Reports of Parliament’s decline much exaggerated

The last decade has seen a series of significant innovations in the way Parliament holds government to account, mostly involving the House of Commons, but in some cases the House of Lords as well. They include: More resources for select committees; The introduction of ‘core tasks’ for select committees in the Commons setting out their work objectives; More select committees in both houses, holding more inquiries and producing more reports; The Prime Minister holding twice-annual oral evidence sessions with the House of Commons Liaison Committee, which comprises the chairs of the various Commons select committees; The introduction of public bill committees for more effective legislative scrutiny in the Commons; Greater transparency for executive financial accountability to Parliament; A Commons backbench business committee, to some extent loosening the grip of the executive, via the whips, on the Commons timetable; Elections for Commons committee members and chairs, again lessening the influence of the whips; Pre-appointment hearings by Commons committees for preferred candidates for major public appointments; and The placing of powers previously exercised under the extra-parliamentary Royal Prerogative on a statutory basis, making Parliament the ultimate authority. Most notably, the Civil Service is now regulated by an Act of Parliament.