Home Affairs Select Committee

The Home Affairs Committee is one of the House of Commons select committees related to government departments: its terms of reference are to examine "the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Home Office and its associated public bodies".^[1]

The committee chooses its own subjects of inquiry, within the overall terms of reference. It invites written evidence from interested parties and holds public evidence sessions, usually in committee rooms at the House of Commons, although it does have the power to meet away from Westminster.

At the end of each inquiry, the committee will normally agree on a report based on the evidence received. Such reports are published and made available on the internet. Reports usually contain recommendations to the government and other bodies. By convention, the government responds to reports within about two months of publication. These responses are also published.

Recent inquiries have included:^[2]

• Brexit-related preparations^[3]
• Counter-terrorism^[4]
• Domestic abuse^[5]
• Hate crime and its violent consequences^[6]
• Immigration detention^[7]
• Islamophobia^[8]
• Modern slavery^[9]
• Policing for the future^[10]
• Windrush children^[11]

Membership of the committee is as follows:^[12]

The chair was elected on 27 January 2020, with the members of the committee being announced on 2 March 2020.^[13][14]

The chair was elected on 12 July 2017, with the members of the committee being announced on 11 September 2017.^[27][28]

The chair was elected on 18 June 2015, with members being announced on 8 July 2015.^[29][30]

The chair was elected on 10 June 2010, with members being announced on 12 July 2010.^[31][32]

Occasionally, the House of Commons orders changes to be made in terms of membership of select committees, as proposed by the Committee of Selection. Such changes are shown below.

• Parliamentary committees of the United Kingdom