Select Committee on Statutory Instruments - role

The SCSI is appointed to consider statutory instruments made in exercise of powers granted by Act of Parliament which are subject to the House of Commons scrutiny but not the House of Lords. Instruments subject to the authority of both Houses are considered by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments (JCSI). The SCSI is empowered to draw the special attention of the House of Commons to an instrument on any one of a number of grounds specified in the Standing Orders under which it works; or on any other ground which does not impinge upon the merits of the instrument or the policy behind it.

The SCSI does not assess the merits of any instrument or the underlying policy.