Parliament hosts events, 18 to 22 Apr

Coming up this week – taking Parliament to the people, budget votes, bills and policies, review of rules

Budget vote debates, Committee meetings to consider annual reports and financials of government departments and entities; consideration of bills, Taking Parliament to the People report back and a proposed meeting on Friday of the National Assembly (NA) Subcommittee on the Review of the Assembly Rules are on Parliament’s programme this week.

The NA will hold 13 Extended Public Committee budget debates this week while the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will be in the Eden District Municipality, reporting back on last year’s Taking Parliament to the People programme. The report back will include the Select Committee on Appropriations considering negotiating mandates on the 2016 Division of Revenue Bill. Another 23 Committee meetings are scheduled to deal with:

Matters of concern in education
Tuesday

• Minister of Basic Education to address Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on reflections on matters of concern in education.

Bills, policies and programmes
Tuesday

• Portfolio Committee on Communications briefed by Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Services on legal opinion and sub judice rule in relation to Broadcasting Amendment Bill; briefing from Department of Communications, the State Law Adviser and independent legal opinions on whether Broadcasting Amendment Bill complies with constitutional requirements for law making
• Briefing on draft Rates & Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Bills
• Standing Committee on Finance
• Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry briefed by the department on implementation of Special Economic Zones

Wednesday

• Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training considers Higher Education Amendment Bill
• Standing Committee on Finance deliberates on Financial Intelligence Centre Amendment Bill
• Portfolio Committee on Labour briefed on by Private Member on Labour Laws Amendment Bill; briefing by department on turnaround strategy of Compensation Fund
• Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology briefed by Department of Science and Technology on implementing of Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development Act and National Intellectual Property Management Office
• Portfolio Committee on Social Development considers and adopts Children’s Amendment Bill and Children’s Second Amendment Bill
• Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry briefed on department’s new unit called Investment South Africa

Government plans and financials
Tuesday

• Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries considers and adopts Committee report on strategic plan, annual performance plan and budget of department and its entities
• Briefings to Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture by National Heritage Council and National Film and Video Council on their annual performance plans, strategic plans and other matters
• Standing Committee on Appropriations briefed by Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation on progress report with implementing Medium Term Strategic Framework
• Briefing to Portfolio Committee on Energy from Department of Energy on 2nd and 3rdquarterly performance reports for 2015/2016
• Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs considers department’s budget vote
• SA Rugby Union to brief Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation on annual plans and financials; preparations for Sevens (Blitsbokke) for Rio 2016; update on Eastern Province Kings issue and status of governance and transformation in provincial unions
• Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs to consider and adopt the Budget Vote of Department of Home Affairs
• Portfolio Committee on Police considers and adopts budget vote report
• Portfolio Committee on Public Works considers and adopts its report on Budget Vote 11, strategic plans and annual performance plans 2016 to 2017 of Department of Public Works and its entities
• Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry’s formal consideration of report on department’s budget vote
• Portfolio Committee on Transport considers its report on budget and strategic plan of the department
• Briefing to Portfolio Committee on Women in the Presidency from Commission on Gender Equality on strategic and annual performance plans for 2016/2017

Wednesday

• Standing Committee on Appropriations hearing with Department of Water and Sanitation on third quarter expenditure report for 2015/20156
• Portfolio Committee on Health briefed by Council for Medical Schemes and from National Health Laboratory Services on their strategic and annual performance plans 2015/2016 to 2019/2020 and financials for 2016/2017
• Briefing from Alexkor on strategic and annual performance plans to Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises and consideration of budget vote report
• Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development’s second consideration of draft budget vote report
• Portfolio Committee on Social Development considers and adopts report on strategic plan and budget vote of department
• Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform considers and adopts Committee’s budget vote report on department
• Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation considers and adopts Committee’s budget vote report

Friday

• Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs adopts committee’s report on department’s budget vote

Municipal Multiparty Women’s Caucus
Wednesday

• Parliament’s Multiparty Women’s Caucus briefed by South African Local Government Association on launch of the municipal Multiparty Women’s Caucus and plans to ensure 50/50 representation in forthcoming local government elections.