Next week's committees
As most committees prepare for hibernation till the next Parliament, another new last-minute mini-inquiry has been announced: the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee is following up on pub companies by taking additional written evidence on the British Beer and Pub Association's framework code of practice on the relations between pub companies and their tenants.
Committee chairman Peter Luff said he felt they could only reach firm conclusions after the code was published and the players had reacted to the details. The report is expected in late February or early March. You can read .
And there are still a few gems in the coming week:
On Monday, the new for London's first public hearings will examine the preparation and use of regional population statistics for London and the 2011 census. The figures produced by censuses are used to allocate funds to local councils - and there are frequent complaints that they are out of date, even before they are used.
Particularly in urban areas...like London.
They'll hold a second hearing on Monday 8 February in Stratford, east London. Today's witnesses: Professor David Martin, Royal Statistical Society and ESRC Census programme and Keith Dugmore, Demographic User Group. The following week they'll hear from London Boroughs and the Greater London Authority
The will probe the government's Decent ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖs Programme, which has now refurbished 300,000 homes. One of the key issues will be how to identify the homes most in need of improvements, to ensure the continuing programme is cost-effective. .
And the Gifted and Talented Programme will be examined by the .
The will be sitting in private to take evidence from the chief ministers of Guernsey and Jersey - Crown Dependencies which are not part of the UK. The subject matter is likely to include their tax haven status and law enforcement issues.
The big event on Tuesday is the prime minister's appearance before the - the super-committee of all the Commons select committee chairs.
It starts at 2pm and they can ask about pretty much anything.
Meanwhile, the will be continuing its inquiry into Crime Prevention, taking evidence from the Association of Chief Police Officers, and from MPs Chris Huhne (the Lib Dem Shadow ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Secretary), Iain Duncan Smith and Graham Allen. The last two are big advocates of early intervention to help troubled families, as a vital method of crime prevention.
The will publish a report on the procurement of legal aid in England and Wales by the Legal Services Commission. It will be based on
into a .
The will make its first foray into one of the areas annexed by Lord Mandelson's department - further education funding.
In the Lords, the Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform Jim Knight will give evidence to the Lords inquiry - the EU Sub-Committee on Social Policy and Consumer Affairs - on the European Social Fund.
It'll question Mr Knight on the government's position on the effectiveness of the ESF, how ESF funding can best address skills shortages amongst the European population and whether the operation of the ESF should be amended to respond to changed circumstances following the economic downturn. He will also be quizzed on the government's position that social fund payments to richer member states (including the UK) should be phased out and how the UK government would then ensure projects in the UK would be maintained.
On Wednesday, the examines the sale of the government's interest in British Energy. Witnesses include: Moira Wallace, Permanent Secretary and Mark Higson, from the Office for Nuclear Development, Department of Energy and Climate Change. The previous .
The controversial National DNA Database will be under the microscope at the - which will hear from Professor Sir Alec Jeffries and the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Office Minister David Hansen.
Last week the committee was surprised to be told by police witnesses that DNA evidence helped solve perhaps one crime in 150.
The will consider the teaching of STEM subjects - science, technology, engineering and maths. And the will look at the state of dairy farming.
On Thursday, the Health Minister Mike O'Brian and academics will give evidence to the on the NHS commissioning process.
And we can expect much entertainment when Sir Christopher Kelly, chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life appears before the Public Administration Committee. Last year, he rather dismissed MPs expenses as an issue for his committee, then he wrote his report on the Westminster expenses system - so the question may be "what did you do in the expenses scandal, Daddy?"
I'm Mark D'Arcy and I'll be writing about what goes on in the chambers and committee rooms at Westminster.
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