Select Committee Business

From 19 September to 26 September 2003

Committee meetings

There were no committee meetings this week.

Reports presented

(available at http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Publications/CommitteeReport)

Education and Science

- Petition 2002/7 of Julie Anne Bourgeois and 31 others, and six petitions of a similar nature (2002/8, 2002/9, 2002/10, 2002/11, 2002/12, and 2002/15)

- Visit of the Education and Science Committee to Australia 15 to 19 June 2003 (I.2A)

Health

- Health (Screening Programmes) Amendment Bill (214-2)

Local Government and Environment

- Masterton District Council (Montfort Trimble Foundation) Bill (6-2)

Committee notes

(for further information on an item, please contact the committee staff noted in brackets)

Commerce (Michelle Malyon, SC-Commerce@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee will next meet on Thursday, 2 October to hear evidence on the inquiry into the New Zealand electricity industry. The meeting will be in the James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor, Auckland Airport; it will be open to the public from 10.00 am. If you would like further information please contact the Clerk of Committee.

Finance and Expenditure (Peter Hurndell, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee did not meet this week and does not intend meeting next week.

Health (Catherine Parkin, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz)

This week the committee presented its report on the Health (Screening Programmes) Amendment Bill. The bill implements several key recommendations from the Ministerial Inquiry into the Under-Reporting of Cervical Smear Abnormalities in the Gisborne Region. The committee recommends limiting the bill to cervical screening programmes only. The committee also recommends that the additional consent process for evaluator access to relevant primary care records be removed. The committee believes there are adequate safeguards in place to ensure screening programme evaluators are permitted access only to necessary health information. The committee believes that strengthened evaluation procedures are necessary to ensure the National Cervical Screening Programme meets the highest possible standards.

The committee did not meet this week and is not likely to meet next week.

Justice and Electoral (Louise Sparrer, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee meets next week to progress work on its electoral inquiries and some petitions. A subcommittee has been established for the purpose of hearing evidence from Mr Gray Eatwell regarding his petition which seeks an inquiry into the events resulting in the denial of his rights under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and a review of the legislative restrictions of the Human Rights Commission and the lack of enforcement powers of other consumer and rights based bodies. This hearing is open to the public from 2.00 pm to 2.45 pm in Room G.003, Parliament House. The committee will also receive a briefing from officials on the Judicial Matters Bill.

The committee is calling for submissions on two bills: the Lawyers and Conveyancers Bill and the Judicial Matters Bill.

Law and Order (Tracey Rayner, SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee did not meet this week. Submissions have now closed on the Sex Offenders Registry Bill and the Police Complaints Authority (Conditional Name Protection) Amendment Bill.

The committee's next meeting will be on Wednesday, 8th October.

Transport and Industrial Relations (Kath Henderson, SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz)

A whole day to early evening meeting has been scheduled for consideration of the Land Transport Management Bill on Thursday, 2 October. This bill has a report due date of 13 October 2003.

Oral submissions have all now been heard on the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill. Further consideration will take place on 9 and 16 October. This bill has a report due date of 13 November 2003.

Closing dates for submissions

Committees are receiving submissions on the following items with the closing date shown:

Education and Science

- Education (Disestablishment of Early Childhood Development Board) Amendment Bill (31 October 2003)

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

- Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities Amendment Bill (31 October 2003)

Government Administration

- Building Bill (31 October 2003)

- Maritime Security Bill (17 October 2003)

Justice and Electoral

- Lawyers and Conveyancers Bill (3 October 2003)

- Judicial Matters Bill (21 November 2003)

Local Government and Environment

- Resource Management (Energy and Climate Change) Amendment Bill (29 September 2003)

Regulations Review

- Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 2) (26 September 2003)

Transport and Industrial Relations

- Railways Bill (1 October 2003)

General

You can find further information about select committees on our website at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz. If you require additional information or have any feedback on the contents, please contact:

Carol Rankin

Senior Parliamentary Officer

at carol.rankin@parliament.govt.nz

Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 26 September 2003

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