The Committee of Public Accounts is a select committee of the British House of Commons. It is responsible for overseeing government expenditures, and to ensure they are effective and honest. The committee is seen as a crucial mechanism for ensuring transparency and accountability in government financial operations, having been described by Professor the Lord Hennessy as "the queen of the select committees...[which] by its very existence exert[s] a cleansing effect in all government departments".
Overview The recommendation for the creation of a committee to oversee government accounts was first put forward in 1857 by a small group of interested Members of Parliament led by Sir Francis Baring. The structure and function of the PAC date back to reforms initiated by William Ewart Gladstone, when he was British Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 1860s. The first Public Accounts Committee was established in 1862 by a resolution of the British House of Commons:
There shall be a standing committee designated "The Committee of Public Accounts"; for the examination of the Accounts showing the appropriation of sums granted by Parliament to meet the Public Expenditure, to consist of nine members, who shall be nominated at the commencement of every Session, and of whom five shall be a quorum.
The form has since been replicated in virtually all Commonwealth of Nations and many non-Commonwealth countries. A minister from His Majesty's Treasury sits on the committee but, by convention, does not attend hearings. The chair of the committee is always drawn from the main opposition party and is usually a former senior Minister.
The Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1866 appointed The Committee of Public Accounts to oversee the work of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG)National Audit Office History of the National Audit Office, Accessed 25 September 2012 The Committee continues to be assisted by the C&AG who is a permanent witness at its hearings, along with his staff of the National Audit Office, who provide briefings on each report and assist in the preparation of the committee's own reports.
Chairs Committee chairs include those listed below.https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee/membership/former/ House of Commons standing orders give the party of the official Opposition the right to chair the committee.Standing Order 122B(8)(f)
NameStartEndPartyConstituencyLiberalPortsmouthLiberalKilmarnock BurghsConservativeNorth HampshireLiberalPontefractLiberalWestmeathConservativeNorth NorthamptonshireConservativeNorth HampshireLiberalChesterLiberalWest Riding of Yorkshire NorthConservativeMidhurstConservativeChathamLiberal UnionistLondon UniversityLiberalClitheroeLiberal UnionistBathConservativeKingstonIrish NationalEast DonegalLiberalWalsallLiberal UnionistWest DerbyshireConservativeWest DorsetLiberalCamborneLiberalConsettLabourBradford EastConservativeBury St EdmundsLabourEdinburgh CentralConservativeFarnhamLabourCaerphillyLabourEdinburgh EastUnionistGlasgow KelvingroveConservativeLewisham EastConservativeLeeds NorthConservativeCity of LondonConservativeOrmskirkConservativeLeicester South EastLabourBrighouse and SpenboroughLabourChesterfieldLabourHuytonLabourSowerbyConservativeKingston-upon-ThamesLabourManchester CheethamLabourBirkenheadConservativeTauntonLabourTauntonLabourAshton-under-LyneConservativeHaltemprice and HowdenConservativeGainsboroughLabourBarkingLabour Co-opHackney South and ShoreditchpresentConservativeNorth Cotswolds
Membership Membership of the committee is as follows:
Member Party Constituency Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP (chair) Conservative North Cotswolds Clive Betts MP Labour Sheffield South East Anna Dixon MP Labour Shipley Rachel Gilmour MP Liberal Democrats Tiverton and Minehead Sarah Green MP Liberal Democrats Chesham and Amersham Sarah Hall MP Labour Warrington South Lloyd Hatton MP Labour South Dorset Chris Kane MP Labour Stirling and Stratahallan Rupert Lowe MP Restore Britain (elected as Reform UK) Great Yarmouth Catherine McKinnell MP Labour Newcastle upon Tyne North Sarah Olney MP Liberal Democrats Richmond Park Tris Osborne MP Labour Chatham and Aylesford Michael Payne MP Labour Gedling Blake Stephenson MP Conservative Mid Bedfordshire Dan Tomlinson MP Labour Chipping Barnet Matt Turmaine MP Labour Watford
Changes since 2024 Date Outgoing Member& Party Constituency → New Member& Party Constituency Source 30 June 2025 Rebecca Paul MP (Conservative) Reigate → Blake Stephenson MP (Conservative) Mid Bedfordshire Hansard 21 October 2025 Peter Fortune MP (Conservative) Bromley and Biggin Hill → Rupert Lowe MP (Independent) Great Yarmouth Hansard 21 October 2025 James Murray MP (Labour) Ealing North → Dan Tomlinson MP (Labour) Chipping Barnet Hansard 27 October 2025 Nesil Caliskan MP (Labour) Barking → Catherine McKinnell MP (Labour) Newcastle upon Tyne North Hansard 27 October 2025 Luke Charters MP (Labour) York Outer → Tris Osborne MP (Labour) Chatham and Aylesford Hansard 1 December 2025 Oliver Ryan MP (Labour) Burnley → Matt Turmaine MP (Labour) Watford Hansard
2019-2024 Parliament The chair was elected on 27 January 2020, with the members of the committee being announced on 2 March 2020. Member Party ConstituencyDame Meg Hillier DBE MP (chair) Labour and Co-op Hackney South and ShoreditchGareth Bacon MPConservative PartyOrpingtonKemi Badenoch MPConservative PartySaffron WaldenOlivia Blake MPLabour PartySheffield Hallam Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MPConservative PartyThe CotswoldsCheryl Gillan MPConservative PartyChesham and Amersham Peter Grant MP Scottish National Party GlenrothesRichard Holden MPConservative PartyNorth West DurhamSir Bernard Jenkin MPConservative PartyHarwich and North EssexCraig Mackinlay MPConservative PartySouth ThanetShabana Mahmood MPLabour PartyBirmingham LadywoodGagan Mohindra MP Conservative PartySouth West HertfordshireSarah Olney MPLiberal DemocratsRichmond ParkBridget Phillipson MPLabour PartyHoughton and Sunderland SouthNick Smith MPLabour PartyBlaenau Gwent James Wild MPConservativeNorth West Norfolk
Changes 2019-2024 Date Outgoing Member& Party Constituency → New Member& Party Constituency Source 21 September 2020 Bridget Phillipson MP (Labour) Houghton and Sunderland South → Barry Gardiner MP (Labour) Brent North Hansard 9 November 2020 Gagan Mohindra MP (Conservative) South West Hertfordshire → Shaun Bailey MP (Conservative) West Bromwich West Hansard 4 April 2021 Cheryl Gillan MP (Conservative) Chesham and Amersham → VacantDeath of member 20 April 2021 Shabana Mahmood MP (Labour) Birmingham Ladywood → Dan Carden MP (Labour) Liverpool Walton Hansard 25 May 2021 Bernard Jenkin MP (Conservative) Harwich and North Essex → Mark Francois MP (Conservative) Rayleigh and Wickford Hansard Vacant Antony Higginbotham MP (Conservative) Burnley 13 July 2021 Olivia Blake MP (Labour) Sheffield Hallam → Kate Osamor MP (Labour) Edmonton Hansard 30 November 2021 Kemi Badenoch MP (Conservative) Saffron Walden → Helen Whately MP (Conservative) Faversham and Mid Kent Hansard 8 February 2022 Barry Gardiner MP (Labour) Brent North → Kate Green MP (Labour) Stretford and Urmston Hansard 15 March 2022 Gareth Bacon MP (Conservative) Orpington → Louie French MP (Conservative) Old Bexley and Sidcup Hansard Richard Holden MP (Conservative) North West Durham Angela Richardson MP (Conservative) Guildford 4 July 2022 Kate Osamor MP (Labour) Edmonton → Olivia Blake MP (Labour) Sheffield Hallam Hansard 17 October 2022 Helen Whately MP (Conservative) Faversham and Mid Kent → Felicity Buchan MP (Conservative) Kensington Hansard 25 October 2022 Shaun Bailey MP (Conservative) West Bromwich West → Jonathan Djanogly MP (Conservative) Huntingdonshire Hansard Antony Higginbotham MP (Conservative) Burnley Anne Marie Morris MP (Conservative) Newton Abbot Craig Mackinlay MP (Conservative) South ThanetVacant 10 November 2022 Kate Green MP (Labour) Stretford and Urmston →Vacant Resignation of member from Parliament 15 November 2022 Felicity Buchan MP (Conservative) Kensington → James Cartlidge MP (Conservative) South SuffolkHansardVacant Flick Drummond MP (Conservative) Meon Valley 25 November 2022 James Wild MP (Conservative) North West Norfolk →Vacant Hansard 6 December 2022 Angela Richardson MP (Conservative) Guildford → Simon Clarke MP (Conservative) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland HansardVacant Jill Mortimer MP (Conservative) Hartlepool 24 April 2023Vacant → Ashley Dalton MP (Labour) West Lancashire Hansard 6 June 2023 James Cartlidge MP (Conservative) South Suffolk → Gareth Davies MP (Conservative) Grantham and Stamford Hansard 26 June 2023 Louie French MP (Conservative) Old Bexley and Sidcup → Ben Lake MP (Plaid Cymru) Ceredigion Hansard 11 December 2023 Ashley Dalton MP (Labour) West Lancashire→ Paula Barker MP (Labour) Liverpool WavertreeHansard Jill Mortimer MP (Conservative) Hartlepool Sarah Owen MP (Labour) Luton North Nick Smith MP (Labour) Blaenau Gwent Sir Jeremy Quin MP (Conservative) Horsham 18 December 2023 Simon Clarke MP (Conservative) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland → Gary Sambrook MP (Conservative) Birmingham Northfield Hansard 29 January 2024 Dan Carden MP (Labour) Liverpool Walton → Marie Rimmer MP (Labour) St Helens South and Whiston Hansard 18 March 2024 Sir Jeremy Quin MP (Conservative) Horsham → Matt Warman MP (Conservative) Boston and Skegness Hansard 7 May 2024 Flick Drummond MP (Conservative) Meon Valley → Richard Fuller MP (Conservative) North East Bedfordshire Hansard
2017–2019 Parliament The chair was elected on 12 July 2017, with members being announced on 11 September 2017.
Member Party Constituency Meg Hillier MP (chair) Labour and Co-op Hackney South and ShoreditchBim Afolami MPConservativeHitchin and HarpendenHeidi Allen MPConservativeSouth CambridgeshireGeoffrey Clifton-Brown MPConservativeThe CotswoldsMartyn Day MPSNPLinlithgow and East FalkirkChris Evans MPLabour and Co-opIslwynCaroline Flint MPLabourDon ValleyLuke Graham MPConservativeOchil and South PerthshireAndrew Jones MPConservativeHarrogate and KnaresboroughGillian Keegan MPConservativeChichesterShabana Mahmood MPLabourBirmingham LadywoodNigel Mills MPConservativeAmber ValleyLayla Moran MPLiberal DemocratsOxford West and AbingdonBridget Phillipson MPLabourHoughton and Sunderland SouthGareth Snell MPLabour and Co-opStoke-on-Trent Central
Changes 2017–2019 Date Outgoing Member& Party Constituency → New Member& Party Constituency Source 5 February 2018 Andrew Jones MP (Conservative) Harrogate and Knaresborough → Robert Jenrick MP (Conservative) Newark Hansard 20 February 2018 Heidi Allen MP (Conservative) South Cambridgeshire → Anne Marie Morris MP (Conservative) Newton Abbot Hansard Nigel Mills MP (Conservative) Amber Valley Lee Rowley MP (Conservative) North East Derbyshire 9 July 2018 Martyn Day MP (SNP) Linlithgow and East Falkirk → Douglas Chapman MP (SNP) Dunfermline and West Fife Hansard 22 October 2018 Bim Afolami MP (Conservative) Hitchin and Harpenden → Chris Davies MP (Conservative) Brecon and Radnorshire Hansard Luke Graham MP (Conservative) Ochil and South Perthshire Nigel Mills MP (Conservative) Amber Valley 3 December 2018 Gillian Keegan MP (Conservative) Chichester → Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP (Conservative) Berwick-upon-Tweed Hansard 21 June 2019 Chris Davies MP (Conservative) Brecon and Radnorshire → VacantRecall of member from Parliament
2015–2017 Parliament The chair was elected on 18 June 2015, with members being announced on 7 July 2015.