227 
sessions and present reports. At sessions of the full Soviet, the commis- 
sions have the right to present coreports directly after a minister’s 
report.» The Permanent Commissions can also make recommendations 
on improving work to state organs, including the Council of Ministers, 
and the recommendations come under obligatory review.” 
According to a 1966 speech by Podgornyi, the commission system 
was to be strengthened and membership enlarged because of the in- 
creased amount of work and the need to improve discussions on 
complex questions. The draft law on water utilization was given as 
an example of an issue affecting numerous interests in “agriculture, 
industry, power production, fishing, inland shipping, etc.’ which 
should be included in the discussions and work on the bill to insure 
the most rational use.* 
The Commission system was strengthened and the 1967 Decree 
on Permanent Commissions formalized its role. The number of com- 
missions was increased from 5 in each chamber in 1965 to 14, and 
at the present time they include two-thirds of all the deputies. Another 
indication of the commission’s importance is the assignment of Sergei 
P. Trapeznikov, the head of the powerful Central Committee Depart- 
ment for Science, and Higher Education and advisor to Brezhnev, 
as the Chairman of the Permanent Commission for Education, Science 
and Culture.*> Commissions have been established for budget and 
planning, legislative proposals, foreign affairs, industry, transport and 
communications, environmental protection, agriculture and other 
fields.°* Subcommissions of specialists on particular topics can be in- 
cluded in their work. Permanent Commissions have also been 
established at the Republic and lower levels. 
THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS 
The Council of Ministers is the executive managing agency in the 
government for the direction and coordination of the state apparatus. 
The Council and its ministries are the main source of legislation, 
‘and issue decrees and regulations regarding economic and social life. 
The Council is composed of about 50 ministries, a dozen state commit- 
tees, a number of government agencies and councils, and the 15 
chairmen of -the -republic level Council of Ministers. The structure 
and powers of the Council have fluctuated over time, reflecting 
dissatisfaction and experimentation in administration. 
The Presidium of the Council of Ministers serves as an administra- 
tive coordinator and is formed by the Chairman, the First Deputy 
Chairman and a number of Deputy Chairmen. The Presidium has 
highly overlapping membership with the Politburo, possibly indicating 
that it has important functions. The Chairman since 1965 has been 
Aleksei Kosygin. He is a professional administrator and has made 
his career in management. Since 1946 he has also been a candidate 
52 Gilison, p. 110. 
53 See Gilison, p. 106 ff; ““Conquest,” pp. 57-59; Leonard Schapiro, ““The Government and Politics 
of the Soviet Union” (New York: Random House, 1965), pp. 124-125. 
°4 Nikolai Podgornyi, Pravda and Izvestiia, August 3, 1966. Cited by Gilison, p. 112. Q 
*> Eugene Zaleski, “Central Planning of Research and Development in the Soviet Union,” in E. 
Zaleski, J. P. Kozlowski, H. Wienert, R. W. Davies, M. J. Berry, R. Amann, “Science Policy in the 
U.S.S.R.” (Paris: OECD Publications, 1969), p. 50. 
56F. F. Petrenko, “The Party's Development and Improvement of Soviet Society and Political 
System” Voprosy Istorii KPSS, No. 6 (1975). In FBIS, July 15, 1975, p. R. 13. 
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