New Duma may set up over 30 committees - source

MOSCOW. Sept 28 (Interfax) - There will be 32 committees in the 8th State Duma, compared to 26 in the previous parliament, as well as one additional commission, an informed parliamentary source told Interfax.

"The number of committees will grow to 32, as certain committees of the 7th Duma will be divided," the source said.

For instance, the Transport and Construction Committee will be divided into the Transport Committee and the Construction, Housing and Public Utilities Committee. The Science and Education Committee will be divided into the Education Committee and the Science and Higher Education Committee, and the Committee on Physical Education, Sports, Tourism and Youth Affairs will be divided into the Physical Education and Sports Committee, the Tourism Committee and the Youth Policy Committee, the source said.

The Control and Regulations Committee will also be divided. The new Duma will have the Control Committee, while regulations will be overseen by a commission that might be chaired by United Russia deputy Viktor Pinsky.

There is also to be a new Committee on the Protection of Competition.

The previous Duma had the Committee on Natural Resources, Property and Land Relations. Some of its functions will be assigned to the 8th Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection that might be chaired by United Russia deputy Olga Timofeyeva. The rest will be covered by the new Committee on Property, Land and Property Relations.

The Committee on Economic Policy, Industry, Innovative Development and Entrepreneurship will be divided into the Economic Policy Committee, the Industry and Trade Committee, and the SME Committee.

The United Russia faction will head at least 15 committees, the source said, adding that the opposition would have leading positions as well. For instance, A Just Russia - For Truth will head four committees, and the Liberal Democratic Party and New People will head one or two committees each.