21 February 2007

A new website for parliamentary select committees has been launched to improve public access to the essential work performed by these bodies.

Selectcommittees.co.uk utilises new video technology to "complement" the existing official select committee websites and covers five key areas: defence, education and skills, international development, health and Treasury affairs.

Run in a partnership between ePolitix.com and the monthly Parliamentary Monitor magazine, committee chairmen can now talk online to users, improving public access to important committee meetings.

Malcolm Bruce, international development committee chairman, explained the importance of the website's features in reaching out people.

"[It is] crucial that those people we are trying to reach have the opportunity to influence us," he remarked.

Chairman of the defence committee James Arbuthnot is quoted by ePolitix.com as saying that it is "absolutely essential" for select committee work to be "made as accessible as possible".

Select committees are designed to scrutinise government policy and they comprise members of parliament or peers from different political parties.

© Adfero Ltd

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