Committee Rooms
The House of Commons delegates much of its work to committees which are composed of Members (and in the case
of joint committees, Members and Senators). [86]
Aside from Committees of the Whole House which meet in the Chamber, [87]
committees meet in rooms outside the Chamber, often while the House is sitting. Committee rooms are located
principally in the Centre Block, East Block, West Block, Wellington Building and La Promenade Building.
They are outfitted with sound amplification systems as well as the necessary equipment to record the
proceedings and to provide simultaneous interpretation in both official languages. One room is set up for
television broadcasting, with an adjoining control room and cameras operated by remote control. Although
certain rooms are designated and equipped as committee rooms, they are all multifunctional and are used for
other purposes. Committees may meet anywhere in the parliamentary precinct provided the requirements for
interpretation and recording are met.
Typically a committee room is set up with several tables placed in a rectangular formation. The Chair sits
at the centre of one end with the Committee Clerk and other committee advisors. The Members take seats on
either side; as in the House, the government Members normally sit to the Chair’s right and the
opposition Members to the left. Witnesses are seated at the end opposite the Chair. Tables are available
for representatives of the press, usually behind the witnesses’ chairs, together with additional
seating for individuals viewing the proceedings.
While a committee may tend to hold its meetings in a particular room, no such formal room assignments are
made. In the years immediately following Confederation, committees were fewer and larger and much business
was conducted in Committees of the Whole. Certain rooms were set aside for committee meetings. For example,
the room known informally as the Railway Committee Room came to be so called because (although it was used
by other committees) it was the home of the standing committee dealing with railways. [88]
Committees book rooms as needed; priority of use may be established from time to time by the Standing
Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. [89]