Nuclear Energy & National Nuclear Regulator Bills

Meeting report

MINERALS & ENERGY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
7 September 1999
THE NUCLEAR ENERGY BILL AND THE NATIONAL NUCLEAR REGULATOR BILL

Documents handed out:
The Portfolio Committee resolution to continue deliberations on the Bill (see below)
Annexure L: Proposed amendments with Law Advisors comments
Meeting Agenda and Information Update

SUMMARY
The Portfolio Committee adopted a resolution to recognise the work done by the previous Portfolio Committee, and to continue the work at a point where the previous committee ended its deliberations. The resolution noted that the Portfolio Committee reserved the right to raise new issues, and to call before it any person or organisation for further input.

The Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs took the Portfolio Committee through the extensive file containing all the documentation from the previous Portfolio Committee. Each Bill was briefly introduced, along with the amendments and issues that had been raised by the 10 March 99 in the previous Portfolio Committee.

New information on discussions and agreements with and between stakeholders, resulting from meetings since the 10 March, was presented to the Portfolio Committee. The documentation included a document from the Chamber of Mines identifying issues agreed to by the Chamber of Mines and the National Union of Mineworkers, a document from the National Union of Mineworkers, a document from the Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs on the bilateral talks with the National Union of Mineworkers, a document from the Department of Health and a document from the South African Forum for radiation protection.

The Portfolio Committee will decide on a programme of action for the two Bills on the 21 September, and will begin deliberation on the key issues in detail after the September break. The Portfolio Committee expects the key stakeholders, including the Council for Nuclear Safety, to consider the documentation and issues since the 10^th March, and correspond with the Committee.

DRAFT RESOLUTION

The Portfolio Committee on Minerals and Energy of the previous Parliament-

(a) commenced consideration of the Nuclear Energy Bill [BlO99] and the National Nuclear Regulator Bill [Bll-99] and held public hearings on the subject of the Bills;

(b) resolved to recommend to this Parliament that the Bills be recommitted so as to enable further discussions between labour, business, communities and the Department of Minerals and Energy (see NA Minutes of 18 August 1999); and

(c) requested that the new Committee resume consideration of the Bills at the same stage reached by that Committee on 10 March 1999 (including comments of the State Law Advisors on proposed amendments to the Bills, dated 10

March 1999).

Resolves as follows:

1. To acknowledge the steps taken by the previous Committee on

Minerals and Energy and to resume consideration of the two

Bills at the stage reached by that Committee on 10 March

1999.

2. To reserve the right to reconsider any matter relating to the Bills and to call interested parties or stakeholders to address it.

3. To consider the outcome of discussions between labour, business, communities, any other interested parties and the Department of Minerals and Energy.

4. To commence discussions based on the State Law Advisers document, dated 10 March 1999.

Minutes supplied by CONTACT