The SPEAKER (15:36): For the information of honourable members, I present a schedule of the status of government responses to committee reports as at 24 November 2023. The schedule will be incorporated in Hansard. The schedule read as follows— Speaker's Schedule of the Status of Government Responses to Committee Reports As at 24 November 2023 The Speaker's schedule to the House of Representatives on the status of government responses to committee reports is presented at six monthly intervals, usually in the last sitting weeks of the winter and spring sittings. The last schedule was presented in the House on 22 June 2023. The schedule presents a list of committee reports that contain recommendations requiring a government response. Government responses received during the period are included in the schedule and the report it relates to is then removed from subsequent schedules. The timeframe for government responses to committee reports in this schedule is determined by the resolution adopted by the House on 29 September 2010, in which government responses to House and Joint committee reports are required within a six month period from the presentation of the report in the House. The Senate has resolved to require government responses to Senate and Joint committee reports within three months of a report being tabled.[1] This schedule does not list reports that do not require a government response. In the past, the practice was to include all reports tabled in the Speaker's schedule. However, the intent of this schedule is to provide an update to the House on the status of government responses to committee reports.[2] The schedule does not include advisory reports on bills introduced into the House of Representatives unless the reports make recommendations that are wider than the provision of the bill and would therefore be the subject of a government response. The Government's response to bill inquiry reports is apparent in the resumption of consideration of the relevant legislation by the House. Also not included are reports from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, the House of Representatives Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests, and the Publications Committee (other than reports on inquiries). Government responses to reports of the Public Works Committee are usually reflected in motions for the approval of works after the relevant report has been presented and considered. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights' regular scrutiny reports on the human rights compatibility of bills and legislative instruments are not listed, as the timeframe for a response is specified in correspondence to the relevant minister. Reports of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit primarily make administrative recommendations but may make policy recommendations. A government response is required in respect of such policy recommendations made by the committee. Responses to administrative recommendations are made in the form of an Executive Minute provided to, and subsequently tabled by, the committee. Agencies responding to administrative recommendations are required to provide an Executive Minute within six months of the tabling of a report. Executive Minutes are included in this schedule and are listed as (Partial response). The table below provides a summary of government responses received and outstanding to committee reports of the 44th to 47th Parliaments inclusive: Parliament Awaiting response (time expired) Awaiting response (time not expired) Response received .(time expired) Response received .(time not expired) 44th 1 - 1 - 45th 13 - 1 - 46th 55 - 7 - 47th 9 17 - 7 The following table lists responses received (since tabling of the last schedule on 22 June 2023) and outstanding (as at 24 November 2023): Report title Date tabled or published[i] Date of government response[ii] Responded in period specified[iii] Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (Joint, Standing) Inquiry into community safety support services and job opportunities in the Northern Territory 1/3/23* 6/7/23 Yes Agriculture and Water Resources (House, Standing) Making every drop count 20/12/17 No response to date No Growing Australia: Inquiry into growing Australian agriculture to $100 billion by 2030 11/12/20 No response to date No Aussie logs for Aussie jobs: Inquiry into timber supply chain constraints in the Australian plantation sector 23/3/21 No response to date No Supporting a strong future for Australian aquaculture 9/2/22 No response to date No Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (Joint, Statutory) [ iv ] Integrity of Australia's border arrangements 8/12/20 No response to date No Examination of the annual report of the Integrity Commissioner 2020-21 31/3/22 No response to date No Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (House, Standing) Inquiry into the 2009 and 2013 amendments to the 1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972 (London Protocol) 13/6/23 No response to date Time not expired Communications and the Arts (House, Standing) The Future of Regional Newspapers in a Digital World: Inquiry into Australia's regional newspapers 23/3/22 No response to date No Connecting the country: Mission critical—Inquiry into co-investment in multi-carrier regional mobile infrastructure 15/11/23 No response to date Time not expired Corporations and Financial Services (Joint, Statutory) Statutory oversight of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the Takeovers Panel and the Corporations Legislation 14/2/19 No response to date No Report on the 2017-2018 annual reports of bodies established under the ASIC Act 2/4/19 No response to date No Regulation of auditing in Australia: Interim Report 27/2/20 No response to date No Regulation of auditing in Australia: Final Report 11/11/20 No response to date No Report on the 2019-2020 annual reports of bodies established under the ASIC Act 25/8/21 No response to date No Statutory inquiry into ASIC, the Takeovers Panel, and the corporations legislation: ASIC licence transfers 10/7/23 No response to date Time not expired Corporate insolvency in Australia 12/7/23 No response to date Time not expired Economics (House, Standing) Report on the implications of common ownership and capital concentration in Australia 17/3/22 No response to date No Electoral Matters (Joint, Standing) Report on the Candidate Qualification Checklist 31/3/22 No response to date No Conduct of the 2022 federal election and other matters: interim report 19/6/23 9/11/23 Yes Employment, Education and Training (House, Standing) Status of the teaching profession 28/11/19 No response to date No Education in remote and complex environments 11/11/20 No response to date No Don't take it as read—Inquiry into adult literacy and its importance 22/3/22 No response to date No Environment (House, Standing) Inquiry into the Register of Environmental Organisations 4/5/16 16/11/23 No Environment and Energy (House, Standing) Not without your approval: a way forward for nuclear technology in Australia 13/12/19* No response to date No Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (Joint, Standing) Second Interim Report: freedom of religion and belief, the Australian experience 3/4/19 No response to date No Inquiry into the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Australia's foreign affairs, defence and trade 8/12/20 No response to date No One Region, One Family, One Future: Deepening relations with the Pacific nations through trade 1/9/21 No response to date No Inquiry into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2019-20 25/11/21 1/8/23 No Expanding the membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership 10/2/22 No response to date No Inquiry into PFAS remediation in and around Defence bases: Final report 30/3/22 No response to date No Strengthening Australia's relationships with countries in the Pacific 30/3/22 No response to date No Inquiry into international armed conflict decision making 31/3/23* 8/8/23 Yes The Defence Industry Security Program: Review of Auditor-General Report 4 of 2021-22 19/6/23 No response to date Time not expired Inquiry into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2021-22 14/9/23 No response to date Time not expired Inquiry into Australia's tourism and international education sectors: 'Quality and Integrity—the Quest for Sustainable Growth': Interim Report into International Education 18/10/23 No response to date Time not expired Advisory Report on the Counter-Terrorism Amendment (Prohibited Hate Symbols and Other Measures) Bill 2023 15/11/23 No response to date Time not expired Health, Aged Care and Sport (House, Standing) Bedtime Reading: Inquiry into Sleep Health Awareness in Australia 4/4/19 4/7/23 No Walking the allergy tightrope: Addressing the rise of allergies and anaphylaxis in Australia 15/6/20 18/10/23 No The New Frontier—Delivering better health for all Australians 25/11/21 No response to date No Inquiry into childhood rheumatic diseases: Interim Report 31/3/22 No response to date No Sick and tired: Casting a long shadow: Inquiry into Long COVID and Repeated COVID Infections 19/4/23* No response to date No Human Rights (Joint, Statutory) ParentsNext: examination of Social Security (Parenting payment participation requirements-class of persons) Instrument 2021 4/8/21 No response to date No Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 and related bills 4/2/22 No response to date No Implementation of the National Redress Scheme (Joint, Select) Second Interim Report of the Joint Select Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme, November 2021 23/11/21 31/7/23 No Industry, Innovation, Science & Resources (House, Standing) Keep it in the regions: Mining and resources industry support for businesses in regional economies 3/12/18 No response to date No Infrastructure, Transport and Cities (House, Standing) Government Procurement: A sovereign security imperative 31/3/22 22/6/23 No Intelligence and Security (Joint, Statutory) Annual Report of Committee Activities 2020-2021 14/9/21* No response to date No Advisory report on the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2020 and Statutory Review of the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 29/9/21 No response to date No Review of police powers in relation to terrorism, the control order regime, the preventative detention order regime and the continuing detention order regime 14/10/21* 14/9/23 No Review of the amendments made by the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018 22/12/21 No response to date No Advisory Report on the Intelligence Oversight and Other Legislation Amendment (Integrity Measures) Bill 2020 7/2/22 No response to date No Review of Part 14 of the Telecommunications Act 1997—Telecommunications Sector Security Reform 7/2/22 No response to date No Advisory Report on the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure Protection) Bill 2022 25/3/22 No response to date No Review of the listing and re-listing of eight organisations as terrorist organisations under the Criminal Code 26/9/22 No response to date No Advisory Report on the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Modernisation) Bill 2022 20/3/23 27/7/23 Yes Advisory Report on Item 250 of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2022 29/3/23 13/7/23 Yes Review of the Counter-Terrorism (Temporary Exclusion Orders) Act 2019 10/5/23 No response to date No Advisory report on the National Security Legislation Amendment (Comprehensive Review and Other Measures No. 2) Bill 2023 12/5/23* 2/8/23 Yes Review of Administration and Expenditure No. 20 (2020-2021)—Australian Intelligence Agencies 31/7/23 30/10/23 Yes Law Enforcement (Joint, Statutory) Inquiry into financial related crime 7/9/15 No response to date No Inquiry into crystal methamphetamine (ice): First Report 6/9/17 No response to date No Inquiry into crystal methamphetamine (ice): Final Report 27/3/18 No response to date No Examination of the Australian Federal Police Annual Report 2015-16 28/3/18 No response to date No Inquiry into the trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn 19/9/18 No response to date No Impact of new and emerging information and communications technology 4/4/19 No response to date No Summary report of the 24 June 2020 public hearing on the Australian Institute of Criminology's National Deaths in Custody Program 8/10/20 No response to date No Public communications campaigns targeting drug and substance abuse 12/5/21 14/11/23 No COVID-19, criminal activity and law enforcement 21/6/21 No response to date No Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (House, Select) Mental Health and Suicide Prevention—Final Report 01/11/21 No response to date No Migration (Joint, Standing) Interim Report of the Inquiry into the Working Holiday Maker Program 15/9/20 No response to date No Final Report of the Inquiry into the Working Holiday Maker Program 30/11/20 No response to date No Interim Report of the Inquiry into Australia's Skilled Migration Program 18/3/21 No response to date No Final Report of the Inquiry into Australia's Skilled Migration Program 9/8/21 No response to date No National Capital and External Territories (Joint, Standing) Interim Report—Inquiry into economic, social and environmental sustainability in the Indian Ocean Territories 28/2/22 No response to date No Interim Report—Inquiry into availability and access to enabling communications infrastructure in Australia's external territories 28/2/22 No response to date No National Disability Insurance Scheme (Joint, Standing) NDIS Workforce Final Report 15/2/22 No response to date No Capability and culture of the NDIA interim report 30/3/23 No response to date No Northern Australia (Joint, Standing) Final report into the engagement of traditional owners in the economic development of Northern Australia 8/2/22 No response to date No Northern Australia (Joint, Select) Inquiry into the Cyclone Reinsurance Pool: First report on the Cyclone Reinsurance Pool 27/3/23 No response to date No Procedure (House, Standing) Maintenance of the standing orders 31/1/22 No response to date No Raising the Standard: Inquiry into recommendations 10 and 27 of Set the Standard: Report on the Independent Review into Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces 7/08/23 No response to date Time not expired Public Accounts and Audit (Joint, Statutory) Report 475: Defence First Principles Review, Naval Construction and Mental Health in the AFP 14/2/19 Partial response received No Report 479: Australian Government Security Arrangements 2/4/19 Partial response received No Report 485: Cyber Resilience: Inquiry into Auditor-General's Reports 1 and 13 (2019-20) 9/12/20 Partial response received No Report 486: Regulatory Activities—Inquiry into Auditor-Generals Reports 33, 47, 48 (2019-20) and 5 and 8 (2020-21) 24/8/21 Partial response received No Report 488 Commonwealth Financial Statements 2019-20 31/3/22 Partial response received No Report 490 Alternative Financing Mechanisms 31/3/22 Partial response received No Report 491 Review of the Auditor-General Act 1997 31/3/22 Partial response received No Report 492 Governance in the Stewardship of Public Resources 12/4/22 Partial response received No Report 494: Inquiry into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's crisis management arrangements 30/3/23 Partial response received No Report 495 Inquiry into Commonwealth grants administration 29/6/23 No response to date Time not expired Report 496 Inquiry into the Defence Major Projects Report 2020-21 and 2021-22 and Procurement of Hunter Class Frigates—Interim Report 29/6/23 No response to date Time not expired Report 497 Inquiry into Commonwealth Financial Statements 2021-22 29/6/23 Partial response received Time not expired Report 498: 'Commitment issues'—An inquiry into Commonwealth procurement 9/8/23 Partial response received Time not expired Report 500: Inquiry into procurement at Services Australia and the NDIA—Interim Report 13/9/23 No response to date Time not expired Report 499 Inquiry into the Annual Performance Statements 2021-22 17/10/23 No response to date Time not expired Regional Australia (House, Select) Pride of Place: Inquiry into the future of Regional Australia 31/3/22 No response to date No Road Safety (Joint, Select) Driving Reform: final report for the Inquiry into Road Safety 25/3/22 9/10/23* No Social Policy and Legal Affairs (House, Standing) Inquiry into constitutional reform and referendums 22/12/21 No response to date No You win some, you lose more: Online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm 26/6/23 No response to date Time not expired Tax and Revenue (House, Standing) 2017 annual report of the Australian Taxation Office: Fairness, functions and frameworks—performance review 21/2/19 No response to date No Owning a Share of Your Work: Tax Treatment of Employee Share Schemes 23/8/21 No response to date No The Development of the Australian Corporate Bond Market: A Way Forward 25/10/21 No response to date No 2018-19 Commissioner of Taxation Annual Report 26/10/21 No response to date No The Australian Dream: Inquiry into housing affordability and supply in Australia 17/3/22 No response to date No Trade and Investment Growth (Joint, Standing) The Prudential Regulation of Investment in Australia's Export Industries 17/12/21 No response to date No Australia's trade and investment opportunities in a global green economy 11/10/23 No response to date Time not expired Treaties (Joint, Standing) Report 201: Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 16/11/22* No response to date No Report 202: Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement 18/11/22* No response to date No Workforce Australia Employment Services (House, Select) Your Future Planning—Interim report on ParentsNext 1/3/23* No response to date No Notes [ 1 ] This practice has arisen from a Senate resolution of 14 March 1973, in which the Senate declared its opinion that the government should provide a response to committee reports within three months of tabling. Successive governments have affirmed their commitment to providing such responses. [ 2 ] The Liaison Committee of Chairs and Deputy Chairs agreed at its meeting of June 2023 to recommend removal of all outstanding government responses for House or Joint committee reports presented prior to the commencement of the 46th Parliament (2 July 2019), unless the relevant committee's successor resolved to retain those reports on the schedule. This schedule is reflective of those removals or resolutions to retain the relevant reports. [ i ] The date of tabling is the date the report was presented to the House of Representatives or to the Speaker, whichever is earlier. In the case of joint committees, the date shown is the date of first presentation to either the House or the Senate or to the President or Speaker (if presented earlier out of session). Reports published when the House (or Houses) are not sitting are tabled at a later date. [ ii ] If the source for the government response date is not the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives or the Journals of the Senate, the source is shown in an endnote. [ iii ] The Government has undertaken to respond to committee reports within a six-month period—see House of Representatives Standing Orders, resolution of the House of Representatives of 29 September 2010. This resolution also puts in place additional steps for reports not responded to within that six-month period. The period from when the 44th Parliament was prorogued on 9 May 2016 to the commencement of the 45th Parliament on 30 August 2016 is not included in the response period. The period from when the 45th Parliament was prorogued on 11 April 2019 to the commencement of the 46th Parliament on 2 July 2019 is not included in the response period. The period from when the 46th Parliament was prorogued on 11 April 2022 to the commencement of the 47th Parliament on 26 July 2022 is not included in the response period. [ iv ] On 1 July 2023, the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI) transitioned into the new National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). Accordingly, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity ceased to exist. The oversight of the NACC is undertaken as of that date by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission.