House Business Committee

Established under the provisions of S.O. No. 171, the House Business Committee consists of: -

• the Speaker (chairperson);
• the Leader of the Majority Party;
• the Leader of the Minority Party; and

not less than twenty one and not more than twenty-nine members, nominated by parliamentary parties and approved by the House at the commencement of every Session, reflecting the relative majorities of the seats held by each of the parliamentary parties in the National Assembly and taking into consideration the interests of Independents.

The House Business Committee is appointed within seven days on assembly of a new House.

Each parliamentary party is required to include its Whip into the membership of the House Business Committee.

During the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker chairs the Committee

Mandate

The House Business Committee is charged with the responsibility to: -

• prepare and , if necessary, from time to time adjust the Parliamentary Calendar with the approval of the House;
• monitor and oversee the implementation of the House Business and programmes.
• implement the Standing Orders respecting the scheduling or programming of the business of the House and the functioning of the Committees of the House;
• determine the order in which the reports of Committees shall be debated in the House;
• take decisions and issue directives and guidelines to prioritize or postpone any business of the House acting with the concurrence of the Leader of the Majority Party or the Leader of the Minority Party, as the case may be.
• consider such matters as may from time to time arise in connection with the business of the House and shall have and perform such powers and functions as are conferred on and ascribed to it by these Standing Orders or from time to time by the House.

The Chairperson and at least one third of the other members of the House Business Committee shall form a quorum.

If, for any reason, a member of the House Business Committee is unable to attend, the Leader in the House of the party which nominated that Member may appoint another Member in that Member’s place for the period for which the Member is unable to attend.

Procedure and House Rules Committee

The Procedure and House Rules Committee may propose rules for the orderly and effective conduct of committee business and any such rules, shall upon approval by the House, continue in force until amended or repealed by the House.

Any rules approved under paragraph (5) shall be annexed to the Standing Orders and shall be binding upon Committees to the same extent as these Standing Orders.

Liaison Committee

The Liaison Committee is established under the provisions of S.O. No. 217 and consists of the Deputy Speaker as chairperson, a member of the Speaker’s Panel who is also the First Chairperson of Committees who shall be the Vice-chairperson and the chairpersons of all committees of the House.

The Liaison Committee shall-

• guide and co-ordinate the operations, policies and mandates of all Committees;
• deliberate on and apportion the annual operating budget among the Committees;
• consider the programmes of all Committees, including their need to travel and sit away from the precincts of Parliament;
• ensure that Committees submit reports as required by these Standing Orders;
• determine, whenever necessary, the committee or committees to deliberate on any matter; and
• give such advice relating to the work and mandate of select committees as it may consider necessary;

The Liaison Committee shall consider reports of Committee that have not been deliberated by the House and shall report to the House on the consideration of such reports.

Committee on Selection

The Committee on Selection is established pursuant to the provisions of S.O. No. 172 and it consists of the Leader of the Majority party who is the chairperson, the Leader of the Minority party, not less than eleven and not more than nineteen members, who are nominated by parliamentary parties and approved by the House

The Committee on Selection nominates members to serve in Committees, save for the membership of the House Business Committee and Committee on Appointments.

The Committee on Selection is appointed within ten days on assembly of a new House.