SELECT COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL SERVICES (NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES)
Tuesday, 22 August 2006 (09:30)
Present:
Free State
Setona, Mr TS - ANC
Gauteng
Madlala-Magubane, Ms M - ANC
Limpopo
Thetjeng, Mr M - DA
Mpumalanga
Tolo, Mr BJ - ANC
Northern Cape
Sulliman, Mr MA
North West
Masilo, Ms JM - ANC
Thlagale, Mr JO – UCDP
KwaZulu Natal
Vilakazi, Ms JN - IFP
Apologies
Qikani, Ms AND – EC (UDM)
Lamoela, Ms H – WC (DA)
Officials in attendance:
Mr Andries Pretorius,
Director: Food Control (Department of Health)
Mr Sello Ramasala, Director:
Legal Services (Department of Health)
Mr Johannes Kgatle,
Parliamentary Liaison Officer (Department of Health)
Opening and Welcome
Chairperson opened the
meeting and welcomed all present. Proceeded to items on the AGENDA:
·
Briefing
by Department on the Foodstuff, Cosmetics and
Disinfectants Amendment Bill (B35B -2005) s76;
·
Consideration
of minutes
1.
Briefing on Foodstuff, Cosmetics & Disinfectants
A/B (B35-2005)
Mr Pretorius assisted by Mr Ramasala briefed the committee as follows:
The reason the Bill is before
Parliament is that since 1972, when the principal Act was passed, the Act was
amended only once, and that was in 1981. As a result, there have been
developments with regard to the regulation of foodstuffs that necessitated a
review of the principal Act.
Therefore, the Bill seeks to
amend the Act of 1972 (Act No. 54 of 1972) by providing for:
a)
The authorization of medical
practitioners, environmental health practitioners and veterinarians to
administer certain provisions of the Act;
b)
An increase on the sums to be
deposited by persons requesting analysis or examination of samples;
c)
Further regulation of food
premises , the handling of foodstuffs, the exportation and importation of
foodstuffs, inspection, detention and destruction of food-producing animals or
foodstuffs and water used for food processing;
d)
The regulation of mollusc
farming and fish farming; and
e)
To provide the delegation of
power by the Director-General to provincial departments.
The Department, having
presented the overall objective of the Bill, the committee raised the following
concerns:
a)
The proposals from the
National Assembly are not underlined, for example, on page 6, line 17.
b)
The Clause 7 removes the
amount and still does prescribe.
c)
The definition of mollusc
appears to be inadequate.
d)
Where there is no outbreak of
FMD, how does South Africa inspect foodstuffs from other countries.
e)
The mechanism of modernising
the new regime of reforms, especially people who were not under the control of
the Director General.
THE
COMMITTEE RESOLVED THAT:
·
The Bill is a s76
legislation, Provinces were encouraged to conduct public hearings;
·
Timeframes will be readjusted
to provide provinces more time to engaged the relevant stakeholders;
·
After consultation, new
timeframes will be circulated to all provinces, in terms of provincial
briefings, negotiating mandates and final mandates.
2.
Consideration of
minutes
Chairperson presented the
minutes of the 20th June and 21st June respectively for
consideration and adoption:
·
Minutes of the 20th
June considered and agreed to; and
·
Minutes of the 21st
June also considered and agreed to with amendment, that the resolution on the
committee workshop was not reflected in the minutes.
Chairperson thanked all
members, Legislatures who send special delegates and officials.
The meeting adjourned at 12:15
____________________________________
Ms Joyce Masilo
Chairperson
Select Committee on Social Services (NCOP)
Committee Room No. 2
Ground Floor, 120 Plein Street
Parliament