VPRS 11878 Select Committee Records, Sessional Arrangement

Full description

This series brings together records created by a range of Select Committees which were not laid on the table of the Assembly upon the conclusion of the Committees inquiries. Committee records laid on the table of the Assembly are to be found within VPRS 3253 Original Papers Tabled in the Legislative Assembly.

A Select Committee is usually appointed by the Assembly to inquire into matters requiring a detailed level of examination which could not be achieved by the full Assembly. Membership of these Committees is drawn from the Members of the Assembly and have varied in number. The powers of these Committees are usually defined by the establishing terms of reference. These can include the power to examine witnesses (occasionally under oath) and to call for persons, papers and records.

This series does not include records of Select Committees appointed to inquire into bills under consideration by the Assembly. These are in VPRS 13580.)

In the main, this series also does not contain records created by Sessional Committees which have existed since the establishment of the Assembly (such as the Standing Orders Committee) or Joint Committees of the Assembly and the Legislative Council. The records of such Committees have been processed as separate series.

The majority of records within this series were created in the course of inquiries or investigations undertaken by these Committees. Although the range of documents created per inquiry/investigation will vary, the following broad categories of documents will be located in this series:
- Minute Books of meetings held by the Committee.
- Background papers comprising copies of printed material, reports etc gathered by the Committee in the course of initial research about the body to be reviewed.
- Correspondence files relating to either the actual investigation or organisational aspects of the inquiry.
- Submissions tended by individuals or organisations during the investigation stating their views on the issues concerned. Some submissions were also received in response to public hearings or issue of the final report.
- Transcripts of public hearings which may have been held during an inquiry. Copies of the transcripts, which were forwarded to the various participants for amendment or correction are also included.
- Reports including the final printed copy as presented to Parliament containing the Committee's findings and recommendations.