Modernisation Committee

On 25 July 2024, the House of Commons agreed to establish the Modernisation Committee, to “consider reforms to House of Commons procedures, standards, and working practices; and to make recommendations thereon”. This followed a commitment in the Labour Party manifesto for the 2024 general election.

Work Programme

Lucy Powell, then the Leader of the House of Commons, outlined plans for the committee’s initial work. She identified the following topics:

• MPs’ outside employment
  • Being considered by the Committee on Standards – see its inquiry into Outside employment and interests.
• Holding the government to account – maximising the time available for scrutiny of the government’s legislative programme
  • On 16 March 2026, the Modernisation Committee opened an inquiry into Backbench Business and Procedure Committee debates. The committee said that this was “as part of its ongoing work on how time is used in the Commons”.
• Making Parliament accessible to all MPs
  • In March 2025, the Modernisation Committee launched its inquiry into Access to the House of Commons and its Procedures. It considered “the accessibility of the physical parliamentary estate and of Parliamentary procedures, language and information”.
  • The committee’s report, Access to the House of Commons and its Procedures (PDF), was published in December 2025.
  • A response from the House of Commons Administration – Access to the House of Commons and its procedures: House Administration Response (PDF) – was published on 19 March 2026.
  • The committee’s report and the response to it are scheduled to be debated on Thursday 16 April 2026.
• Taking forward recommendations on the governance of the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme
  • A government motion to implement the two recommendations relating to the governance of the ICGS was debated and agreed on the 16 June 2025.