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Committee of the Whole House
The only Committee of
the whole House is the Standing Finance Committee which has
responsibility for examining the Estimates of Expenditure in detail.
It can recommend increases or decreases in the various heads of
expenditure or adoption of the Estimates without amendment.
After its second reading, Bills are committed to a Committee of the
whole House for a clause by clause analysis.
Sessional Committees
There are some Committees which are describes as Sessional Select
Committees. These Committees last for an entire session and may be
regarded as Standing committees. These include the following:
1) The Public Accounts Committee (PAC)
The PAC is undoubtedly the most important of all Sessional Select
Committees. Its terms of reference are set out in Order 69 of the
Standing Orders of the House of Representatives of Jamaica, 1964,
briefly, it has the following duties of examining the following:-
(1) the accounts showing the appropriations of the sums granted by
the Legislature to meet public expenditure;
(2) such accounts as may be referred tot he Committee by the House
or under any law; and
(3) the Report of the Auditor General on any such accounts.
In addition, all Accounts and Financial Statements laid upon the
Table of the House in respect of Statutory Boards, Public
Corporations and Public Companies in which the Government hold
majority shares are deemed to be automatically referred to the
Public Accounts Committee for examination and report.
The membership of the Public Accounts Committee is comprised of
members from the two major political parties represented in the
House. Traditionally, the Committee is chaired by the Opposition's
spokesman on Finance. The membership is a maximum of ten and a
quorum of four, including the Chairman.
Both the Auditor General and his team of officers and officers from
the Ministry of Finance attend PAC meetings.
PAC meetings are open to the media and are subjected to extensive
publicity both in the print and electronic media.
The Standing Orders Committee
This Committee has the duty of considering from time to time and
reporting on all such matters relating to the Standing Orders as may
be referred to it by the House.
The Speaker of the House is a Member and the Chairman of the
Standing Orders Committee.
The House Committee
The House Committee has the duty of considering and advising the
Speaker on all matters connected with the comfort and convenience of
Members of the House. The Committee meets when required.
The Leader of the House is a Member and the Chairman of the House
Committee.
The Committee of Privileges
This Committee deals with matters referred to the House which
affects the powers or privileges of the House.
The Regulations Committee
This Committee has the responsibility of examining all such
regulations (as defined by the Interpretation Act as for the time
being in force) as under the authority of any Act that is to be laid
before the House and to be subject to negative resolution within the
meaning of the Interpretation Act, and to bring to the special
attention of the House any regulation or draft-
(1) which involves the expenditure of public moneys or imposes of
fixes fees for licences or for services;
(2) which cannot be challenged in the Courts on the ground that it
is ultra vires, or is only temporarily so challengeable;
(3) the making of which appears to constitute an unusual or
unexpected use of the powers conferred by the Act under which it was
made;
(4) which purports to have retrospective effect although the Act
under which it was made does not in terms give the Minister such a
power'
(5) the publication or the laying before the House of which appears
to have been unduly delayed;
(6) as respects which there has been unjustifiable delay in
notifying the Speaker that the instrument had come into operation
before it was laid before the House; or
(7) the purport or form of which appears to require elucidation.
The regulations Committee shall not consider or report on merits or
policy of any regulations.
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