Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee

The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee (PACAC), formerly known as the Public Administration Select Committee, is a committee appointed by the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. Its primary role is to scrutinize reports from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, monitor the quality of administration in civil service departments, and examine issues relating to the civil service and constitutional affairs. The committee primarily focuses on matters in England and Wales but also considers broader constitutional and administrative issues affecting the United Kingdom.

PACAC plays a vital role in ensuring transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public administration and governance. Its inquiries often address key concerns about the functioning of government institutions, public service delivery, and the implementation of constitutional principles.

The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, previously known as the Public Administration Select Committee, is a committee designated by the British House of Commons. Its purpose is to scrutinize reports from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, address issues pertaining to the quality of administration delivered by civil service departments, and explore various matters concerning the civil service, primarily in England and Wales, as well as constitutional affairs.

It is the principal select committee to which Cabinet Office ministers are accountable and thus handles pre appointment and accountability hearings for independent officers, with an independent civil society or cross departmental role, such as the First Civil Service Commissioner, the chair of the UK Statistics Authority and the chair of the Charity Commission.

The committee chooses its own subjects of inquiry, within its overall terms of reference; however, it seeks evidence from a wide variety of individuals and groups with relevant interests and experience. The members of the committee are elected by their peers from any political party, and the committee itself mainly publishes its results through reports and making its recommendations known to the government.^[1]