The committee primarily focuses on matters in England and Wales but also considers broader constitutional and administrative issues affecting the United Kingdom.
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.
[12] A major report published in July 2011 addressed procurement of Information Technology by the government and found there was an over-reliance "on a small 'oligopoly' of large suppliers", which some witnesses before the Committee had described as a 'cartel'.
[14] The Office of Fair Trading investigated but did not find sufficient evidence either to confirm that suppliers had been acting in breach of competition law, or to exonerate them.
Committee chair William Wragg stated a "robust" system was needed to uphold standards "with proper sanctions for those who break the rules".