The Committee
1.1
The Standing Committee on Appropriations and Administration, appointed
under standing order 222A,
considers estimates of the funding required for the operation of the Department
of the House of Representatives for each year and provides to the Speaker for
presentation to the House and transmission to the Minister for Finance and
Deregulation, estimates of amounts for inclusion in the appropriation bills for
the Department.
1.2
The Committee also considers proposals for changes to the administration
of the Department of the House of Representatives or variations to services
provided by the Department, other matters of finance or services as may be
referred to it by the Speaker or the House, the administration and funding of
security measures affecting the House, and proposals for works in the
parliamentary precincts that are subject to parliamentary approval. The Committee
reports on these matters to the Speaker or the House, as appropriate.
1.3
When conferring with the Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations and
Staffing, the Committee may consider estimates of the funding required for the
operation of the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) each year, and
provide to the Speaker for presentation to the House and transmission to the
Minister for Finance and Deregulation, estimates of amounts for inclusion in
appropriation bills for the DPS. To date, the Committee has heard from DPS on
its estimates and budgetary position, but has not reported to the House on
these matters.
1.4
Standing order 222A(vi) (ii) provides
that the Committee make an annual report to the House the amounts for inclusion
in the appropriation bills for the Department of the House of Representatives.
1.5
The House Appropriations and Administration Committee was established at
the beginning of the 43rd Parliament on 29 September 2011. The
establishment of the Committee reflected a requirement in the Agreement for a
Better Parliament: Parliamentary Reform.[1] Members of the committee
were appointed on 25 October 2010.
1.6
The establishment of the Committee is significant. It means that, for the first time, a formal
and representative group of members, led by the Speaker, will be able to
consider the funding needs of the Department of the House of Representatives on
a regular basis and make representations as it judges necessary.
First Report
1.7
During the reporting period the Committee tabled its first report—Budget
estimates 2011 – 2012 for the Department of the House of Representatives.
The report was presented in accordance with standing order 222A(a) (ii) which
requires that the Committee provide to the Speaker for presentation to the
House the amounts for inclusion in the appropriation bills for the Department
of the House of Representatives. The report was tabled on 12 May 2011. In
summary, the total appropriation to be approved by the Parliament for the
Department of the House of Representatives in the Appropriation (Parliamentary
Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2011–2012 was $23.253m compared to $22.387m in
2010–11 . The Committee endorsed the department’s proposals to seek additional
operational funding in the form of New Policy Proposals in the 2011–12 Budget
for the following:
n funding to support
additional sitting hours of the House and Main Committee; and
n support for the new
Joint Committee on the National Broadband Network.
1.8
The Committee was pleased to note that, as a result, there were two
expense measures for the department in the 2011–12 Budget year, that is,
additional funding was provided.
Meetings of the Committee
1.9
During the reporting period the Committee met four times, on
28 October 2010, 22 November 2010, 3 March 2011 and 11 May 2011, and
considered the following matters:
28 October 2010
n a paper prepared by
the secretariat on the role of the Committee
n a draft letter from
the Speaker to the Prime Minister regarding a request for additional funding
for the Department of the House of Representatives—the Committee supported the
letter
22 November 2010
n a presentation to the
Committee by Mr Bernard Wright, Clerk of the House on the budget of the
Department of the House of Representatives—the Committee approved the
department’s proposal for additional funding
n a presentation to the
Committee by Mr Alan Thompson, Secretary, Department of Parliamentary Services
(DPS)—the Committee approved the department’s proposal for additional funding
3 March 2011
n a briefing for the
Committee by the Clerk of the House on the status of the Budget bid for the
Department of the House of Representatives and the budgetary outlook for the
department—the Committee resolved to seek additional funding for the new Joint
Committee on the National Broadband Network
n a briefing for the
Committee by the Secretary, DPS on the Budget for that department
11 May 2011
n a briefing for the
committee by the Clerk of the House on the department’s Budget bid, an update
on the department’s finances for 2010–11 and on the draft report to the House
on the Committee’s consideration of the Budget estimates—the Committee resolved
that the draft report be the report of the committee
n a briefing for the
Committee by the Secretary, DPS on the budget outlook for the DPS for 2011–12 .
Harry
Jenkins MP
Chairman
November
2011