ABSTRACT
It has been seen above that committees have the power to send for ‘persons and papers’. The work of select committees would be much impaired if the committee was obstructed in its attempt to gain access to evidence. The Select Committee on Procedure had suggested, inter alia, that there should be power to compel ministers to attend and to give evidence. That recommendation was rejected by the government, on the basis that select committees should not have power to issue orders to ministers – such a power lay with the House alone. Accordingly, there is no formal requirement that the government cooperate with select committees. However, the Leader of the House has undertaken that:
For the most part, governments do co-operate with the committees, but limits to this co-operation can be perceived through an examination of four instances.
