What is a committee of inquiry?
When the Government needs to examine an issue in greater depth, it can appoint a committee of inquiry or an inquiry chair (often referred to as inquiries). Their task is to examine specific issues within a given time limit.
Some matters that the Government works with are more difficult to resolve than others and require more detailed consideration before data for decision-making can be presented. Examples range from major policy decisions affecting Swedish society over long periods to smaller but technically complex issues.
To provide guidelines for the inquiries, the Government issues terms of reference. These terms of reference describe the remit of the inquiry; they state what issue is to be investigated, what problems are to be solved and when the inquiry is to be ready. Inquiry terms of reference are continually registered in the Riksdag database, under Documents. The inquiries are independent government agencies.
When an inquiry has been completed, the results are published in one or more reports in the Swedish Government Official Reports (SOU) series. Work on government bills sometimes builds on these reports. An up-to-date list of ongoing inquiries can be found on the Swedish Government Official Reports website.
Where can you find terms of reference and reports?
The terms of reference to Ministry of Culture committees of inquiry up to 31 December 2006 can be found on the Riksdag website, under Documents. As of 1 January 2007, you can find the terms of reference on this website, under Publications. Reports are also filed under Publications.
Questions on committees of inquiry
Questions on current inquiries are answered by the committees of inquiry themselves, or the Ministry responsible for the committee of inquiry. Read about committees of inquiry on the Swedish Government Official Reports website or contact the Government Offices, switchboard telephone +46 8 405 10 00.
