public administration and governance. Its inquiries often address key concerns about the functioning of government institutions, public service delivery, and the implementation of constitutional principles.

The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, previously known as the Public Administration Select Committee, is a committee designated by the British House of Commons. Its purpose is to scrutinize reports from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, address issues pertaining to the quality of administration delivered by civil service departments, and explore various matters concerning the civil service, primarily in England and Wales, as well as constitutional affairs.

It is the principal select committee to which Cabinet Office ministers are accountable and thus handles pre appointment and accountability hearings for independent officers, with an independent civil society or cross departmental role, such as the First Civil Service Commissioner, the chair of the UK Statistics Authority and the chair of the Charity Commission.

The committee chooses its own subjects of inquiry, within its overall terms of reference; however, it seeks evidence from a wide variety of individuals and groups with relevant interests and experience. The members of the committee are elected by their peers from any political party, and the committee itself mainly publishes its results through reports and making its recommendations known to the government.^[1]

Membership

Membership of the committee is as follows:^[2]

Member		Party	Constituency
	Simon Hoare MP (Chair)	Conservative	North Dorset
	Richard Baker MP	Labour	Glenrothes and Mid Fife
	Markus Campbell-Savours MP	Labour	Penrith and Solway
	Charlotte Cane MP	Liberal Democrats	Ely and East Cambridgeshire
	Sam Carling MP	Labour	North West Cambridgeshire
	Lauren Edwards MP	Labour	Rochester and Strood
	Peter Lamb MP	Labour	Crawley
	John Lamont MP	Conservative	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
	Richard Quigley MP	Labour	Isle of Wight West
	Luke Taylor MP	Liberal Democrats	Sutton and Cheam
	Michelle Welsh MP	Labour	Sherwood Forest

Changes since 2024

Date	Outgoing Member & Party		Constituency	→	New Member & Party		Constituency	Source
6 January 2025		John Grady MP (Labour)	Glasgow East	→		Sam Carling MP (Labour)	North West Cambridgeshire	Hansard

2019–2024 Parliament

The chair was elected on 29 January 2020, with the members of the committee being announced on 2 March 2020.^[3][4]

Member		Party	Constituency
	William Wragg MP (chair)	Conservative[a]	Hazel Grove
	Ronnie Cowan MP	SNP	Inverclyde
	Jackie Doyle-Price MP (chair)	Conservative	Thurrock
	Chris Evans MP	Labour and Co-op	Islwyn
	Rachel Hopkins MP	Labour	Luton South
	David Jones MP	Conservative	Clwyd West
	David Mundell MP	Conservative	Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale
	Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP	Labour	Brighton Kemptown
	Tom Randall MP	Conservative	Gedling
	Karin Smyth MP	Labour	Bristol South
	John Stevenson MP	Conservative	Carlisle

1. Whip suspended from 9 April 2024 until resignation as chair.

Changes 2019-2024

Date	Outgoing Member and Party		Constituency	→	New Member and Party		Constituency	Source
21 September 2020		Chris Evans MP (Labour and Co-op)	Islwyn	→		Navendu Mishra MP (Labour)	Stockport	Hansard
22 February 2021		Navendu Mishra MP (Labour)	Stockport	→		John McDonnell MP (Labour)	Hayes and Harlington	Hansard
17 May 2022		Rachel Hopkins MP (Labour)	Luton South	→		Beth Winter MP (Labour)	Cynon Valley	Hansard
21 November 2022		David Mundell MP (Conservative)	Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale	→		Damien Moore MP (Conservative)	Southport	Hansard
6 December 2022		Jackie Doyle-Price MP (Conservative)	Thurrock	→		Jo Gideon MP (Conservative)	Stoke-on-Trent Central	Hansard
15 April 2024		William Wragg MP (Chair, Independent)	Hazel Grove	→	Vacant			Hansard
8 May 2024	Vacant			→		Jackie Doyle-Price MP (Chair, Conservative)	Thurrock	Hansard

2017–2019 Parliament

The election of the chair took place on 12 July 2017, with the members of the committee being announced on 11 September 2017.^[5][6]

Member		Party	Constituency
	Bernard Jenkin MP (Chair)	Conservative	Harwich and North Essex
	Ronnie Cowan MP	SNP	Inverclyde
	Paul Flynn MP	Labour	Newport West
	Marcus Fysh MP	Conservative	Yeovil
	Cheryl Gillan MP	Conservative	Chesham and Amersham
	Kelvin Hopkins MP	Labour	Luton North
	Rupa Huq MP	Labour	Ealing Central and Acton
	David Jones MP	Conservative	Clwyd West
	Sandy Martin MP	Labour	Ipswich
	David Morris MP	Conservative	Morecambe and Lunesdale

Changes 2017-2019

Date	Outgoing Member and Party		Constituency	→	New Member and Party		Constituency	Source
15 January 2018	New seat			→		Sarah Champion MP (Labour)	Rotherham	Hansard
4 June 2018		Sarah Champion MP (Labour)	Rotherham	→		Tulip Siddiq MP (Labour)	Hampstead and Kilburn	Hansard
17 February 2019		Paul Flynn MP (Labour)	Newport West	→	Vacant			Death of member[7]
25 February 2019		Sandy Martin MP (Labour)	Ipswich	→		Eleanor Smith MP (Labour)	Wolverhampton South West	Hansard

2015–2017 Parliament

The election of the chair took place on 18 June 2015, with the members of the committee being announced on 6 July 2015.^[8][9]

Member		Party	Constituency
	Bernard Jenkin MP (Chair)	Conservative	Harwich and North Essex
	Ronnie Cowan MP	SNP	Inverclyde
	Oliver Dowden MP	Conservative	Hertsmere
	Paul Flynn MP	Labour	Newport West
	Cheryl Gillan MP	Conservative	Chesham and Amersham
	Kate Hoey MP	Labour	Vauxhall
	Kelvin Hopkins MP	Labour	Luton North
	David Jones MP	Conservative	Clwyd West
	Gerald Jones MP	Labour	Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
	Tom Tugendhat MP	Conservative	Tonbridge and Malling
	Andrew Turner MP	Conservative	Isle of Wight

Changes 2015-2017

Date	Outgoing Member and Party		Constituency	→	New Member and Party		Constituency	Source
31 October 2016		Oliver Dowden MP (Conservative)	Hertsmere	→		Marcus Fysh MP (Conservative)	Yeovil	Hansard
		David Jones MP (Conservative)	Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney			Adam Holloway MP (Conservative)	Gravesham
		Tom Tugendhat MP (Conservative)	Tonbridge and Malling			Dan Poulter MP (Conservative)	Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
19 December 2016		Adam Holloway MP (Conservative)	Gravesham	→		John Stevenson MP (Conservative)	Carlisle	Hansard

2010-2015 Parliament

The election of the chair took place on 10 June 2010, with the members of the committee being announced on 12 July 2010.^[10][11]

Member		Party	Constituency
	Bernard Jenkin MP (Chair)	Conservative	Harwich and North Essex
	Kevin Brennan MP	Labour	Cardiff West
	Nick de Bois MP	Conservative	Enfield North
	Michael Dugher MP	Labour	Barnsley East
	Charlie Elphicke MP	Conservative	Dover
	Paul Flynn MP	Labour	Newport West
	Robert Halfon MP	Conservative	Harlow
	Greg Mulholland MP	Liberal	Leeds North West
	Charles Walker MP	Conservative	Broxbourne

Changes 2010-2015

Date	Outgoing Member and Party		Constituency	→	New Member and Party		Constituency	Source
26 July 2010	New seat			→		David Heyes MP (Labour)	Ashton-under-Lyne	Hansard
						Jon Trickett MP (Labour)	Hemsworth
2 November 2010		Jon Trickett MP (Labour)	Hemsworth	→		Lindsay Roy MP (Labour)	Glenrothes	Hansard
17 January 2011		Kevin Brennan MP (Labour)	Cardiff West	→		Kelvin Hopkins MP (Labour)	Luton North	Hansard
9 May 2011		Charles Walker MP (Conservative)	Broxbourne	→		Alun Cairns MP (Conservative)	Vale of Glamorgan	Hansard
5 December 2011		Nick de Bois MP (Conservative)	Enfield North	→		Priti Patel MP (Conservative)	Witham	Hansard
10 December 2012		Michael Dugher MP (Labour)	Barnsley East	→		Steve Reed MP (Labour Co-op)	Croydon North	Hansard
4 November 2013		Charlie Elphicke MP (Conservative)	Dover	→		Andrew Turner MP (Conservative)	Isle of Wight	Hansard
11 November 2013		Steve Reed MP (Labour)	Croydon North	→		Sheila Gilmore MP(Labour)	Edinburgh East	Hansard
12 May 2014		Alun Cairns MP (Conservative)	Vale of Glamorgan	→		Cheryl Gillan MP (Conservative)	Chesham and Amersham	Hansard
12 May 2014		Robert Halfon MP (Conservative)	Harlow	→		Adam Holloway MP (Conservative)	Gravesham	Hansard
23 June 2014		Priti Patel MP (Conservative)	Witham	→		Nigel Evans MP (Conservative)	Ribble Valley	Hansard

Reports

A March 2004 report considered the prerogative powers of Ministers.^[12]

A major report published in July 2011 addressed procurement of Information Technology by the government and found there was an over-reliance "on a small 'oligopoly' of large suppliers", which some witnesses before the Committee had described as a 'cartel'.^[13] An independent comment given prominence in the report described the UK as "a world leader in ineffective IT schemes for government".^[14] The Office of Fair Trading investigated but did not find sufficient evidence either to confirm that suppliers had been acting in breach of competition law, or to exonerate them.^[15] The government welcomed "the Committee's interest in and support for government Information and Communication Technology" and in response noted in particular that the government was "in the process of breaking the contractual lock-in which places the majority of ICT business with a small group of major systems integrators", and "working to improve the quality of its ICT management information".^[16]

Reports published in 2021 include The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office, published in June 2021.^[17]

In 2022 the committee reported on government ethics. Committee chair William Wragg stated a "robust" system was needed to uphold standards "with proper sanctions for those who break the rules". The committee was also concerned the government maintained its coming ethics adviser would not look into what happened round Suella Braverman's resignation. MP's on the committee stated the government should not be able to decide what the adviser, not yet appointed, could investigate. In its report, the committee also stated there should be legal action against former ministers who broke rules through taking certain jobs after leaving officed. Former ministers should look for advice from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments but ministers cannot be made to accept this committee's advice.^[18] The record of the current government was strongly criticised. The committee want the ethics adviser to be able to carry out inquiries into historical behaviour.^[19]

See also

• List of Committees of the United Kingdom Parliament

References

1. "Public Administration Select Committee - role". parliament.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
2. "Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
3. "Speaker's Statement: Select Committee Chairs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 670. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 29 January 2020.
4. "Committees". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 672. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 2 March 2020.
5. "Speaker's Statement: Select Committee Chairs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 627. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 12 July 2017.
6. "Business without Debate". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 628. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 11 September 2017.
7. "Tributes as Newport West Labour MP Paul Flynn dies aged 84". BBC News. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
8. "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 597. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 18 June 2015.
9. "Committees". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 598. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 6 July 2015.
10. "Committees". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 511. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 10 June 2010.
11. "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 513. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 12 July 2010.
12. "Taming the Prerogative: Strengthening Ministerial Accountability to Parliament" (PDF). House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee. 4 March 2004. p. 5. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
13. House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee, Government and IT - "a recipe for rip-offs": time for a new approach, Volume 1, page 3, published 28 July 2011, accessed 30 July 2021
14. Dunleavy, P., Margetts, H., Tinkler, J., and Bastow, S. (2006), Digital Era Governance: IT corporations, the state, and e-government, Oxford University Press.p. 70, quoted in Government and IT - "a recipe for rip-offs": time for a new approach, Volume 1, page 6
15. Feaster-Gee, T., Kilduff, D., Parting shot from OFT regarding supply of ICT to the public sector, Walker Morris, published 16 April 2014, archived 15 May 2021, accessed 15 November 2022
16. UK Government, Memorandum to the Public Administration Select Committee. Government Response to the Public Administration Select Committee’s report: Government and IT – "a recipe for rip-offs": time for a new approach: Further Report, with the Government Response to the Committee’s Twelfth Report of Session 2010 - 12, March 2012, accessed 26 November 2022
17. UK Parliament, The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office, published 9 June 2021, accessed 30 July 2021
18. Suella Braverman reappointment sets dangerous precedent - MPs BBC
19. Braverman return sets ‘dangerous precedent’, says Commons committee The Guardian

External links

• Public Administration Select Committee page on UK Parliament website
• Records for this Committee are held at the Parliamentary Archives