The Foreign Affairs Committee is appointed to examine
on behalf of the House of Commons the expenditure, administration
and policy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (and any associated
public bodies). Its constitution and powers are set out in House
of Commons Standing Order No. 152.
The Committee has a maximum of twelve members, of
whom the quorum for any formal proceedings is three. The members
of the Committee are appointed by the House and unless discharged
remain on the Committee until the next dissolution of Parliament.
The present membership of the Committee is as follows:[1]
The Committee has the power to require the submission
of written evidence and documents, to examine witnesses, and to
make Reports to the House. In the footnotes to this Report, references
to oral evidence are indicated by 'Q' followed by the question
number, references to the written evidence are indicated by 'Ev.'
followed by a page number, or where written evidence is contained
in an Appendix, 'Ev.' followed by a page number followed by 'Appendix...'.
The Committee may meet at any time (except when Parliament
is prorogued or dissolved) and at any place within the United
Kingdom. The Committee may meet concurrently with other committees
or sub-committees established under Standing Order No. 152 and
with the House's European Scrutiny Committee (or any of its sub-committees)
for the purpose of deliberating, taking evidence or considering
draft reports. The Committee may exchange documents and evidence
with any of these committees, as well as with the House's Public
Accounts, Deregulation and Environmental Audit committees. The
Committee may appoint one sub-committee.
The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published
by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications
of the Committee (including press notices) are on the internet
at www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/foraffcom.htm. A list of Reports
of the Committee in the present Parliament is published inside
the front cover of this Volume.
All correspondence should be addressed to The Clerk
of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Committee Office, House of Commons,
London SW1A 0AA. The telephone numbers for general inquiries are:
020 7219 6106/6105/6394; the Committee's e-mail address is: foraffcom@parliament.uk.
2
Appointed on 17 July 1997. Back
3
Appointed on 1 November 1999. Back
4
Appointed on 5 July 1999. Back
5
Appointed on 22 March 1999. Back
Prepared 2 August 2000