Committee Reports, Programme and Budget: discussion

Meeting report

CORRECTIONAL SERVICES PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
31 January 2006
DISCUSSION ON COMMITTEE PROGRAMME: 1^ST TERM OF 2006, REPORT-BACK ON PRISON VISITS DURING RECESS PERIOD, TABLING OF COMMITTEE REPORTS, BUDGET 2006/07 AND COMMITTEE BUSINESS PLAN

Chairperson:

2006/07 Draft Committee Programme
Report on the Committee visit to Limpopo prisons
Report on the Committee visit to training colleges
Report on the visit to private prisons

SUMMARY
The Committee discussed the 2006/07 Draft Committee Programme and decided to add more tasks to it once the Extended Public Committee’s were over. More information would be provided to the Committee about the visits to prisons during the recess period once there was substance to various plans. The Committee was disappointed with their budget allocation as all the Committees were given the same amount of money regardless of the tasks each Committee had to perform, or how much the Members had to travel. The Chairperson undertook to raise the issue at the next Chairpersons’ meeting. The Chairperson said that in the past the Committee had not scrutinised the Department’s annual reports and budgets thoroughly enough in performing its oversight tasks. He was concerned by this. The Committee decided to hold debates on the reports of their visits to various prisons around the country to enable them to provide the Department with concrete recommendations.

MINUTES
Draft Committee Programme
The Chairperson began by commenting that the previous year had been a very successful one for the Committee. The reports before the Committee would be tabled then and adopted the following day along with changes proposed by Members.

Ms S Seaton (IFP) suggested bringing people that had been working in foreign prisons before the Committee to speak about their experiences.

The Chairperson agreed and said that they would try and fit this in after the Constituency Period.

Mr J Selfe (DA) noted that the draft programme seemed very tight and did not allow for other business to be included after the Extended Public Committees (EPC’s). It would be useful to schedule meetings with prison contractors for example.

The Chairperson replied that the Chief Whip had said that after the EPC’s, a new programme would come out, so Mr Selfe’s suggestion could be incorporated into it. The Chairperson himself was interested in hearing more about tendering processes and the security situation in prisons.

Report on prison visits during the recess period
Mr Selfe said that he had been in contact with various business leaders and community societies involved in reintegrating prisoners from Pollsmoor Prison. He would report back to the Committee once there was more substance to the plans.

The Chairperson suggested that these groups come before the Committee to address them once they were in a position to do so.

Tabling of the previous term’s minutes
Mr E Xolo (ANC) asked what the term "service delivery day" meant when it was referred to in the meeting on the 25^th of October 2005.

Ms I Davids (Committee Secretary) replied that this referred to the day that the Committee had the opportunity to question the Department about its annual budget.

Ms Seaton wanted it placed on record that the Minutes prepared by the Committee Secretary were excellent.

Tabling of the Committee 2006/07 Budget
Ms Davids said that the budgets for all the Parliamentary Committees had been approved with each Committee receiving R500 000 for the 2006/07 financial year.

Mr Selfe suggested that an accurate business plan be drawn up by the Committee to use their funds effectively. He added that it was unacceptable that all the Committees were given the same amount of money regardless of the tasks the Committee had to perform, or how much the Members had to travel.

The Chairperson said that it was very frustrating that other bodies made decisions on behalf of the Committee. Other Chairpersons were just as unhappy at the situation, and he would bring up the issue again at the next Chairpersons’ meeting.

Ms Seaton noted that there was no allowance for overseas travel in the budget. She said that the Committee had never had the opportunity to go to other countries to observe how their systems worked.

The Chairperson said that the funds would be found for such trips, and there would be no excuses for not going on a trip abroad once the elections were over. The budget could only be approved by the Committee once such issues were sorted out.

Tabling of the Committee Business Plan
Ms David said that the Business Plan (BP) had been drawn up in consultation with the Strategic Planning Office (SPO). The initial idea was for the plan to reflect the needs of the Committee but the SPO said that it had reflected the overall aims and visions of Parliament.

The Chairperson added that Chairpersons were involved in the drawing up of the BP’s so the concerns of the Committees were noted in the final drafts. He said that in the past the Committee had not scrutinised the Department’s annual reports and budgets thoroughly enough in performing its oversight tasks. He was concerned by this.

Mr Selfe agreed with the Chairperson and said that many of the tasks of the Committee outlined in the BP needed to be clarified and specified to help them align the budget to the tasks they had to perform. He suggested that the Committee reconsider the BP and look for areas in it that needed revision.

Ms Seaton said that the Committee’s job was made harder by the fact that they only interacted with the Department when the budget was being considered, but it was too late to do so at this point as it would be almost impossible to get the Department to change its mind about certain things.

The Chairperson said that while the Committee had to get involved in the process of drawing up the budget, the Members had to be proactive and give their input as if they ‘owned’ the BP. The BP would be adopted the following day with amendments.

Report on the Committee visit to Limpopo prisons
Mr Xolo reminded the Committee that they had met an "arrogant" official at one of the prisons in the province. What had happened to him? Had he been suspended as the Committee had recommended?

The Chairperson said that the recommendation to suspend the official would be included in the final draft of the report for adoption tomorrow.

Report on the Committee visit to training colleges
The Committee adopted the report subject to some changes.

Mr L Tolo said that he wanted to see a table with all the statistics of the intake of prisoners for all nine provinces.

The Chairperson said that these would be included in the final report along with the recommendations.

Report on the visit to private prisons
The Committee adopted the report subject to some changes.

The Chairperson asked if the Committee wanted to have a debate the on reports.

Ms Seaton replied that there should be a debate to give the Department concrete recommendations.

The Chairperson agreed and promised to put time aside to have the debates. The reports on the visits to the Northern Cape and Durban Westville would be dealt with on the 7^th of February.

In closing, the Chairperson said that he had seen in the news that the Deputy Minister had resigned. He would draft a letter of appreciation for her, thanking her for the work she had done.

The meeting was adjourned.