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                    [0] => Select committees undertake official Government inquiries or consider bills, public petitions, international treaties, financial reviews and Estimates, and other matters related to their subject area. Files generated by select committees in the course of their work include written and oral submissions made to the committee, meeting proceedings, and final recommendations made to the House of Representatives by the committee. Petition files also include original public petitions.
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            [id] => 16127
            [idSort] => 16127
            [name] => Select Committee Files and Petitions
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	Prior to the introduction of an alpha-numeric classification system for select committee records, files were unregistered and petitions were organised under annual single number petition numbers e.g. 1996/1.  With the introduction of the alpha-numeric system, both files and petitions became registered files.  However the Office of the Clerk continued to regard petition numbers as the primary reference number for petitions.  As such, petition files included in this series are listed with their petition number as their primary record number, and their alpha-numeric file number as their alternative record number.

	

	 
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            [history] => 

	(1) What is a select committee?

	Select committees are appointed by the House of Representatives at the start of each Parliament, after a General Election, to undertake business on behalf of the House.  They comprise small groups of Members of Parliament who derive their power from the House and report their findings to it.  Most committees have eight to ten members, one member being appointed Chairperson, with a balance between government and opposition members proportional to party membership in the House.  

	

	Select committee consideration allows for detailed examination of matters in a manner which would not be possible in the House.  This also allows members of the public to have a direct input into the parliamentary process, by making written or oral submissions, submitting a petition or attending a public hearing.  Select committees may travel within New Zealand to obtain evidence.

	

	The majority of select committees are subject select committees, and reflect the main areas of ministerial portfolios.  Their work includes examining new legislation (bills), considering petitions and international treaties, reviewing public expenditure and state organisations, and other matters related to their subject area.  Ad hoc select committees may also be set up from time to time to deal with particular issues such as official inquiries.  In addition, subject select committees also have the power to launch inquiries on their own initiative.  The need for a detailed inquiry may suggest itself while the select committee is examining departmental Estimates or conducting a review, a member of the public may convince the committee that an inquiry should be held, or the committee may decide to hold one itself.

	It is up to the individual committee to determine how it goes about carrying out an inquiry.  Usually it will draw up terms of reference, advertise for submissions or invite interested parties to make submissions, and perhaps enlist the assistance of specialist advisers.  At the conclusion of the inquiry the select committee reports its findings to the House.  If it makes any recommendations that are addressed to the Government, the Government must publish its response to them within a set timeframe.

	Select committees examine government activities through several processes:

	

		

			Inquiries:  Committees can hold inquiries in their subject area on matters of public interest.  They can call for evidence from State organisations and submissions from the public.  Findings and recommendations are reported to the House.  The Government must respond within 90 days.
	
	

		

			Financial reviews and Estimates:  Each year the committees are required to conduct two reviews of State organisations.  Financial reviews examine the previous year’s performance and current operations.  After the Budget is announced, committees then consider the Government’s departmental spending plans or Estimates for the new financial year.  Committees examine departmental documents and call for evidence from officials.  After they have reported back, some issues may then be debated in the House.
	
	

		

			Petitions:  By submitting a petition to Parliament, through their local Member of Parliament, people can request that the House takes action on a matter of national or local public policy or law.  (Presenting a petition does not mean that the Member agrees with its intent.)  If a petition complies with Standing Orders it will be referred to the appropriate select committee, which can choose how it deals with it and whether to seek further information.  If it reports to the House with recommendations, the Government is required to respond within 90 days.
	
	

		

			International treaties:  Some treaties are referred to select committees before the Government takes final action, such as ratification.  Committees consider matters of national interest that may arise, and usually have 35 days to report back to the House.
	
	

		

			Bills:  Another important function undertaken by select committees is examining new or amended laws (bills).  Bills must pass through three readings in the House before becoming law (assented acts).  Following the second reading, they are generally referred to a select committee for detailed study.  For further information see the series documentation for Series 8006 (Assented Acts).
	


	(2)  The different select committees - titles and responsibilities

	As subject select committees reflect the main areas of ministerial portfolios, the number and nature of the committees has remained largely the same across successive parliamentary terms.  Useful sources of information for identifying which committees operated in a given year include the annually published New Zealand Government Directory, or the New Zealand Parliament website (www.parliament.nz).  In 2012, there were up to 13 subject-area select committees, plus any number of ad hoc committees set up from time to time for particular purposes.

	Business Committee:  determines order of business to be transacted in the House of Representatives, time to be spent on items of business, how time spent on a particular item will be allocated amongst parties represented in the House, and speaking time of individual members on an item.  Also decides the size of select committees, and appoints members.

	Commerce Committee:  business development, commerce, communications, consumer affairs, energy, information technology, insurance and superannuation.

	

	Education and Science Committee:  education, education review, industry training, research, science and technology.

	

	Finance and Expenditure Committee:  audit of the financial statements of the Government and departments, Government finance, revenue and taxation.

	

	Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee:  customs, defence, disarmament and arms control, foreign affairs, immigration and trade.

	

	Government Administration Committee:  civil defence, cultural affairs, fitness, sport and leisure, internal affairs, Pacific Island affairs, Prime Minister and Cabinet, racing, services to Parliament, state services, statistics, tourism, women's affairs and youth affairs.

	

	Health Committee:  health.

	

	Justice and Electoral Committee:  Crown legal and drafting services, electoral, human rights, and justice matters.

	

	Law and Order Committee:  corrections, courts, criminal law, police and serious fraud.

	

	Local Government and Environment Committee:  conservation, environment and local government.

	

	Maori Affairs Committee:  Maori affairs.

	Officers of Parliament Committee:  oversees officers of Parliament (Controller and Auditor General, Ombudsman, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment), and makes appointment recommendations for these positions to the House.  

	Primary Production Committee:  agriculture, biosecurity, fisheries, forestry, lands and land information.

	Privileges Committee:  considers matters relating to or concerning parliamentary privilege.

	Regulations Review Committee:  examines all regulations, investigates complaints about regulations, and performs other functions so that regulations are subject to effective parliamentary scrutiny and control.

	

	Social Services Committee:  housing, senior citizens, social welfare, veterans' affairs, and work and income support.

	Standing Orders Committee:  reviews or considers the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives, and the procedures and practices of the House.

	

	Transport and Industrial Relations Committee:  accident compensation, industrial relations, labour, occupational health and safety, transport and transport safety.

	Constitutional Arrangements Committee: reviewed existing constitutional arrangements by identifying and describing New Zealand’s constitutional development since 1840, key elements in New Zealand’s constitutional structure, and the relationships between those elements, the sources of New Zealand’s constitution, process other countries have followed in undertaking a range of constitutional reforms and the processes which it would be appropriate for New Zealand to follow if significant constitutional reforms were considered in the future.

	Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation Committee: examined the Foreshore and Seabed Bill. The purpose of the bill was to clarify the status of the foreshore and seabed.

	(3)  Tracing select committee work quickly - useful secondary sources 

	All final select committee reports tabled in the House of Representatives are recorded as such in the Journals of the House, which have been published since 1856.

	

	· The text of reports is reproduced in the Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives, although not all information will be included. For example, the Appendices will record the recommendation of a select committee that a bill be allowed to proceed with "the amendments shown in the copy attached hereto", but will not reproduce this copy. The original copy, along with the recommendation, will be found in Series 8009 (Reports of Select Committees Tabled in the House). A copy should also be on the relevant select committee file in Series 16127 or its predecessor series.

	

	· The Journals also contain schedules printed by order of the House, e.g. tables with details of legislation dealt with, papers and petitions presented, and select committees appointed. For 1854-1856 the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives was published, containing both the proceedings and reports. From 1856, papers ordered to be printed have been published separately in the Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives. When tracing a petition, for example, it is often helpful to begin by referring to the Journals for the year/years in question. The tabled entry for a petition should indicate which select committee dealt with it, and when work was completed on it/if it was held over for further work. With this information it is often possible to quickly identify relevant files in Series 16127 or its predecessor series.

	

	Copies of the Journals, the Appendices and the Votes and Proceedings are held by Archives New Zealand. 

	(4.) Arrangement of records by parliamentary term

	Researchers should note that select committee records are filed at Parliament, and subsequently archived, under the Parliament in which a given piece of work was completed. This may mean that work begun in an earlier parliamentary term is completed, filed and archived in a later parliamentary record set e.g. records archived from the 45th Parliament (1996-1999 term) may include records dating initially from the 44th Parliament (1993-1996).  This may be seen from the date range of particular files.

	

	(5.)  Dates of series

	The New Zealand Constitution Act of 1852 provided for a General Assembly consisting of the Governor, a Legislative Council and a House of Representatives empowered to make such laws for the peace, order and good government of New Zealand as were not repugnant to the laws of England. The New Zealand House of Representatives was first elected in 1853, with Parliament being officially opened by Governor Sir George Grey on 27 May 1854.

	

	The New Zealand Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives, Sessions I and II, 1854, records the establishment of select committees from this very first year of Parliament.  The first select committee appointed by the House was one to draft the Standing Orders, rules drawn up by the House of Representatives which govern its proceedings. 

	

	(6.)  Standing Orders 

	

	Like the House of Representatives, select committees operate under Standing Orders. These contain rules for the conduct of proceedings in the House of Representatives and for the exercise of powers possessed by the House. The rules are decided by the Standing Orders Select Committee, which is set up to revise them from time to time. Such revisions may result in renumbering of Standing Orders, however their wording generally remains the same.

	

	Matters dealt with by Standing Orders in relation to select committees include:

	

	· Calling for evidence 

	

	Select committees may request that people attend meetings to give evidence and that documents and records be produced. If necessary, they can apply to the Speaker of the House to issue a summons to obtain the evidence.

	

	· Hearing of submissions 

	

	While it is usual for submissions to be heard in public, a committee can also hear evidence in private or in secret depending on the nature of the submission. Evidence heard in private remains confidential until the item of business (Bill or inquiry) to which it is related is reported back to the House. Secret evidence remains secret unless the House chooses to disclose it.

	

	Standing Orders provide some protection to individuals appearing as witnesses before a select committee. These are known as natural justice provisions and include such rights as applying to have all or some of the evidence heard in private or secret; objecting to a question on the grounds of relevance; raising matters with the Clerk of the Committee relating to evidence which is to be given; having the opportunity to correct errors in any transcripts of the evidence given; and various protections for people where allegations made in select committee proceedings may seriously damage their reputation, whether or not that person appears as a witness.

	

	· Status of submissions 

	

	Submissions may be discussed freely during their preparation, but once sent to a committee they become the property of the committee. Select committees usually release submissions when they start hearing evidence. While it is not a breach of parliamentary privilege to release a submission before the committee has received it, such as to the press, this is considered discourteous to the committee. Individuals are advised to contact the Clerk of the Committee beforehand. 

	

	(7.) Creating and controlling agencies 

	

	Until the establishment of the Legislative Department (ABBS) in 1912, creation and administration of select committee records rested directly with Parliament. Committees comprised Members of Parliament, who reported back to the House of Representatives (ACCH) and the Legislative Council (ACCE) (until 1951 Parliament consisted of two chambers). The Speaker of the House of Representatives (ACCG) and the Speaker of the Legislative Council (ACCF) acted as the principal presiding officers of the two chambers and had administrative control over their work, such as select committee proceedings.

	

	In 1912, following a re-organisation of the public service, the establishment of a Legislative Department and the appointment of a Minister of the Legislative Department, there was a growth in the size and diversity of legislative staff. The administrative control of the two Speakers diminished, and the minister came to exercise a control over staff which was similar in most respects to staff control in other government departments. Administrative control for select committees subsequently passed from the Speakers to the Legislative Department, and then its successor agencies. 

	

	(8.)  Earlier holdings and related series 

	

	The Legislative Department record group collection (AEBE) includes series 18507 (formerly LE1), which comprises papers of the Houses of Parliament from 1854-1969, arranged on a yearly basis.  The record group collection also includes Consolidated Record Books of Select Committees (series 18512, formerly LE2) and  Manapouri Petition Select Committee records (series 18535, formerly LE13).

	Series 18507 is the largest of the series, and for each year includes files relating to:

	

		committees - proceedings of various select committees, including those formed to consider various bills and also the 'House' committee i.e. the Committee of the Whole House, which forms to consider estimates of expenditure or the clauses of a bill prior to its third and final reading in the House of Representatives. 
	

		accounts and papers - schedule of accounts and papers laid upon the Table, i.e. copies of the actual papers tabled in the House of Representatives. 
	

		miscellaneous - Acts of Parliament (i.e. bills passed into law), various printed bills, reports of select committees and sometimes notes of the Clerks of Parliaments (Legislative Council) or the Clerk of the House of Representatives with regard to various issues.

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            [ricClassification] => CHRONOLOGICAL
            [ricClassificationDescription] => By annual single number (petitions).
            [seriesAccessContacts] => 

	For further information or to request permission to view or copy records please contact:

	Research Services, Archives New Zealand National Office

	PO Box 12050

	Wellington

	NEW ZEALAND

	 
            [seriesRestrictionReason] => 

	Some records are protected under section 49(1)(a) of the Public Records Act 2005.

	Photographs require that gloves are worn when viewing.

	

	Audio and video records are not issuable due to their technical formats and requirements.

	CD ROMs/Floppy disks are not issuable due to their technical formats.

	Contact Archives New Zealand for permission to view or the availability of alternative access provisions. Viewing is by appointment only.
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