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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.

Membership

Membership of the committee is as follows:

Following the resignation of William Wragg in 2024, the committee has no chair. Wragg had served as chairman since being elected in January 2020, defeating fellow Conservative MP David Jones by 335 to 183 votes. A ballot will take place in May 2024 to elect a new chair. The members of the select committee are:

Changes 2019-present

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.

Changes 2017-2019

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.

Changes 2015-2017

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.

Changes 2010-2015

Reports

A March 2004 report considered the prerogative powers of Ministers.

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'. An independent comment given prominence in the report described the UK as "a world leader in ineffective IT schemes for government". 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. 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".

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

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. 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.

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. https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/327/public-administration-and-constitutional-affairs-committee/news/144795/william-wragg-elected-chair-of-public-administration-and-constitutional-affairs-committee/
4. https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/Results-spreadsheet-SC-Chairs-2020-a.pdf
5. UK Parliament, Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, accessed 30 July 2021
6. "Speaker's Statement: Select Committee Chairs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 627. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 12 July 2017.
7. "Business without Debate". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 628. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 11 September 2017.
8. "Tributes as Newport West Labour MP Paul Flynn dies aged 84". BBC News. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
9. "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 597. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 18 June 2015.
10. "Committees". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 598. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 6 July 2015.
11. "Committees". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 511. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 10 June 2010.
12. "Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 513. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 12 July 2010.
13. "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.
14. 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
15. 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
16. 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
17. 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
18. UK Parliament, The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office, published 9 June 2021, accessed 30 July 2021
19. Suella Braverman reappointment sets dangerous precedent - MPs BBC
20. 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

• Westminster system
• Select Committees of the British House of Commons