ABSTRACT
The House of Commons votes by division, with the names of those voting recorded, about 300 times each year. On a small proportion of the divisions the Members are left free to vote as they think fit, but the great majority of votes are rather artificial because the Government is sure to obtain its majority. Proposals for specialised committees have always been opposed by strong elements of parliamentary and governmental opinion. The oldest objection has a constitutional basis. It has been claimed repeatedly that as each minister is responsible for his own field of affairs his overall responsibility would be damaged if a parliamentary committee became closely involved with it. Speeches on the floor of the House of Commons are unlikely to lead to the replacement of a minister by a new one who will produce new or modified policies. The new committees set up between 1966 and 1970 were an attempt to respond to the new needs.
