Proposals for Committee Programme

DEFENCE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
19 AUGUST 1999
PROPOSALS FOR COMMITTEE PROGRAMME

Documents handed out:
Rules and Functions of the Committees from Rules of Parliament [Note: used to clarify the differing roles of the Portfolio Committee and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence]

SUMMARY
The chairperson presented proposals for the draft programme for 1999 to the committee members.

MINUTES
The chairperson, Ms T Modise (ANC) said that parliament would need to look at legislation that replaced the entire Defence Act, the Military Disciplinary Bill [which replaces the Military Discipline Code in the 1957 Defence Act] and the National Convention for Arms Control Bill [which regulates the Arms Control Committee]. It was hoped that these pieces of legislation would be tabled in parliament before the end of the year.

The chairperson said that the proposed programme would provide for meetings on the following issues:
An update of transformation in the department;
Re-tabling of the White Paper on Defence-Related Industries; and
Budget.

A committee member proposed a briefing on the closure of the units.

Ms Modise said that, due to time constraints, the amendments proposed by this committee regarding the regulations on labour rights in the Defence Act would not take place this session as the regulations had already been printed.

Ms Modise said that she intended meeting with representatives of the different parties to work out the content of the meetings to be scheduled in the programme.