Madam Deputy Speaker, hon Deputy President and also Acting President, hon Speaker, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members, let me begin by thanking the following for their co- operation and support: representatives of the various political parties who serve on the Quarterly Consultative Forum, the Speaker's Office, the House Chairpersons, the parliamentary services and the Office of the Secretary to Parliament, the Department of Public Works, the Police VIP Protection Service, the fourth Parliament project team and members of the facility section.
A profound view from the hon Speaker is that Parliament, apart from being a marketplace of ideas, should become the forum for minimising social and interparty conflicts, including the eradication of prejudices in any form, in order to build national consensus and therefore establish lasting democracy. In order for Parliament to do this, it is necessary for Members of Parliament to be adequately empowered with the relevant tools of the trade, which the hon Speaker again refered to as non-negotiables or absolute rights for members to have. This can only be possible with the co- operation of all sectors, including Members of Parliament.
The House Chairperson of internal arrangements was appointed in accordance with National Assembly Rule 14, as amended on 26 May 2009. This Rule provides that the Speaker will allocate functions and responsibilities to the House Chairperson and announce them in the ATC's. The functions and responsibilities are as follows: ensuring the wellbeing and interests of members; overseeing and ensuring the alignment of structures dealing with members' interests and facilities; receiving and providing reports on issues of members' interests; ensuring the enhancement of the capacity of members; ensuring the development and implementation of policy in respect of former members; developing and proposing policy on benefits and facilities for former members; liaising in various parliamentary committees, for example the National Assembly programming committee, the Chief Whips' Forum, the National Assembly Forum, the National Assembly Rules Committee, the Joint Rules Committee and the Parliamentary Budget Forum, among others. Some of these responsibilities have been carried over from the third Parliament and are ongoing. With the co-operation of the Office of the Secretary to Parliament, we have agreed to have the heads of parliamentary services in attendance at meetings of the Quarterly Consultative Forum. The Department of Public Works and the Police VIP Protection Service will also attend. We believe this is one way of positioning the interests of members central to their functioning. It is regrettable that the fulfilment of some of the interests of Members of Parliament had to be delayed for this fourth Parliament through no fault of any particular individual. At times, however, the very processes that members of this House adopt come back to create barriers against progress. This is proof that the human mind is not infallible.
Nevertheless, the Speaker has already referred to the status of the procurement of mobile devices and computer equipment, approved on 22 June 2009 by the Acting Secretary to Parliament. Members were requested to choose suitable equipment in accordance with their needs in Room E538 by 30 June 2009. Selection forms for completion by members, pictures and demo equipment were set up there and members were assisted by IT staff. The expected timeline for the delivery of equipment is 20 days. I was requested by one official to say that members ought to continue going to that room to complete these forms. To date, only about 320 members have done so. So, could members go there and complete the forms so that they can get their equipment.
With regard to members' facilities, all changes to the members' facilities handbook, as recommended by the Quarterly Consultative Forum in the third Parliament, were approved by the Parliamentary Oversight Authority and implemented in the fourth Parliament accordingly. All members have been loaded onto the travel solution and are being trained individually on how to authorise their travel. Parking cards for airports have been allocated to members, and members' voyager status has been upgraded to gold.
Newly refurbished offices were allocated to all parties. The increase in the number of opposition parties has put a severe strain on the accommodation of parliamentary officials in offices, a few of which had to be relocated. The Department of Public Works has been requested to allocate more floors in the 90 Plein Street building for this purpose. Parliament could also not meet the request from the Presidency for the exclusive use of offices at the Chamber in the Good Hope building owing to a shortage of space. I think this marks the urgency of the special project which the Speaker noted earlier.
On travel entitlements for former members, the proposals from the Quarterly Consultative Forum went to the Parliamentary Oversight Authority in the third Parliament. The costs associated were exceptionally high, and this was thus put on hold as the Parliamentary Oversight Authority had been looking at costing the Quarterly Consultative Forum amendments to the members' facilities. The original request for entitlements for former members will be looked at again and then be referred back to the Parliamentary Oversight Authority for approval.
On internal services to members, catering food prices had not increased since 2007 and were thus raised as from 15 June 2009. The Marks Building restaurant will be renovated during July 2009. The New Wing, the Old Assembly and Good Hope restaurants have been renovated and supplied with new equipment.
Parties were allocated parking bays in Parliament on a ratio of eight bays for every 10 members. Due to the shortage of bays, parties have assisted with the allocation, and generally the parking needs of all parties have been met.
With regard to accommodation at the parliamentary villages, there have been many challenges - more especially where members and their dependants were not vacating their residences on time, and the Department of Public Works had to initiate eviction processes. There are currently 342 members in total who are taking occupation at the residences, and unfortunately a few had to be accommodated in hotels while their residences were being vacated or renovated.
The Department of Public Works also urges members to adhere to the rules of the parliamentary villages. The following come to mind: When taking occupation, members should complete the lease agreement, occupancy audit sheet indicating family members residing with them, a stop order form to ensure monthly deductions for rental and an inventory report. Members remaining from the third Parliament are also required to complete a new lease agreement; and domestics should be registered at the Department of Labour in order to qualify for accommodation. We are also currently negotiating with the Department of Public Works to set up a bus schedule help desk within Parliament where members can be assisted with the schedule of bus times.