Conventional Arms Control Bill: deliberation

Meeting report

DEFENCE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
30 0ctober 2001
NATIONAL CONVENTIONAL ARMS CONTROL BILL: FINALISATION

Chairperson: Ms T R Modise (ANC)

Relevant documents:
National Conventional Arms Control Bill : Second draft
Conventional Arms Control Bill [B50-2000]

SUMMARY
The Committee decided on the process to be followed in finalising the Bill. A technical sub committee was formed to deal with the processing of the Bill. This would expedite the process, as the sub committee would be allowed to work on the Bill after hours. The technical sub committee would then report on their progress to the Portfolio Committee on a regular basis. Nominations for the technical sub committee were made and accepted.

MINUTES
National Conventional Arms Control Bill
The Chairperson, Ms Modise (ANC), thought it clear that major work had to be done on amending the Bill given the valid concerns that were raised during public submissions. She asked the Committee for suggestions on how to take the process forward.

Adv H Schmidt (DP) proposed that a technical sub committee be set up to work on the Bill. The technical committee would be comprised of Members elected from the Portfolio Committee. The function of the technical committee would be to work on the Bill, taking the public submissions into consideration. It would submit a progress report detailing its efforts on a regular basis.

The Chair observed that it would be prudent to allow the technical sub committee to co-opt persons from the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC).

Adv Schmidt further proposed that each political party on the Portfolio Committee be represented on the technical sub committee to prevent parties from being prejudiced in the amended formulation of the Bill. He further proposed that members of civil society be co-opted onto the technical sub committee.

The Committee unanimously supported the formation of a technical sub committee but rejected the proposal that civil society be represented on it. It was agreed that the State Law Advisers and the NACC be represented on the technical sub committee.

The Chair further suggested that the technical sub committee be given the power to co-opt experts when the need should arise.

The Committee agreed.

The following members were nominated to serve on the technical sub committee:
ANC -Ms T Modise and Mr L Ngculu
DP - Adv H Schmidt
NNP - Mr S Pretorius
UDM - Prof M Mabeta
ACDP - Adv D Madasa

All the nominations were accepted.

The Committee agreed that timeframes for the work of the technical sub committee would be finalised on Thursday, 1 November and that a progress report would be furnished to the committee by Tuesday, 6 November.

The meeting was adjourned.