the portfolio committee held a video conference with the parliament of the uk regarding issues of climate change in order to learn from other countries on how to deal with issues of climate change in a country as representatives of the citizenry and through their oversight functions and constituency offices parliaments are in a better position to identify and respond to societal needs parliamentarians are also responsible for holding the executive and government to account by overseeing their work and ensuring that they do not infringe on the rights of citizens and waste state resources the oversight work also affords parliamentarians an opportunity to make informed decisions on issues of national importance