Correspondence from The Rt Hon Sir Alan Campbell MP, Chair of the House of Commons Modernisation Committee, dated 16 July 2026: Acting Select Committee Chairs

Key findings

• Scheme permits chairs with approved proxy votes to take continuous leave of 1–7 months (extendable with Liaison Committee agreement), with formal appointment of an acting chair before leave begins.
• Acting chair must be a committee member; for House-elected chairs, should be from the same party as the incumbent unless compelling reasons exist; for Standards and PAC, must be from official Opposition.
• Both incumbent chair and acting chair receive salary during the leave period (acting chair paid pro rata), aligning with ministerial maternity leave precedent; cost met from existing IPSA funding.
• Acting chair automatically holds delegated powers of the chair and sits on Liaison Committee during absence; time as acting chair does not count toward term limits, but leave taken by incumbent does.
• Five sitting days' notice required for appointment, extension, or early return; all changes reported to House and recorded in Votes and Proceedings; committees may remove acting chair via motion of no confidence.
• Scheme applies only to 32 select committees with paid chairs; includes joint committees with Commons chairs but excludes Modernisation Committee and Panel of Chairs for legislative committees.

Recommendations

• A select committee chair with approved proxy vote may take leave from duties as chair.
• Leave must be continuous, minimum 1 month, maximum 7 months, extendable only with Liaison Committee and committee agreement.
• Acting chair may be previous chair even if term-limited; time as acting chair does not count toward limits; chair's leave counts toward limits.
• Acting chair must be committee member; for House-elected committees, same party as incumbent unless compelling reasons; Standards/PAC must have Opposition acting chair.
• Acting chair may exercise all delegated chair powers and sit on Liaison Committee in place of chair.
• Incumbent chair continues to receive salary; acting chair paid pro rata.
• Five sitting days' written notice required for leave, extension, or early return.
• Leave, appointment of acting chair, and any extensions or terminations reported to House and recorded in Votes and Proceedings.
• Committees may remove acting chair at any point via motion of no confidence meeting Standing Order 122C conditions.
• Scheme applies to all select committees whose chairs receive IPSA salary (32 committees).

Key actors

Sir Alan Campbell MP, Layla Moran MP, Paulette Hamilton MP, James Rhys, Lee Bridges, Dame Meg Hillier MP, Cat Smith MP, Modernisation Committee, Liaison Committee