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We are never short of committees in Wales, even if these days they are sometimes called task and finish groups or advisory taskforces.

Parliament's select committee on Welsh affairs shows no inclination to re-brand itself but it is breaking new ground at Westminster.

The committee now has two Labour frontbenchers - Nia Griffith and Owen Smith - among its membership. It also features Glyn Davies, the parliamentary private secretary to the Secretary of State for Wales. Or, to put it more concisely, the Minister who is supposed to be held accountable by the committee has her own "nark" on it.

A slight conflict of interests, then? No-one would suggest Glyn Davies is anything other than independent-minded, but if he strays from government policy he would lose his (unpaid) job. Cheryl Gillan has already publicly announced his neutrality on the referendum on the Welsh assembly's powers. He is not the first PPS to sit on the committee - Newport East MP Jessica Morden was a member while an aide to Paul Murphy in the Wales Office.

Should Mr Davies adhere to the convention that PPSes don't sit on select committees it would leave the Tories with a headache; they have already had to co-opt one English-based MP (Karen Lumley) and have few other Welsh options.

Few expect Owen Smith and Nia Griffith to stay long on the committee after their promotion to the opposition frontbench.

Vacancies have been advertised among Labour MPs although health and safety aficionados will be re-assured to learn that no-one has yet been trampled in the rush to succeed them.

UPDATE: report that Stuart Andrew, the Welsh-speaking Yorkshire MP, will replace Glyn Davies on the select committee. Mr Andrew grew up in Anglesey.

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