There appears to be no records of when the Applications Committee (a standing Committee of the Senate) was appointed though it was probably established in 1904. Although the only extant Minute Book of this Committee is listed below, the Committee is known to have been active in the period after 1912 (through references in the Minutes in the Senate). At its meeting on 4 May 1921 the Senate agreed that this Committee be dissolved and that in replacement a General Purpose Committee be constituted.

At its meeting on 4 May 1921 Senate agreed that the Standing Committee of Senate on Applications be dissolved and that a General Purposes Committee be constituted as a Standing Committee of Senate as from 1 Oct. 1921. Amongst the duties and powers which were conferred upon it were the consideration of and report upon applications approved by Faculties and Boards of Study, the consideration of and report upon proposed alterations in Ordinances and Regulations, and the performance of such other duties as may be committed to it by Senate.

At its meeting on 10 March 1965 the Senate agreed that the General Purposes Committee of the Senate be re-constituted and that it be known in future as "The Standing Committee of the Senate". It was also agreed that the Minutes of the meetings of the Committees of the Senate should be submitted to the Standing Committee of the Senate, not direct to the Senate as previously, on the understanding that the printed Minutes of meetings of the Standing Committee would contain the Minutes of the Committees of the Senate.

The Standing Committee of the Senate was abolished in 1971 following upon the acceptance of the Report of the Special Committee on Dates of Meetings which recommended that there be five main committees: Staffing, Establishments, Grants, Academic Planning, and General Purposes.