In addition to five non-ministerial standing committees — Public Accounts, Rules and Privileges, House and Library, Government Assurances, and Business Advisory — there is a Standing Committee of the National Assembly for each Ministry of the government. Each committee has up to 20 members, to be elected by the Assembly within 30 days of the election of the Leader of the House.
Why it matters for the National Assembly proceedings?
The one-committee-per-ministry system is the parliamentary counterpart of the executive’s ministerial structure. It ensures that every area of government policy has a dedicated parliamentary body for scrutiny, inquiry, and legislative review. Without this system, large and powerful ministries could operate without regular parliamentary oversight.
The Minister concerned is an ex officio member of the Committee. Their role as ex officio members enables the committee to perform its oversight function by ensuring ministerial presence in the committee without giving them power to vote.
What is in it for citizens?
For citizens concerned about a specific area of government — health, education, finance, defence — the relevant Standing Committee is the parliamentary body most likely to be examining that ministry’s policies and expenditure. Who chairs the committee, how often it meets, and what it has investigated are usually available on the official website of the National Assembly.
Source: Rule 198, Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007
The proceedings of the National Assembly are governed by the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. The current rules were passed on 23 February 2007 and have since been amended 21 times, most recently on 22 October 2024.
This post is part of FAFEN’s series on parliamentary literacy. Read more of this series here
