Senedd committees: What are they and what do they do?

The chairs were selected last week, and now the 12 committees have their members.

Here is our guide to what committees do and which members will work on each.

What is a committee?

Committees are one of the key parts of the Senedd that enables it to fulfil its functions as the parliament of Wales.

Their roles include scrutinising the expenditure and policies of the Government, holding ministers to account, and examining proposed new laws.

Each committee is made up of a number of Senedd Members from different party groups who are appointed to work together to undertake detailed work and carry out specific functions.

Committees are set up to look at specific subjects. Each one carries out tasks such as examining a proposed law or conducting an investigation into policy decisions made by the Government.

When a new law is proposed, the Business Committee chooses which committee is responsible for examining it and a committee will then carry out an inquiry into its intended impact.

The committee will then examine it in detail and can make changes to the law before it is considered by all members in the Senedd.

To aid them, a committee is supported by a clerking team and a number of other officials.

What are this Senedd's committees and who is on them?

The sixth Senedd will have 12 committees

Children, Young People and Education Committee  
Chair: Jayne Bryant (Labour)
Members: Ken Skates (Labour), Buffy Williams (Labour), Laura Anne Jones (Conservatives), James Evans (Conservatives) and Siân Gwenllian (Plaid Cymru)

Health and Social Care Committee  
Chair: Russell George (Conservatives)
Members: Mike Hedges (Labour), Jack Sargeant (Labour), Joyce Watson (Labour), Gareth Davies (Conservatives) and Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru)

Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs  
Chair: Paul Davies (Conservatives)
Members: Hefin David (Labour), Vikki Howells (Labour), Sarah Murphy (Labour), Samuel Kurtz (Conservatives) and Luke Fletcher (Plaid Cymru)

Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee  
Chair: Llyr Gruffydd (Plaid Cymru)
Members: Huw Irranca-Davies (Labour), Jenny Rathbone (Labour), Joyce Watson (Labour), Janet Finch-Saunders (Conservatives) and Delyth Jewell (Plaid Cymru)

Equality and Social Justice  
Chair: Jenny Rathbone (Labour)
Members: Sarah Murphy (Labour), Ken Skates (Labour), Altaf Hussain (Conservatives) Sioned Williams (Plaid Cymru) and Jane Dodds (Liberal Democrat)

Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations   
Chair: Delyth Jewell (Plaid Cymru)
Members: Hefin David (Labour), Alun Davies (Labour), Carolyn Thomas (Labour), Tom Giffard (Conservatives) and Heledd Fychan (Plaid Cymru)

Local Government and Housing  
Chair: John Griffiths (Labour)
Members: Alun Davies (Labour), Carolyn Thomas (Labour), Joel James (Conservatives), Sam Rowlands (Conservatives) and Mabon ap Gwynfor (Plaid Cymru)

Finance Committee  
Chair: Peredur Owen Griffiths (Plaid Cymru)
Members: Mike Hedges (Labour), Peredur Owen Griffiths (Plaid Cymru), Peter Fox (Conservatives) and Rhianon Passmore (Labour).

Public Accounts and Public Administration  Committee  
Chair: Mark Isherwood (Conservatives)
Members: Mike Hedges (Labour), Rhianon Passmore (Labour), Natasha Asghar (Conservatives) and Cefin Campbell (Plaid Cymru)

Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee  
Chair: Huw Irranca-Davies (Labour)
Members: Jayne Bryant (Labour), Peter Fox ( Conservatives), Huw Irranca-Davies (Labour) and Rhys ab Owen (Plaid Cymru)

Standards of Conduct Committee  
Chair: Vikki Howells (Labour)
Members: John Griffiths (Labour), Andrew RT Davies (Conservatives), Heledd Fychan (Plaid Cymru) and Vikki Howells (Labour)

Petitions Committee  
Chair: Jack Sargeant (Labour)
Members: Buffy Williams (Labour), Joel James (Conservatives) and Luke Fletcher (Plaid Cymru)

• This article originally appeared on our sister site The National.