Once a topic has been chosen for inquiry, the committee may agree terms of reference and issue a public call for written evidence or other means of inviting views, such as a survey. At this stage some potential witnesses from whom the committee particularly wants to hear– for example the Government – may also be sent a list of more specific questions and requests for information.
The written evidence received may lead a committee to ask some witnesses for oral evidence in addition to the witnesses who’ve already been identified.
The response to inquiries varies depending on the inquiry’s scope, topicality and the degree to which it engages wide public concern.