0 Capacity Building Workshop for Sectoral Oversight Committee Chairs and Officials from the Parliament of Sri Lanka Houses of Parliament, 24-28 October 2016 Report 0 1 Contents Background 2 Delegation 2 Aim 2 Summary 3 Programme Comments 4 Programme 9 Outcomes and follow-up activities 15 Acknowledgments 15 About CPA UK 16 1 2 Background 1.01. Following the General Election in August 2015, the Leadership of the Parliament of Sri Lanka prioritised a number of reforms including the establishment of a Departmental Sectoral Oversight Committee System aimed at enhancing the capabilities of Parliament to hold Government to account. 1.02. CPA UK subsequently secured funding from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Magna Carta Partnerships Fund to run a Workshop on Sectoral Oversight Committees from 15-17 February 2016 in partnership with the Parliament of Sri Lanka and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD). This activity was particularly well received and provided a platform for the exchange of knowledge and good practice between UK and Sri Lankan Members and Clerks ahead of the implementation of the new committee system. 1.03. Following the conclusion of the Workshop, it was suggested by the Parliamentary Leadership that a series of follow-up activities would take place. The Secretary General of the Sri Lankan Parliament subsequently visited Westminster (April 2016) and a WFD-led Workshop for parliamentary officials took place in Colombo in July 2016. 1.04. CPA UK and WFD are working jointly to deliver the next two activities, namely two study visits to Westminster by the Sectoral Oversight Committee Chairs and senior parliamentary officials. The first visit took place from 24 – 28 October 2016, attended by eight Committee Chairs and two parliamentary officials. The next visit is scheduled for the week commencing 23 January 2017. The WFD Sri Lanka Country Representative will accompany both delegations. Delegation 2.01. The visiting delegation was: Hon. Ranjith Aluvihare MP, Chair, Sectoral Oversight Committee on International Relations Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha MP, Chair, Sectoral Oversight Committee on Manufacturing and Services Hon. Ajith Mannapperuma MP, Chair, Sectoral Oversight Committee on Legal Affairs (anti-corruption) and Media Hon. Dr Thusitha Wijemanna MP, Chair, Sectoral Oversight Committee on Women and Gender Hon. Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana MP, Chair, Sectoral Oversight Committee on Business and Commerce Hon. C. B. Rathnayake MP, Sectoral Oversight Committee on Youth, Sports, Arts and Heritage Hon. Gamini Lokuge MP, Chair, Sectoral Oversight Committee on Internal Administration and Public Management Hon. Vadivel Suresh MP, Chair, Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education and Human Resources Development Mr. Tikiri K. Jayathilake, Assistant Secretary General of Parliament Ms. Indira Dissanayake, Assistant Director Administration (Committee) Priyanga Hettiarachi, Sri Lanka Country Representative, Westminster Foundation for Democracy 2 3 Aim 3.01. Through exchange with colleagues, practical sessions and discussions, the programme aimed to build the capacity of the Committee Chairs and senior parliamentary officials to effectively fulfil their responsibilities and respective committee mandate. 3.02 In addition to the sessions focussed on sectoral oversight committees, WFD arranged for the Chairs and officials to meet with other committees and UK elected representatives and parliamentary officials as part of WFD’s ongoing engagement with the Parliament and political parties. Summary 4.01. The programme delivered on its aim, enhancing the relationship between UK and Sri Lankan parliamentarians. Through the programme, the delegation was able to learn from the experiences of their UK counterparts, building knowledge and capacity to fulful their roles within the new Sectoral Oversight Committee System. 4.02. UK Members had the opportunity to interact with visiting delegates through the series of sessions and roundtables, expanding their knowledge of the Sri Lankan Committee reforms. UK parliamentarians highlighted the pre-legislative scrutiny function of Sri Lankan Committees as an area of particular interest, which the UK could learn from. A roundtable discussion on addressing solutions to common problems faced by all parliamentarians in their committee work provided a valuable opportunity for knowledge sharing and learning for the Sri Lankan Chairs and their UK colleagues. 4.03. Sessions foucssing on the role of the Committee Chair, cross party working and engagement with the media and public gave visiting delegates a thorough overview of the workings of a Westminster committee system. A practical mock committee evidence session on the final day of the programme then gave delegates the opportunity to put their learning into practice. Programme Comments 5.01. Overview of Oversight Committee Framework 5.01.1 During a session with Colin Lee, Principal Clerk of Select Committees, delegates discussed the committees operating in the UK Parliament. Mr Lee gave an overview of the two types of committees – Public Bill Committees and select committees. Public Bill Committees have temporary membership and are formed to consider a specific bill, with the Chair acting as an impartial Presiding Officer. Public Bill Committees can include whips, Minister and opposition front bench Members and proceed largely as a smaller version of the chamber, where Members can speak and move motions on amendments. 3 4 5.01.2 Select Committees, however, have a permenanent membership for the duration of a Parliament and are composed of backbench members only. UK Departmental Select committees, which shadow a specific government department, are the closest UK equivalent to the Sri Lankan Secotral Oversight Committees. In the UK, each Select committee shadows one governemtn department, whereas 16 Sri Lankan Sectoral Oversight Committees scrutinise 53 government departments. The UK also has cross-cutting scrutiny committees, such as the Public Accounts and Environmental Audit Committees, which scrutinise all departments. 5.01.3 Mr Lee gave an overview of recent changes in the UK system, including the creation of two new Select Committees to shadow the work of new departments created following the annoucement of the UK’s planned exit from the European Union – the Department for International Trade and the Department for Exiting the European Union. Mr Lee also highlighted the creation of a Women and Equalities Committee in 2015, an initiative promoted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Previously there had been an Equalities Minister and office based within a government department, but no dedicated Select Committee. 5.01.4 Hon. Vadivel Suresh MP, Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education and Human Resources Development, asked about the relationship between Select Committees and Ministers in the UK. Mr Lee outlined how the relationship varies depending on the Committee themselves. It is for the Committee to decide how closely they wish to work with Ministers, but the most common practice is to work closely together to establish an understanding of department’s agenda and a relationship of trust. Many Committee Chairs meet regularly with their Secretary of State, though some Chairs do prefer a more confrontational approach. Hon. Suresh asked whether this practice and the relationships had developed over time and explained that the Sri Lankan system is very new. They face some practical issues in implementing the Committee reforms and in building relationships with Ministers, particularly given that each Committee scrutinises multiple government departments and that the previous Consultative Committees were chaired by Ministers. 5.01.5 The delegation met with the Rt Hon. Lord Beith, former Liaison Committee Chair and Fergus Reid, Clerk of the Liaison Committee, to discuss the role of the Liaison Committee in the UK Parliament. The House of Commons Liaison Committee is made up of the Chairs of each of the Select Committees. The Committee's role includes taking evidence from the Prime Minister on matters of public policy, choosing select committee reports for debate in Westminster Hall and considering general matters relating to the work of select committees. Lord Beith outlined that the original role of the Liaison Committee was mainly administrative, for example overseeing select committee budgets, but that its role had evolved to promote the work of select committees. The Committee argues for staffing and resources and pushes the government to respond to recommendations where necessary. The Liaison Committee also oversaw the development of the Scrutiny Unit, a specialised unit available to all committees and staffed by specialists in legal affairs and finance who give further expert support to committees with specific inquiries. 4 5 5.01.6 Hon. Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana MP, Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Business and Commerce, asked about the Committee’s role in taking evidence from the Prime Minister. Lord Beith explained that the Liaison Committee is the only committee to take evidence from the Prime Minister, on behalf of all committees. These evidence sessions take place around three times per year in three and a half hour sessions. Hon. Suresh commented that in Sri Lanka, the Prime Minister is also the Minister for other departments and therefore answerble to other committees. 5.02. Committee Membership 5.02.1. The delegation discussed the role of a Committee Chair with Crispin Blunt MP, Chair of the UK Foreign Affairs