Madam Chair, hon Minister, hon members of this Council, the Adjustments Appropriation Bill before this Council allows the Minister of Finance, in view of changed circumstances, to authorise certain expenditure. These expenditures are now tabled for appropriation.
A total amount of R111 million is appropriated in terms of the Act before us. However, an amount of R50 million was allocated to the National Skills Fund, which is a column 2 item of the schedule to the Second Adjustments Appropriation Act of 1999.
This allocation is the result of resolutions taken by the Presidential Jobs Summit of October 1998. At the Jobs Summit it was agreed that a Social Plan Technical Support Facility would be established under the auspices of the Social Plan and Productivity Advisory Council of the National Productivity Institute.
The Social Plan Technical Support Facility is required to provide technical assistance to Future Forums established to promote ongoing discussions between worker representatives and employers about the future of their industrial sectors and enterprises. A Future Forum is a partnership between the workers, their representatives and management, and it is established to facilitate problems and challenges for potential solutions to the problems facing their environment. The Social Plan Technical Support Facility provides assistance and support. It further prevents job losses when employment declines. It is also expected to support Future Forums on a partially subsidised basis.
In addition, Cabinet approved that savings from the National Skills Fund could be made available for the Social Plan Technical Support Facility of the National Productivity Institute. However, in January 2000 the Tender Board approved that only the National Productivity Institute could render the service to the department. Once more it proves that our Government is on course, that it now responds to the social plan that was adopted by all social partners during the Jobs Summit as a programme of intervention.
Finally, the ANC supports the Bill before this Council. [Applause.]