David Crausby

The House of Commons Defence Select Committee helps promotedebate, raise awareness and provides a certain degree ofaccountability in regards to defence issues facing the governmenttoday. There are currently 14 members of the committee, allMPs, including a Chairman (James Arbuthnot MP). I am theVice-Chairman.

It holds weekly committee sessions (hearings) where MoDofficials, members of industry and defence experts give evidencebefore the committee on current defence issues in order to help thegovernment make better decisions. In the past, such topicshave included; the Defence Industrial Strategy, the UK?s StrategicNuclear Deterrent and sessions on specific cases, such asAfghanistan.

The committee does not make decisions relating to governmentitself, but does play an important role in informing andinfluencing those decisions. Inquiries are usually held overseveral weeks, with the committee creating a report on eachissue.

Public sessions (where evidence is heard before the committee)of the committee are usually held Tuesday mornings. Privatesessions are often undertaken also, to discuss draft reportscreated and decide future business of the committee. Membersalso carry out visits to the ?front line? on occasion, to observeindustry or meet soldiers and civilians at the cutting edge ofdefence matters. Past visits include those to Iraq andAfghanistan, and the committee sometimes travels to abroad to meetwith the defence officials and representatives of othernations.

I am also a member of the Quadripartite Committee on StrategicExport Controls. Quadripartite Committees are set up so thatmembers of a number of committees can discuss together issues whichcross over into all their subject areas.