COPE Chairman submits Independent Audit Commission draft as Private Member Bill

The Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), Sunil Handunnetti, submitted the Independent Audit Commission draft as a Private Member Bill yesterday in Parliament.

On behalf of the Secretary General of Parliament, the Deputy Secretary General and Chief of Staff Neil Iddawala received the Private Member Bill for necessary action under Standing Order 48.

In following Standing Order 48, a member should hand over the proposed draft bill together with copies of the advertisement published in newspapers and gazette in all three languages. After a lapse of one month from the publication of the advertisement, the Bills Office ends the bill to be printed as a gazette supplement in all three languages in terms of Standing Order 47 (3).  After a lapse of 14 days from the gazette publication, the Bills Office takes steps to place the bill on the Order Paper for First Reading in terms of Standing Order 47 (4). After the First Reading and the Bill is ordered to be printed, the Bills Office gives a number to the Bill and causes it to be printed and forwarded to the relevant Minister for a report in terms of Standing Order 47 (5). After the Minister’s Report is received in Parliament, the Bills Office compares it in all three languages and causes it to be printed and tabled in Parliament.

If the report of the Minister is not received within six months, the Bill’s Office causes the bill to be placed in the Order Paper for a Second Reading upon such a day as the member in charge of its desires in terms of Standing Order 47 (6). After the Minister’s Report is tabled in Parliament and the bill is read a second time, it will be referred to a Standing Committee.