As was mentioned in the introduction, the President of the National Assembly met with all committee chairmen and vice-chairmen in November 1999 in order to review the conduct of proceedings in committees. This initiative resulted from a request on the part of a number of parliamentarians who were dissatisfied with the role allotted to them in committees. It was in the aftermath of this meeting that a study group was set up to examine the question. Although there has been a certain quantitative improvement, however, we nevertheless remain quite distant from what had been hoped for in 1984 with respect to institutional independence and the intensification of parliamentary surveillance over government activity. Indeed, a number of the exercises in surveillance ordained by the Standing Orders or by statute have not been carried out, or they have been carried out only sporadically or superficially.
Ministers remain ever present in committees.
And committees do not truly control their own agendas, since the parliamentary leaders and whips implicate themselves in even the most minor aspects of the organization of committee business. Members of the executive would be invited to come before the Assembly to make their replies to the recommendations of the Grand Committee. Reduce the presence of ministers in committees when the latter hold public hearings. Assert the autonomy of steering committees by reappropriating the powers to organize committee business that they have abdicated over the years to the House leaders. Make greater use of subcommittees for parliamentary surveillance activities in order to allow those members who are most interested to specialize in a limited number of duties.