Since the Tenth Session opened on 28th April 1958 t h e Bureau has held six meetings : 29th and 30th April and 2nd and 3rd May in Strasbourg during the first part of the Session, 30th June in Paris and 4th September in Brussels.
The Standing Committee, which had met on 2nd May before the end of the 1st part- Session, met in Brussels on 4th September.
On 3rd May 1948 (9th Sitting of the Tenth Session) the Assembly decided, at the Bureau's proposal, to hold the second part of its Tenth Session from Friday, 10th October to Saturday, 18th October 1958.
The Standing Committee adopted the Agenda for this part-Session at its meeting on 4th September (see Doc. 844).
On 2nd May 1958 the Standing Committee appointed the Representatives of the Assembly on the Joint Committee in conformity with Rule 46.
Titular members : MM. Dehousse, Chairman ex officio; Badini Confalonieri, Bichet, Edwards, Kraft, Paul, Toncic (and one seat was reserved for Greece).
Alternate members : MM. von Bismarck, Czernetz, De Geer, Goedhart, Karasan.
At its meeting on 19th A p r i lNotethe Bureau had requested the three committees concerned with institutional reform to continue their study of t h e question and to give the Bureau a detailed opinion on the report of the Working Party set up under Order 115 of the Assembly. In accordance with the Bureau's wishes, the Assembly adjourned the discussion of the matter until its October session (see first sitting of the Tenth Session, 28th April 1958).
At its meeting on 4th September, the Bureau continued its examination of the matter in the light of the final opinion submitted by t h e three Committees. It used as a basis for discussion a draft report drawn up by M. Bichet, appointed rapporteur in replacement of M. Teitgen.
After a full discussion, the Bureau decided to submit to the Assembly the report contained in Doc. 845.
In accordance with paragraph 3 of the rules adopted by the Standing Committee on 12th February 1955, the Bureau gave its assent to t h e following meetings:
In view of t he observations made concerning committee meetings with too slight agendas to justify long journeys by their members, the Bureau decided t h a t , in future, requests submitted iby committees in accordance with the rules adopted by the Standing Committee on 12th February 1955 should be accompanied by an agenda and a note by the Clerk explaining the ^object of the meeting.
Since the Assembly divided its annual Session into three parts, the Standing Committee has had virtually only one purpose, to adopt six weeks in advance the agenda of the next part-Session. The Bureau doubts whether it is necessary to hold a meeting of the 32 members of the Standing Committee three times a year merely to adopt an agenda prepared according to the progress of work in committee.
The Bureau has considered measures to avoid the difficulties due to the large membership of the Standing Committee. One solution would be to reduce the membership of the Standing Committee by transforming it into a Committee consisting of t h e President of t h e Assembly, its seven Vice-Presidents, the eleven Committee Chairmen and the three Chairmen of Political Groups; 22 in all. Another, more radical, solution would be to transfer the duties of the Standing Committee to the Bureau.
At its meeting on 4th September, the Bureau expressed itself in favour of the first solution, but decided to invite the Committee on Rules of Procedure to examine the problem and report as it thinks fit.
At its meeting of 4th September 1958, the Standing Committee referred to the Legal Committee the motion presented by Mr. Cunningham and others, Doc. 843, on the payment of foreign money liabilities (Reference No. 219).