4 Dec 2012
Below is a list of attachments/visits to other Parliaments being undertaken by Members of Parliament and staff of the Office of the Parliament.
1. Official Visit of a Trinidad and Tobago Parliamentary Delegation to the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China, December 5 to 12, 2012.
Persons Attending:
As the largest Parliament in the world, it would be interesting and informative for the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago to observe the procedures, operations and challenges of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China as it functions through its Standing Committee and other Committees.
The Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago hosted a high level delegation from the National People’s Congress from the People’s Republic of China in March, 2012, which was headed by His Excellency Mr. Wang Zhaoguo, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress and Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. It was during that visit that the invitation to visit China’s National People’s Congress was renewed.
The proposed visit will allow Members to:
2. Two-Week Course on Parliamentary Reporting in the Digital Age, London, United Kingdom, December 3 to 14, 2012
Persons Attending:
The course offers a comprehensive, in-depth look at the operations of the Official Report and delegates will get a first-hand experience of the Hansard’s working practices, systems, and use of technology. This course will also provide participants with the opportunity to network with other editors and Computer Aided Transcript (CAT) reporters, observe, learn about the House of Commons Reporting System, and meet staff involved in various debating forums of the House of Commons, from the Chamber, to Westminster Hall, to Select Committees. The course will therefore expose participants to new technologies which they may then introduce into their own local reporting operations.
The Hansard is the verbatim report of the proceedings of the House outlining all the debates that take place in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, capturing the contribution of every Member; questions and responses. It plays a vital role in safeguarding democracy as it enables the public to better assess the performance of its representatives as well as be aware of what takes place during proceedings.
This particular course will cover the following areas:
i. Reporting and Editing
Delegates will:
ii. Technology Support
Delegates will gain an experience of:
iii. Staff Development
Delegates will learn about:
iv. Performance Measurement
Delegates will learn how the UK’s Hansard Unit:
3. Attendance of a Parliamentary Delegation at a two-day Programme on Financial Oversight, Westminster, London, December 11 to 12, 2012
Persons participating:
The two-day Programme will take the form of a Joint Programme with Members of the Public Accounts Committee from the Parliament of Uganda. The Programme will seek to explore the practices, procedures and challenges of the Public Accounts Committee in the UK Parliament; with the overall aim of increasing the capacity and effectiveness of the Committees represented.
This two-day programme is reflective of the initiatives undertaken by the Honourable Speaker of the House to improve the overall functioning of the Parliament and is also in keeping with the Prime Minister’s stated commitment to reform and strengthen the Legislative Arm of the State. These initiatives include: