File n° 66 

I. –  a decision-making body: the Questeurs

1. –  An institution which celebrated its bicentenary in 2003

As Eugène Pierre reminds us in his “Traité de droit politique, électoral et parlementaire”, (“Treatise on Political, Electoral and Parliamentary Law”), “representatives of a country have always chosen, from amongst their number, members in charge of overseeing that no material worry might occur which would hinder or block the path of legislative work”.

Thus, as of 1789, the National Assembly set out the tasks of those who would be called Questeurs by the Senatus Consultum of 28 frimaire, year XII (20 December 1803), in reference to the administrative and financial role of the Questeurs of the Roman Republic.

2. – The Questeurs are appointed by their peers

The three Questeurs are elected by M.P.s at the beginning of each Parliament and subsequently every year at the start of the ordinary session, except that which precedes the renewal of the Assembly.

There is in fact great stability in the holding of the office of Questeur.

The appointment of the Questeurs follows a desire for pluralism which takes into account the size of the political groups in the National Assembly.

3. –  The Questeurs have a fourfold role

The tasks of the Questeurs are based on the principle of the financial autonomy of the parliamentary assemblies which was reiterated by the ordinance of November 17, 1958. They are detailed by the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly and the General Instruction of the Bureau.

a)  They Possess Financial and Budgetary Powers

They draw up and carry out the budget of the Assembly. They control all expenditure and all payments. They take the decisions concerning tenders issued by the National Assembly. 

b) They Have an Administrative Management Power over the Staff and the Departments of the National Assembly

c) They Manage the Relations of the National Assembly with the M.P.s and with the Outside

They provide the M.P.s with the premises and the material means necessary to carry out their office. They are members of the committee in charge of accrediting the press and of providing access cards and passes as well as authorizations to photograph and to film.

d) They Oversee Procedures in Cases of Conflict

4. –  The Questeurs take their decisions collegially

The decisions of the Questeurs are taken collegially during Questure meetings which are usually held every week during the parliamentary session and around twice a month outside that period. The collegiality is slightly offset by the existence of a lead Questeur. This position is held, in turns, by each of the three Questeurs for a month.

Each Questeur, in theory, has the right to veto but in practice decisions never require a vote.

The Questeurs’ meetings, which are in addition attended by the two secretaries general and the Director General of Administrative Departments, are also an occasion for numerous exchanges on the administrative operation of the National Assembly.

The Questeurs are only responsible for their management in front of their peers and this through an ad hoc committee in charge of checking and auditing the accounts.

II. –  the preparation and the implementation
of the questeurs’ decisions

In order to carry out their duties and to take the decisions which fall within their remit, the Questeurs can rely on the administrative departments headed by the Secretary General of the Questure and the joint departments placed under the authority of the two secretaries general.

1. – The General Secretariat of the Questure

All the activities of the Questure are coordinated by a deliberately small and lightweight administrative structure which, in addition to the Secretary General of the Questure and the General Director of Administrative Departments, includes only a head of unit and two secretaries.

The Secretary General of the Questure prepares the Questeurs’ meetings, oversees along with the departments the drawing-up of the files submitted to the Questeurs, drafts the minutes, records the decisions and ensures their implementation as well as the publication of the decisions taken, in particular on the Intranet-Extranet sites “577”, for the M.P.s and their assistants, and “Weban” for the staff (in the “Nouvelles de la Questure”- “News from the Questure” section).

After each Questeurs’ meeting, the Secretary General of the Questure and the General Director of Administrative Departments bring together the directors of the relevant departments to inform them of the decisions taken and to set out the practical steps for their implementation.

They often chair the working groups set up to deal with the files involving several departments.

The files which do not fall in the statutory remit of an administrative department are examined and followed by the General Secretariat of the Questure which is placed under the authority of the Secretary General of the Questure and the General Director of Administrative Departments. In addition, the senior clerk, head of the General Secretariat of the Questure is at the disposal of the chairman of the ad-hoc committee in charge of checking and auditing the accounts and carries out the secretariat of this committee.

2. – Administrative departments and joint departments

a) The General Director of Administrative Departments

The General Director of Administrative Departments deputizes, as often as is necessary, for the Secretary General of the Questure. He is, in particular, in charge of coordinating measures concerning the safety and security of the Palais Bourbon and of all the premises of the National Assembly, as well as the implementation of the decisions of the National Assembly, acting in this capacity as contracting authority. He has, under his authority:

―     The Reception, Safety and Security Unit;

―     The Procurement Unit (this unit studies and prepares, particularly in collaboration with the departments concerned, the decisions of the Questeurs as regards tenders issued by the National Assembly);

―     The General Secretariat. 

b) Other Administrative Departments

These departments examine, within the field of their statutory remit, the files submitted to the Questeurs and carry out their decisions:

―     The General Administrative Affairs Department, which includes two units, the Secretariat Unit (advice and information for M.P.s and outside visitors, premises, meeting rooms, communication means etc.) and the Transport Unit (travel office, car pool etc.), manages the various means provided to M.P.s in the exercise of their office. Thus, as regards premises, it is on the basis of a file dealt with by the Secretary General of the Questure and the General Administrative Affairs Department, that the Questeurs and the chairmen of political groups decide upon, during a joint meeting held at the beginning of each Parliament, the distribution of the offices and meeting rooms to be allotted to the secretariats of each political group and to the M.P.s. The General Administrative Affairs Department usually examines, for the Questeurs, the requests for the reservation, especially for the purposes of holding colloquia, of the Lamartine and Victor Hugo conference rooms in the Jacques Chaban-Delmas Building. The same procedure applies for the requests to report or interview outside of the places which are freely accessible to accredited journalists or in M.P.s offices. This is also the case for authorizations to photograph and film in the rooms, corridors and courtyards of the National Assembly. This department also directs or participates in certain investment or communication operations decided particularly by the Questeurs.

―     The Personnel Department manages the human resources of the National Assembly which are made up, in particular, of some 1,350 civil servants. One unit is in charge of recruitment and in-house training whilst a second deals with the status and the management of the staff. A project leader/senior clerk carries out specific studies on staff-related questions.

―     The Purchasing and Material Means Department plays the role of purchaser and manager for the various products and services. It runs the restaurants, the self-service canteens and the bars of the National Assembly and is responsible for the accommodation of M.P.s.

―     The Financial Affairs Department carries out three main tasks:

·   The Accountancy and Treasury Unit monitors and validates the payment orders and revenue receipts signed by the Questeurs, manages the general accountancy of the National Assembly and additional accountancy, as well as following the financial implementation of tenders. The treasury is responsible before the Questeurs for the funds which are granted to it, whatever their nature or form. It thus oversees the maintenance and management of the funds allotted by the state as well as of financial transfers and fixed assets;

·  The financial management of M.P.s and staff of the parliamentary secretariat is dealt with by the Parliamentary Financial Management Unit; 

·    The Budget Unit prepares the draft budget of the National Assembly by centralizing and examining the requests for credits made by the various departments. The draft budget which is passed by the Questeurs determines the amount of credits necessary for the operation of the National Assembly. This amount is then finalized by the Joint Credit Committee, set up by the ordinance of November 17, 1958, which is made up of the Questeurs of the two assemblies gathered together under the chairmanship of a president of a chamber of the Court of Auditors assisted by two of his fellow judges. Once the amount of credits necessary has been finalized, it is transmitted to the minister in charge of the budget and is included in the finance bill. At the beginning of the budget period, the Questeurs decide upon the distribution of the credits between the different budgetary items. The follow-up of the implementation of the budget is then the task of the Budget Unit which monitors the financial commitments and out-goings. As such, it ensures the link between the various departments which manage credits and examines eventual modifications to the initial budget.

―     The Social Affairs Department carries out the administrative management of the health insurance schemes (which are also based on the principle of autonomy) of Members of the Assembly and of people who work there. This department, which is at the same time a social security office with a geographical competence and a pension and retirement office, includes, for this reason, two units:

· The Social Affairs Unit carries out the operation of the autonomous social security scheme for M.P.s and former M.P.s as well as that of current staff and retirees. Each fund is administered by a management committee chaired by a Questeur. The unit is in charge of the implementation of decisions taken concerning social assistance matters and can propose to the Questeurs or the management committees to pay out special allowances or aid;

·  The Pension and Retirement Unit carries out, under the authority of the Questeurs, the administrative management of the autonomous pension and retirement schemes for former M.P.s and former members of staff of the Assembly.

―     The Real Estate and Heritage Department studies and prepares the building programmes and the decisions concerning tenders which have been submitted for the approval of the Questeurs. It also carries out the administrative functions linked to contract management. In addition, it acts as the contracting authority for new building work, for the maintenance of buildings and gardens, for the use of technical equipment and for the conservation of historic sites, furniture and works of art. It has three units: the Management and Heritage Unit, the Engineering, Works and Maintenance Unit and the Architecture Unit.

c) Joint Departments 

―     Amongst these departments is the Protocol and Management Unit which is in particular in charge of managing the credits linked to the international areas of the Assembly and its various bodies.

―     The Information Systems Department participates in the drawing-up of the development programme concerning the computer and technological means necessary for the automated processing and transmission of information and documentation as well as for the dematerialization of administrative and legislative procedures. It has a Management Unit and Technical Poles in charge of applications, production and user support. A coordination mission deals with the conception and the creation of legislative applications.

―     The Archives and Parliamentary Historical Research Department is also one of the joint departments.