The Committee on Open Government oversees and advises the public, government, and news media on Freedom of Information, Open Meetings, and Personal Privacy Protection laws. The Committee also offers guidance in response to phone inquiries, prepares written legal advisory opinions, and provides training to the public and government officials on these laws.
The CMS Committee welcomes the Government backing of a new levy on arena and stadium concert tickets to help grassroots music sector workers, but wants Ministers to set a clear deadline for action. The Committee to Protect Journalists has documented at least six journalists killed in 2018 for their work, and helps journalists enduring attack or facing danger report safely.
After considering the evidence, committees vote on whether to recommend that a bill be approved by the whole House. This is known as’reporting out’ a bill and it can be done either with or without amendments. If the bill is reported out, a written Committee Report will describe the purpose and scope of the measure and explain why the committee recommends it for approval. A new House number is assigned to the bill and it can now proceed to be considered by the rest of the House. Read more about how bills are considered in How Our Laws Are Made.