Compare data on Parliaments
Parliament/chamber has power to carry out inquiries
The power of a parliament to carry out inquiries and the way in which they are done varies across parliaments. The aims and objectives of parliamentary inquiries cover a large spectrum: from a general examination of an issue of public interest to an investigative inquiry into a specific topic, the results of which may have penal implications.
View field in the data dictionaryThe designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the IPU concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitations of its frontiers or boundaries.
Aggregated data as of today
| Parliament/chamber has power to carry out inquiries | Number of countries |
|---|---|
| Yes | 156 |
| No | 7 |
Excluding 3 parliaments where all chambers are suspended
Latest data
| Country | Chamber | Parliament/chamber has power to carry out inquiries |
|---|---|---|
| House of the People (Suspended) | Yes | |
| Albania | Parliament | Yes |
| Algeria | National People's Assembly | Yes |
| Andorra | General Council | Yes |
| Angola | National Assembly | Yes |
| Antigua and Barbuda | House of Representatives | No |
| Argentina | Chamber of Deputies | Yes |
| Armenia | National Assembly | Yes |
| Australia | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Austria | National Council | Yes |
| Azerbaijan | National Assembly | Yes |
| Bahamas | House of Assembly | No information available |
| Bahrain | Council of Representatives | Yes |
| Bangladesh | Parliament | Yes |
| Barbados | House of Assembly | No information available |
| Belarus | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Belgium | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Belize | House of Representatives | No information available |
| Benin | National Assembly | Yes |
| Bhutan | National Assembly | Yes |
| Bolivia (Plurinational State of) | Chamber of Deputies | Yes |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Botswana | National Assembly | Yes |
| Brazil | Chamber of Deputies | Yes |
| Brunei Darussalam | Legislative Council | No information available |
| Bulgaria | National Assembly | Yes |
| Burkina Faso | Transitional Legislative Assembly | Yes |
| Burundi | National Assembly | Yes |
| Cabo Verde | National Assembly | Yes |
| Cambodia | National Assembly | Yes |
| Cameroon | National Assembly | Yes |
| Canada | House of Commons | Yes |
| Central African Republic | National Assembly | Yes |
| Chad | Transitional National Council | Yes |
| Chile | Chamber of Deputies | Yes |
| China | National People's Congress | Yes |
| Colombia | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Comoros | Assembly of the Union | No information available |
| Congo | National Assembly | Yes |
| Costa Rica | Legislative Assembly | Yes |
| Croatia | Croatian Parliament | Yes |
| Cuba | National Assembly of the People's Power | Yes |
| Cyprus | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Czechia | Chamber of Deputies | Yes |
| Côte d'Ivoire | National Assembly | Yes |
| Democratic People's Republic of Korea | Supreme People's Assembly | No information available |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | National Assembly | Yes |
| Denmark | The Danish Parliament | Yes |
| Djibouti | National Assembly | Yes |
| Dominica | House of Assembly | No information available |
| Dominican Republic | Chamber of Deputies | Yes |
| Ecuador | National Assembly | Yes |
| Egypt | House of Representatives | Yes |
| El Salvador | Legislative Assembly | Yes |
| Equatorial Guinea | Chamber of Deputies | No information available |
| Eritrea | National Assembly | No information available |
| Estonia | The Estonian Parliament | Yes |
| Eswatini | House of Assembly | Yes |
| Ethiopia | House of Peoples' Representatives | Yes |
| Fiji | Parliament | Yes |
| Finland | Parliament | No |
| France | National Assembly | Yes |
| Gabon | Transitional National Assembly | Yes |
| Gambia (The) | National Assembly | Yes |
| Georgia | Parliament | Yes |
| Germany | German Bundestag | Yes |
| Ghana | Parliament | Yes |
| Greece | Hellenic Parliament | Yes |
| Grenada | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Guatemala | Congress of the Republic | Yes |
| Guinea | Transitional National Council | Yes |
| Guinea-Bissau | People's National Assembly | Yes |
| Guyana | National Assembly | Yes |
| Haiti | Chamber of Deputies | Yes |
| Honduras | National Congress | No information available |
| Hungary | National Assembly | Yes |
| Iceland | Parliament | Yes |
| India | House of the People | Yes |
| Indonesia | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Iran (Islamic Republic of) | Islamic Parliament of Iran | No information available |
| Iraq | Council of Representatives of Iraq | Yes |
| Ireland | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Israel | Parliament | Yes |
| Italy | Chamber of Deputies | Yes |
| Jamaica | House of Representatives | No |
| Japan | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Jordan | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Kazakhstan | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Kenya | National Assembly | Yes |
| Kiribati | House of Assembly | Yes |
| Kuwait | National Assembly | Yes |
| Kyrgyzstan | Supreme Council | Yes |
| Lao People's Democratic Republic | National Assembly | No information available |
| Latvia | Parliament | Yes |
| Lebanon | National Assembly | Yes |
| Lesotho | National Assembly | Yes |
| Liberia | House of Representatives | No information available |
| Libya | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Liechtenstein | Diet | Yes |
| Lithuania | Parliament | Yes |
| Luxembourg | Chamber of Deputies | Yes |
| Madagascar | National Assembly | Yes |
| Malawi | National Assembly | Yes |
| Malaysia | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Maldives | People's Majlis | Yes |
| Mali | Transitional National Council | No information available |
| Malta | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Marshall Islands | Parliament | No information available |
| Mauritania | National Assembly | No information available |
| Mauritius | National Assembly | Yes |
| Mexico | Chamber of Deputies | Yes |
| Micronesia (Federated States of) | Congress | Yes |
| Monaco | National Council | No |
| Mongolia | State Great Hural | Yes |
| Montenegro | Parliament | Yes |
| Morocco | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Mozambique | Assembly of the Republic | No information available |
| House of Representatives (Suspended) | Yes | |
| Namibia | National Assembly | No |
| Nauru | Parliament | Yes |
| Nepal | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Netherlands | House of Representatives | Yes |
| New Zealand | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Nicaragua | National Assembly | Yes |
| Niger | National Assembly | Yes |
| Nigeria | House of Representatives | Yes |
| North Macedonia | Assembly of the Republic | Yes |
| Norway | Parliament | Yes |
| Oman | Shura Council | Yes |
| Pakistan | National Assembly | Yes |
| Palau | House of Delegates | Yes |
| Panama | National Assembly | No information available |
| Papua New Guinea | National Parliament | Yes |
| Paraguay | Chamber of Deputies | Yes |
| Peru | Congress of the Republic | Yes |
| Philippines | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Poland | Sejm | No information available |
| Portugal | Assembly of the Republic | Yes |
| Qatar | Shura Council | Yes |
| Republic of Korea | National Assembly | Yes |
| Republic of Moldova | Parliament | Yes |
| Romania | Chamber of Deputies | Yes |
| Russian Federation | State Duma | Yes |
| Rwanda | Chamber of Deputies | No information available |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | National Assembly | No information available |
| Saint Lucia | House of Assembly | No information available |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | House of Assembly | Yes |
| Samoa | Legislative Assembly | Yes |
| San Marino | Great and General Council | Yes |
| Sao Tome and Principe | National Assembly | Yes |
| Saudi Arabia | Shura Council | No information available |
| Senegal | National Assembly | Yes |
| Serbia | National Assembly | Yes |
| Seychelles | National Assembly | Yes |
| Sierra Leone | Parliament | Yes |
| Singapore | Parliament | Yes |
| Slovakia | National Council | Yes |
| Slovenia | National Assembly | Yes |
| Solomon Islands | National Parliament | Yes |
| Somalia | House of the People | Yes |
| South Africa | National Assembly | Yes |
| South Sudan | Transitional National Legislative Assembly | No information available |
| Spain | Congress of Deputies | Yes |
| Sri Lanka | Parliament | Yes |
| National Assembly (Suspended) | Yes | |
| Suriname | National Assembly | Yes |
| Sweden | Parliament | Yes |
| Switzerland | National Council | Yes |
| Syrian Arab Republic | People's Assembly | No information available |
| Tajikistan | House of Representatives | No information available |
| Thailand | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Timor-Leste | National Parliament | Yes |
| Togo | National Assembly | Yes |
| Tonga | Legislative Assembly | Yes |
| Trinidad and Tobago | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Tunisia | Assembly of People's Representatives | Yes |
| Turkmenistan | Assembly | Yes |
| Tuvalu | Parliament of Tuvalu | No information available |
| Türkiye | Grand National Assembly of Türkiye | Yes |
| Uganda | Parliament | Yes |
| Ukraine | Parliament | Yes |
| United Arab Emirates | Federal National Council | No |
| United Kingdom | House of Commons | Yes |
| United Republic of Tanzania | National Assembly | Yes |
| United States of America | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Uruguay | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Uzbekistan | Legislative Chamber | Yes |
| Vanuatu | Parliament | No |
| Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | National Assembly | Yes |
| Viet Nam | National Assembly | Yes |
| Yemen | House of Representatives | Yes |
| Zambia | National Assembly | Yes |
| Zimbabwe | National Assembly | Yes |