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The Role and Management o of the Scrutiny Unit

The Role and Management o of the Scrutiny Unit. Jessica Mulley, Head of the Scrutiny Unit June 2013. Scrutiny Unit. Established in 2002 Part of the Commons Committee Office Directorate

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The Role and Management o of the Scrutiny Unit

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  1. The Role and Management o of the Scrutiny Unit Jessica Mulley, Head of the Scrutiny Unit June 2013

  2. Scrutiny Unit • Established in 2002 • Part of the Commons Committee Office Directorate • Staff skills now include Parliamentary procedure, Scrutiny management, Accountancy and auditing, Economics, Statistics, Legal and legislative analysis, Administrative support • Works in partnership with Select Committee Secretariats and Department for Information Services

  3. Why we were set up • To strengthen the scrutiny role of the House, particularly • Financial scrutiny • Pre-legislative scrutiny • To fulfil commitment to more specialist staff for select committees • to support common objectives for select committees (which include scrutiny of spending and performance)

  4. Supporting Select Committees - overview • Liaison Committee agreed core tasks: • Examine Departments’ spending plans and spending • Examine objectives, targets and outcomes • Scrutiny of Government finances and performance • Scrutiny of legislation • Support Joint Committees (with House of Lords) • Scrutiny of Draft Legislation • Supports Public Bill Committees • Scrutiny of Bills • Policy support & evidence taking (sometimes) • Administrative Support (always)

  5. Supporting Select Committees in practice • Briefing Committees (private sessions) • Staff Training • Written guidance, website and booklets • Discussions with Government (e.g. Treasury) on improving information given to Parliament • Providing advice to Liaison Committee on proposals for change (e.g. Alignment, mid year reports) • Inquiry management support • Pre-Legislative Scrutiny • Post-Legislative Scrutiny

  6. Legislative Scrutiny • Draft Bills: • Procedural, legal, research and other specialist advice and administrative support for ad hoc Joint Committees (in partnership with the House of Lords) • Specialist advice and assistance to Departmental Select Committees in scrutinising draft bills • Public Bill Committees: • Coordinates evidence-taking sessions incl. receipt and circulation of written submissions • Arranging or providing briefing for Committee members for any oral evidence sessions

  7. Financial scrutiny- what Scrutiny Unit does • Analyses financial documents • Prepares briefing notes and written questions • Briefs committees orally, answers their questions or gives presentations • Works with Committee teams • on briefing and questions to Ministers on financial matters for hearings • on financial and economic aspects of inquiries including writing reports

  8. Committee Support (regular financial events) Scrutiny Unit support includes • Establishing facts: • what money is being spent on • Identifying changes in spending and trends • Questioning can cover • Strategy and option appraisal • The value added by the spending and value for money • Delivery and implementation, capacity etc • Monitoring and outcomes • Review, revision and lessons learnt

  9. Other Financial Scrutiny Support - examples • Presentations, training etc • Briefing to Committees and Committee Staff • Responding to Treasury and National Audit Office on emerging financial reporting issues • Providing advice to Liaison Committee on proposals for change • Economic Support and Analysis e.g. Impact Assessments • Writing sections of Committee Reports (where relevant)

  10. Financial scrutiny: what does it achieve? • Greater openness and transparency • Accountability to public and Parliament for taxpayers’ money • Incentives to • Ensure decisions are fully thought through and defensible before they are taken • justify spending based on evidence • consider alternative views and options proposed • Possibly even to review and amend future plans • Establish procedures to avoid embarrassment (eg avoid wasteful spending or minimise fraud)

  11. Supporting Corporate Functions • Drawing on SU’s wide skills and experience base, help with • Outreach • Internal Audit • Library Research and Inquiries • Public Understanding • IT and technology tools • Practical examples: Staff survey analysis; income generation support; Speaker’s Committees; Hack Weekend

  12. Scrutiny Unit Management • Part of Commons Committee Office, Department of Chamber and Committee Services • Lead by Head of Unit and sub-divided into three teams • Reports to the Clerk of Committees and Committee Office Management Group • Resources drawn from general Committee Office budgets • Permanent staff supported by range of secondees, staff on loan, and short-term appointments

  13. SU Interns and Fellows Programme • Drawn from range of academic, public and third sector institutions • Subject to same requirements on political impartiality and confidentiality • Work either directly in the SU or placed with a select committee

  14. Any questions? • Scrutiny Unit web pages http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/commons/scrutinyunit/ Email: scrutiny@parliament.uk

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