ATC240325: Supplementary Report to First Report of National Assembly Rules Committee (Rules Committee), 2024
Rules of the National Assembly
National Assembly
The Speaker
(1) Supplementary Report to First Report of the National Assembly Rules Committee, 2024.
SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT TO FIRST REPORT OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY RULES COMMITTEE (RULES COMMITTEE), 2024
Following its meeting of 20 March 2024, the Speaker of the National Assembly, as Chairperson of the National Assembly Rules Committee, presents the Supplementary Report to the First Report of the Rules Committee for 2024 as follows:
1. Government assurances and monitoring of House resolutions
The Rules Committee recommends a model for the Assembly to follow up with government assurances made by Ministers from the floor of the House. Members will be aware that Ministers do undertake to respond to issues raised by members during debates, in reply to statements and questions. In this regard, the Rules Committee has agreed that a record be maintained of these undertakings and that they be referred to the relevant oversight committee by the Speaker. This will therefore serve as another avenue for Parliament to hold the Executive to account. As another initiative, the Rules Committee endorsed a system to monitor the implementation of House resolutions. The Assembly can now expect regular reports on the status of compliance with these resolutions.
2. Rules for amending government budgets
Another matter on which the Rules Committee pronounced itself was the rules required for the Assembly to fully participate, and potentially amend, government budgets. The Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Act, 2009 (Act 9 of 2009) as amended, has been in place for a number of years but certain processes in the Act required further elucidation. Draft rules have since been prepared and sent to the respective committees for political inputs. The intention is to finalize these rules before the end of the Sixth Parliament.
3. Physical removal of members from Chamber
The Committee received a report from the Subcommittee on Physical Removal of Member from Chamber relating to an incident on 21 February 2024, where several members of the Assembly were physically removed from the Chamber in terms of the rules. The Rules Committee agreed that the principle of the ruling by the presiding officer was correct and in line with the relevant rules. The Committee felt that Rule 112 which deals with the barring of the doors when voting occurs, should be re-looked at in circumstances where disruptions occur after the doors have been barred as the rules do not provide for such occurrences at the moment.
4. Study tour to United Kingdom
The last matter concerns a study tour that was undertaken in 2023 to the United Kingdom in order to assess how the Parliament of Westminster oversees the office of the Prime Minister. This arose in response to a proposal that the Assembly consider the possibility of a committee to scrutinize the Presidency. This study tour provided invaluable insights into international practices. Based on the engagements, the Rules Committee noted that, while the Assembly already has comprehensive procedures to facilitate oversight, it must remain proactive and receptive to reform. The report also suggested that, in the case of the Presidency, the Seventh Parliament consider which committee would be best placed to scrutinize the budget of the Presidency.
Report to be considered.