The National Assembly Standing Committee convened its 19 th meeting in Hanoi on July 10 to review the outcomes of the fifth session and consider initial preparations for the sixth session - the last sitting this year.

Looking back to the fifth session which took place from May 20 to June 21 , the committee’s report pointed to several shortcomings that need to be addressed, including lengthy reports, inconsistent statistics and slow compilation of documents, thus affecting the duration and quality of debates. During question-and-answer sessions, some questions lacked focus while many answers failed to keep to the point.

Regarding the sixth session, which is slated for October 21-November 26, NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said the session will review how the overall economic restructuring scheme and the 2011-2015 socio-economic development plan have panned out as well as set orientations until 2015.

Almost 20 days in the month-long session will be given to law making work, particularly the debate and approval of the draft revised 1992 Constitution and the amended draft Land Law, besides 13 other bills.

The lawmakers will also mull over the implementation of Resolutions on results of hearings held from the second until fifth sessions.

Chairman Hung asked relevant agencies to continue receiving public feedback on the draft amendments to the 1992 Constitution and refining the draft before submitting to the NA for approval.

Noting the significance of the draft 1992 Constitution and the revised Land Law, the NA Standing Committee requested that relevant agencies send related documents to NA deputies as soon as possible so that they will have more time to consider and offer suggestions.

The committee also suggested holding more consultation conferences engaging experts in related field with a view to having quality comments on the draft laws.

In the afternoon the same day, the NA Standing Committee is expected to pass a plan to reshuffle the NA Office and a Resolution on amendments and supplements to the Resolution No. 417/2003/NQ-UBTVQH11 dated October 1, 2013 on the functions, tasks, powers and organisational structure of the NA Office.-VNA