AbstractIn 1939, the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee was established in Britain, to bring together parliamentarians and organisations or individuals from industry, universities, and elsewhere. This still exists, and is useful; the belief that the House of Commons should have its own committee of Members grew from this, and the Select Committee on Science and Technology started in 1966.The Select Committee had a wide remit, could pay for technical advice, and summon witnesses to keenly observed public hearings. The author was its chairman for many years, and he outlines some successes.The Committee was closed in 1979, under a policy of relating such committees directly to specific ministries and not to topics.