Hello everyone.

My name is Ms. Wyatt, and I'm so pleased that you could be here today for our lesson.

Welcome to today's lesson on, "Why are select committees important in a democracy?" from the unit, "How can citizens bring about change?" By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to explain what a select committee is, why contributing to them is important for democracy, and how to give evidence to one.

We have two key words that we will be using throughout today's lesson, and they are "select committee" and "democracy".

A select committee is a group of members of the legislative body, MPs or other lawmakers, chosen to look into specific issues or topics and report back on their findings.

They make sure important issues are looked at closely.

And a democracy is a system of government in which citizens vote in regular, fair elections, for representatives who then make laws and decisions on their behalf.

Some of the keywords may be new to you today, but please don't worry, as we will be using them throughout our lesson.

Our lesson on, "Why are select committees important in a democracy?" is split up into two parts today, with the first part exploring, "Why should we contribute to select committees?" And then finally looking at how can we give evidence at a select committee.

So when you are ready, let's start today's lesson.

So laws are made by Parliament.

Parliament is also known as the legislature.

One of its main jobs is to create and change laws, and it is made up of three parts.

The House of Commons, so this has 650 members of Parliament, or MPs, elected at a general election.

We have the House of Lords, which is around 800 members selected because of their knowledge and their experience.

So different from the House of Commons.

And then the monarchy, which is the head of state, so our king or queen.

So this is what makes up the legislature, okay? It's what makes up the parliament.

The House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the monarchy.

So the legislature makes important decisions, so it is crucial to gather input from citizens and experts.

Select committees made up of legislators investigate specific issues and report their findings.

They provide a way for citizens to engage in politics and contribute to democracy.

Select committees are set up to examine the work of every government department.

Select committees examine the work that they do through inquiries, which investigate activities and policies through written and oral evidence, and through correspondence, surveys, and events.

So select committees are set up to have a look at the work of every government department.

They look at what is going on through inquiries.

Select committees start with a public call for evidence, to which UK citizens can all contribute, and this is an example of democracy in action.

So let's check our understanding.

What do select committees use to investigate activities and policies? Is it A, judges? B, inquires? C, juries? Which one is it? What do select committees use to investigate activities and policies? Pause the video now and make your decision from our list.

Okay, it's time for answers.

So, select committees use inquiries to investigate activities and policies within parliament.

So well done if you got that correct.

Within a democracy, it is important that the work of parliament and the government is monitored, and they are held accountable for their actions.

A select committee is one way that this takes place.

There are select committees for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

They check and report on various areas of parliament's work, sometimes looking at how much money is being spent, or sometimes investigating a particular issue like education or the environment.

So there are select committees for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Select committees are led by a chairperson, which can either be an MP, or a Peer from the House of Lords.

Citizens also play an important part in this democratic process by giving evidence and sharing opinions with select committees.

So contributing to select committees gives citizens a direct way to shape policies, share concerns, and ensure diverse voices are heard in the decision-making process.

So it's not just coming from one area of the public.

It can come from anyone, different citizens with different voices and different experiences.

So true or false? Select committees allow citizens to have a direct influence on the legislative process.

Is that true or is it false? Pause the video and have think if it's true or false and make a choice.

Okay, hopefully we all said it is true.

Well done if we did.

They do allow citizens to have a direct influence on the legislative process, because you are allowed to give your opinion and give your experiences.

One example of a select committee is the Prison Education Inquiry, which was held in 2021 and 2022.

So what was the focus of this select committee? So what was the focus of the Prison Education Inquiry? The select committee aimed to assess the effectiveness of education in rehabilitating offenders and reducing re-offending rates.

So looking at how effective education is within trying to stop offenders from re-offending, and that means committing the crime again.

So we examine the quality, accessibility, and outcomes of education in prisons, recommending improvements to better support prisoner rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

So how did the public contribute to the Prison Education select committee? The public contributed to the select committee's inquiry by submitting written evidence, participating in consultations, and sharing their views during oral evidence sessions.

Contributions came from a diverse range of citizens involved, including former prisoners, educators, charities, and advocacy groups.

Citizens provided perspectives on the effectiveness of current programmes and proposed recommendations for improvement.

So let's try and fill in the missing words here.

And some of our missing words do have the start of that word there.

So it says, "The Prison Education Inquiry select committee focused on the effectiveness of education in R-something, O-something, and reducing 'something' rates.

The public contributed by submitting 'something', evidence, and sharing their views." So we have four missing words here.

Can we pause the video, have a read back through these sentences and try and work out what the missing words are? Okay.

Hopefully we've managed to work out what our missing words are in our sentences.

So let's go through it together.

"The Prison Education Inquiry select committee focused on the effectiveness of education in rehabilitating offenders and reducing re-offending rates.

The public contributed by submitting written evidence and sharing their views." So we should have rehabilitating, offenders, re-offending, and written.

Well done if we got that correct.

Participating in select committees promotes transparency and accountability, helping citizens understand government actions and decisions.

All political parties are involved, ensuring fairness and diverse perspectives.

Select committees examine government actions and propose improvements, so citizen contributions strengthen democracy and help create more effective and inclusive policies.

The government must respond to these recommendations, which can cover topics like science, prison safety, transport, and international trade.

Andeep says, "Would you contribute to a select committee, Sofia?" Sofia says, "I'd love to be an active citizen and take part in my democratic right to contribute to a select committee." So Sofia's telling us now that she'd love to be part of a select committee and play her part as an active citizen, and also take part in her democratic right to be able to contribute to a select committee.

Andeep says, "Why is it important to contribute to select committees?" Sofia says, "As citizens living in a democracy, we have the right to influence people in power.

In select committees, you get the opportunity to get your message across to people in positions of power, and as such, you can become powerful yourself!" So let's fill in the missing words here now.

So as citizens living in a "blank", we have the right to try to "blank" people in power.

In select committees, you can get your message across to people in positions of power, and as such, you can become "blank" too.

So we have a few missing words here that we need to try and work out what they are.

So pause the video and try your best at this task.

Okay.

Hopefully we've managed to work out what the missing words are here.

So let's go through it together.

As citizens living in a democracy, we have the right to try to influence people in power.

In select committees, you can get your message across to people in positions of power, and as such, you can become powerful too.

So we had democracy, influence, and powerful.

Those were our missing words.

Well done if we spotted those.

What I would like us to do for this task is to write a list of six reasons why citizens should take part in democracy by contributing to select committees.

Izzy says, "Your first example could be that select committees allow us to have a direct influence on the legislative process." So we can use Izzy's first example to start our list of six reasons.

Therefore, we only need to think of five others.

So let's pause the video and have a go at writing a list of six reasons why citizens should take part in a democracy by contributing to select committees.

Good luck, and enjoy.

Okay, it's time for our six reasons to be said out loud now.

So your answers might have included, obviously the first one Izzy helped us out with and said, "Allow citizens to have a direct influence on the legislative process." Number two, help shape policies by sharing expertise, concerns, and experiences.

Number three, ensures decisions reflect the needs of communities and society.

Number four, provides a platform for diverse voices to be heard.

So making sure there's a different range of voices being heard.

Number five, promotes transparency and accountability in government actions.

So knowing that what the government is doing is very clear and it's being relayed back to the public.

And number six, strengthens democracy and creates more effective and inclusive policies.

So there's a lot of reasons there why citizens should take part in a democracy by contributing to select committees.

Maybe you got the same as me.

Well done anyways for your efforts on this task.

We have now explored why should we contribute to select committees, and we are now going to look at the question, how can we give evidence at a select committee? So when you are ready, let's go.

Why should people give evidence at a select committee? So why should they? Select committees need to examine and review evidence to make reliable and accurate recommendations.

So in the House of Commons, select committees hold inquiries into the spending, administration, and the policies of government departments.

In the House of Lords, select committees cover broader issues that cut across government departments.

So why else do people need to give evidence at a select committee? Select committees gather evidence from individuals and organisations, and can ask to see government documents and data.

At the end of each inquiry, the select committee publishes its conclusions and usually recommends changes that it wants the government to make.

Citizens need to contribute to select committees, because on some topics, the public are the real experts.

So let's check our understanding with this question.

Who holds select committees that cover broader issues that cut across government departments? Is it A, House of Commons? Is it B, Parliament? Is it C, House of Lords? Or is it D, High Court? Pause the video and make your decision.

Okay, hopefully we all said it was C, House of Lords.

Well done if we got that correct.

The House of Lords holds select committees that cover broader issues that cut across different government departments.

How can citizens find a select committee to give evidence to? So how are we finding these select committees then? The first stage is to find a select committee you have interest in, or you are affected by.

To do this, you can carry out a simple search on the UK Parliament website for "select committee" and "get involved".

It's as simple as that.

Once you have found a select committee that you feel you have some interest in, or some knowledge about, you can look to see what they are investigating.

When you are thinking about giving evidence to a select committee, you need to decide if you have knowledge and experience that is relevant to the inquiry that they're carrying out.

So making sure that we have the right knowledge and the right experience to that select committee.

Select committees can ask for a range of different forms of evidence.

For example, written submissions, oral testimony, supporting documents, and the evidence could include things such as personal experiences, expert opinions, research findings, statistical data, case studies relevant to the topic being investigated.

So select committees can ask for lots of different forms of evidence, such as written submissions, oral testimony, and supporting documents.

And then that evidence could include the things like your personal experiences, or the expert opinions, for example.

For example, if a select committee was examining healthcare policies, a patient might share their experience with the system.

A doctor might provide insights on challenges in service delivery, and a scientist might present research on healthcare outcomes.

So all these different people are giving their different voices and experiences on it.

The evidence for a select committee should be factual, concise, and directly related to the inquiry's focus to ensure it contributes meaningfully to the committee's work.

It's important to know that the select committee decides which submissions to accept as evidence and publish online.

Accepted submissions are usually posted permanently on the website, and are searchable.

They cannot be edited or removed, so personal information included, such as your name, will also be published if you put that on there.

Carefully consider how much personal information you choose to share, and you can choose to write anonymously, so you don't need to put your name on it.

So let's fill in the missing words.

"Select committees want 'blank' voices to be heard in Parliament.

You can choose to submit your evidence 'blank'.

Evidence might include 'blank' submission, oral testimony, or supporting 'blank'." So what are our missing words in these sentences? Let's pause the video and have a good think about what our missing words are here.

Okay, hopefully we've had enough time now to fill in the missing words.

So let's go through it together.

Select committees want citizens' voices to be heard in Parliament.

You can choose to submit your evidence anonymously.

Evidence might include written submission, oral testimony, or supporting documents.

So well done if you recognised that these were our missing words.

Good effort.

One area that we all have experience of is our community.

In January, 2025, there was an inquiry into community cohesion.

So that's all about how they get on, how they work together.

The Women and Equalities Committee examined community cohesion at a local and national level in the UK.

This inquiry aimed to gather diverse evidence and investigate barriers to cohesion, examples of best practise, and how to ensure cohesion for the next generation.

For the community cohesion inquiry, the select committee asked for written evidence from the public.

They wanted everyone's voice to be heard in Parliament.

Members of the select committee produced a list of questions that they wanted citizens to answer in writing.

One of the questions was, "How should community cohesion be best approached in schools?" So they wanted to find out how should this community cohesion be best dealt with in schools, and how is it best approached in schools? So if you were to have responded to this inquiry, it would be advisable to look at a range of approaches and decide which ones you would like to include in your evidence to the select committee.

For instance, you could ask them to consider your views in their future reviews of the school curriculum.

So talk about your experience of being in school and following that curriculum.

In your evidence, you might have looked at things like promoting cultural awareness, so including lessons about different cultures, traditions, and histories in the curriculum to encourage understanding among pupils.

Encouraging collaborative activities, so organised group projects, extracurricular activities and events that bring pupils from diverse backgrounds together to work towards a common goal.

And teaching social and emotional skills.

Introduce programmes that teach conflict resolution, communication, and empathy.

Helping pupils to build strong relationships and resolve differences peacefully.

You might also look at engaging families and the wider community, host events that involve parents and community members to build stronger connections between the school and the local community.

Addressing prejudice and discrimination, so proactively challenge stereotypes through education, and by addressing incidents of discrimination promptly and effectively, and celebrating shared values.

So highlight common values such as respect, kindness, and fairness, to unite pupils and staff under a shared sense of purpose and belonging.

For example, through citizenship lessons.

So for the community cohesion inquiry, the select committee asked for what type of evidence from the public? What type of evidence did they want? Remember, there was lots of different ranges of evidence that they can give.

What type of evidence did they want from the public with this? They asked for written evidence.

Well done if you remembered that.

So what does schools hosting events that involve parents and community members build? Does it build isolation, division, or connection? Pause the video and make your decision.

Hopefully we know that by schools hosting events that involve parents and community members, it will build connection.

Well done if we got that right.

So for this task, I would like us to explain in one paragraph how people can give evidence at a select committee.

So think about all the different ways that we have talked about how people can give evidence at a select committee.

Think about how they gave evidence in the inquiry into community cohesion.

So have a go at writing one paragraph to explain how people can give evidence at a select committee.

Enjoy.

Okay, so hopefully we've written now a paragraph explaining how people can give evidence at a select committee, and your answer might include some of my answer.

So people can provide evidence to a select committee in various forms, including written submissions, oral testimony, or supporting documents.

This evidence could include personal experiences, expert opinions, research findings, statistical data, or case studies relevant to the topic being investigated.

For example, if the select committee is examining healthcare policies, a patient might share their experience with the system.

A doctor might provide insights on challenges in service delivery, and an academic might present research on healthcare outcomes.

The evidence should be factual, concise, and directly related to the inquiry's focus.

So we've talked about the different forms that they can give evidence to a select committee, and they included written submissions, oral testimony, and supporting documents, and that comes in lots of different forms, such as personal experiences, statistical data, expert opinions.

Okay? So well done if you managed to explain that in a paragraph.

For this task, you have been asked to contribute to the community cohesion inquiry by giving evidence to the select committee.

So write to the select committee explaining your response to their question, which was, "How should community cohesion be best approached in schools?" So think about it.

How should community cohesion be best approached in schools? Think about it.

You're living through school right now, and how do you think it would be best approached with community cohesion in a school? So pause the video and have a go at writing to the select committee to explain your response to their question.

Good luck.

Okay, good job everyone.

So your answer might include some of the following.

So we said, "Dear select committee, I'm writing to express my views on the importance of promoting community cohesion in schools because I believe it strengthens our democracy and benefits everyone.

Schools can approach this through inclusive practises, education, and community engagement.

Creating a welcoming and respectful environment where diversity is celebrated ensures that all pupils feel valued no matter what their background is.

Teaching pupils about different cultures and traditions also builds understanding and empathy.

Therefore, schools need to include more collaborative activities like group projects to allow pupils from diverse backgrounds to work together towards shared aims. Additionally, it is important to involve families and the wider community in this approach, as it strengthens connections between schools and their local areas.

We could do this by inviting families into school and by having more community clubs.

Finally, citizenship lessons should continue to be promoted as an important way of tackling prejudice, addressing discrimination, and celebrating shared values, as this will help ensure fairness and equality in schools.

These are the messages that the government should be asking schools to focus children's education on in any new future review of the curriculum.

Yours faithfully, Anonymous." We've chose not to put any personal information in there, but talk about our personal experience of schools and how we think that should be approached with community cohesion.

So well done on this task.

It was a big task, and your efforts were greatly appreciated.

We have now come to the end of the lesson on "Why are select committees important in democracy?" I'm going to summarise it into a few points for us.

So contributing to select committees allow citizens to play an active role in shaping policies, strengthening our democracy.

Select committees use evidence from the public, experts, and organisations, to make informed recommendations.

People can give evidence by submitting written information, attending hearings, or sharing personal experiences related to the issue.

This process ensures diverse voices are heard, promoting fairness and accountability in a democratic society.

Engaging with select committees is a way to support democracy and make sure the decisions reflect the needs of everyone.

I hope you've enjoyed today's lesson on why select committees are important in a democracy, and have understood why select committees are so important in a democracy, and how you can contribute to them.

Thank you for your efforts in today's lesson, and I will hopefully see you in the next one.

Bye-bye.