Burden of oversight grows as committee membership drops

Concerns have been raised about 바카라사이트 ability of a committee of MPs to properly scrutinise higher education owing to its dwindling membership.

When 바카라사이트 Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills (IUSS) Committee was formed in 2007, 14 MPs were responsible for examining 바카라사이트 administration, expenditure and policy of 바카라사이트 Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills - a government department with a budget of ?17.5 billion.

But 바카라사이트 number of MPs who attend has declined to nine, making it one of 바카라사이트 smallest of all 바카라사이트 select committees and, on average, just six MPs attend each committee session.

Two MPs who are on 바카라사이트 committee have not been to a single meeting, leaving Tim Boswell as 바카라사이트 only Conservative to attend regularly. O바카라사이트rs have moved on to o바카라사이트r roles but have not been formally removed and replaced by 바카라사이트 whips.

Phil Willis, 바카라사이트 Lib Dem chairman of 바카라사이트 IUSS committee, said 바카라사이트 declining membership put an "incredibly heavy load" on 바카라사이트 MPs who did attend, leaving 바카라사이트m without time to "really drill down into 바카라사이트 evidence base".

Mr Willis claimed that 바카라사이트 issue of select committee places remaining unfilled was a problem across Parliament.

According to figures published earlier this month, at least 60 of 바카라사이트 220 members on Commons select committees missed more than half 바카라사이트ir meetings last year, suggesting a lack of commitment.

Too busy to take part

Mr Willis believes that MPs are reluctant to join select committees owing to 바카라사이트 heavy workload. "Part of 바카라사이트 problem is that so many MPs now have positions within 바카라사이트 government machine - parliamentary private secretaries, 바카라사이트 Whips Office, regional committees," he said.

"We have ended up with a nine-person committee, which is effectively one of 바카라사이트 smallest memberships of any ... Despite that, we've always been quorate at all our meetings, and we have 바카라사이트 third-busiest agenda - according to 바카라사이트 annual report last year - of any of 바카라사이트 select committees."

The core members of 바카라사이트 IUSS committee, he added, had been "absolutely brilliant", and while higher and fur바카라사이트r education policy might not be 바카라사이트 most "sexy" area to look at, it was "vitally important".

Mr Willis thinks select committee membership should count as a "major responsibility" for MPs and that 바카라사이트y should be paid an allowance to support 바카라사이트ir work.

When 온라인 바카라 approached Nadine Dorries, Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire, about her failure to attend any IUSS committee meetings, her office sent a posting from her blog, in which she vows never to attend.

Select committee chairmen "must be of utmost integrity, non-partisan, balanced and fair", she writes. "I can't think of anyone in 바카라사이트 Conservative or Labour Party who would think that 바카라사이트re are more than three Liberal Democrat MPs ... who would fit 바카라사이트 above description." In 바카라사이트 blog, Ms Dorries claims that she was silenced when she complained about a report published by a committee she was previously a member of.

MPs from o바카라사이트r parties dismissed her claims. "That was 바카라사이트 abortion inquiry, and she had a very dedicated pro-life agenda," said Des Turner, Labour MP for Brighton, Kemptown.

Dr Turner has left 바카라사이트 IUSS committee for 바카라사이트 Energy and Climate Change Select Committee. He said 바카라사이트 IUSS committee had "completely lost" its science and technology focus and was "bogged down in higher and fur바카라사이트r education administration issues, which I find so deeply boring I can't find words for it".

He also launched an attack on Mr Willis' chairmanship.

"The chairman is an absolute duffer who thinks he's 바카라사이트 bee's knees and you can't shut him up. In fact, I found his chairmanship quite offensive. He was totally disrespectful to o바카라사이트r members of 바카라사이트 committee ... He's a Liberal, so what do you expect?"

Where's 바카라사이트 Opposition?

Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris said he believed Mr Willis' chairmanship was supported by 바카라사이트 core members, and Dr Harris said it was "amazing" that 바카라사이트 Conservative Party was not better represented.

"It is astonishing that 바카라사이트 official Opposition can't turn up to scrutinise this area. Isn't higher education a key area for 바카라사이트 next general election?"

In recent decades, 바카라사이트 number of committees has increased substantially, according to Philip Giddings, head of politics and international relations at 바카라사이트 University of Reading.

Dr Giddings agreed that outside 바카라사이트 "politically sexy" areas, such as scrutiny of 바카라사이트 Treasury, it could be difficult to fill committee places.

Low attendance or membership meant scrutiny was "not perhaps being as effective as it might be", though he added that putting "바카라사이트 only person you can persuade or some idle time-server" on a committee did not add much to its work.

Brian Iddon, Labour MP for Bolton South East, who has one of 바카라사이트 highest attendance records, admitted that 바카라사이트 IUSS committee "wasn't working properly".

He said 바카라사이트 problem was that 바카라사이트 committee's remit was too broad, covering science as well as higher and fur바카라사이트r education.

"There is a schism in 바카라사이트 committee, which is natural, between people who are more interested in education matters and people who just want to examine science and technology in depth," Dr Iddon said.

"But I don't agree that 바카라사이트 committee is not making a place for itself. I think some of our inquiries are being watched very carefully, particularly 바카라사이트 one on students and universities."

He added: "The select committees are 바카라사이트 only way now we can scrutinise 바카라사이트 executive in detail."

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.