House of Representatives Committees

Committee activities (inquiries and reports)

Procedures relating to House committees

Appendix C – Results of Members’ survey

Survey of Members’ views on arrangements for presenting and speaking on committee reports

(Total number of survey respondents was 36 Members from a population of 150 Members of the House of Representatives, that is, a response rate of 24 per cent)

	*YES*		NO		*Total responses to question*
	*Number*	*Percent*	*Number*	*Percent*	*Number*
1) Do you consider there is sufficient time available for the presentation and debate of committee reports? Yes / No [if yes go to question 4]	5	14	31	86	36
2)If no, would you support a proposal to increase the time available for the presentation and debate of committee reports by:
a) reducing the time available to debate private members’ business? Yes / No	6	22	21	78	27
b) transferring debate of private members’ business to the Main Committee ? Yes / No	17	59	12	41	29
c) increased sittings of the House? Yes / No	10	34.5	19	65.5	29
d) increased sittings of the Main Committee ? Yes / No	27	90	3	10	30
3) Would you support a proposal to permit debate of committee reports to start in the Main Committee (perhaps following formal presentation to the House by the Speaker)? Yes / No	25	76	8	24	33
4) Apart from the availability of time, do you consider other arrangements for presenting and speaking on committee reports satisfactory? Yes / No	24	73	9	27	33

If not, please indicate briefly why . . . . . .

5) Any other comments or proposals on these or related matters?

(Summary of responses)

Most reports sit on the bookshelf- It’s often years before they get a response from Government.
Reports are important documents. They should be given a “higher” profile in order to broaden The Community’s awareness of the recommendations…etc…
There is also a great need to have more timely response from the Government to reports.
I believe that the current procedure of allowing a 5 minute speech by the Chair and the Deputy Chair of Committee s in insufficient and undermines the work put in to developing and preparing the report.
In addition it does not give proper recognition to the many people, organisations, experts, government departments and interest bodies that provide submissions and evidence to the Committee s- they deserve more than 10 minutes in the House.
A Member answered “YES/NO Maybe” to question 2 (c) increased sittings of the House?
Committee work requires a big time commitment from Members, staff and those person providing submissions and evidence, therefore I believe the tabling process and the treatment by the Parliament needs to reflect this.
We can start Parliament at 12 noon on the Monday with strict standing orders saying no other business including the suspension of standing orders is permitted until 12.30 pm . This will give those members who want to participate time to be there while excusing others from attending. No suspension of standing orders, divisions to be called for 30 minutes.
Start earlier on Mondays.
To question 2 (b) a Member answered Yes and put the comments – not as a matter of course but when a report requires tabling-inquiry rather than delegation.
With all the work, time and resource that goes into the inquiry and presentation of a report, whatever can be done to highlight the occasion, should be considered.
It’s much better to have the debate of the report at the same time as tabling.
A Member indicated at question 2 (b) No and then commented ‘strongly opposed’.
A Member answered at question 3, Yes and commented ‘only on delegation reports’.
There should be an opportunity for committees to address the government response-at the instance / request of a committee.
A Member commented at question 2 (d) increased sittings of the Main Committee ? ‘No-not for this purpose’.
Because of time constraints few members of committees actually get to speak on the work/report of committees.
I suggest that Chairs and Deputy Chairs of committees should meet at least three times a year and report to parliament any trends, developments, successes and concerns to do with the work of parliamentary committees. For example the slipping of government responses to parliamentary committees discussed at the meetings of Chairs and Deputy Chairs held earlier this year was worthy of noting in the House. I would also suggest that Secretariat should present to these meetings re any concerns, resource problems, trends etc that affect secretariat staff in supporting the work of Parliamentary committees.

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