At the first meeting of the Presidium a chair is elected and decisions reached regarding the selection of deputy secretary-generals, meeting agendas, voting procedures for particular bills, the deadline for the deputies to put forward bills and proposals and a list of the non-voting delegates who may also attend NPC.

The major responsibilities of the subsequent meetings of the Presidium will be to:

• nominate candidates for those top state offices which are subject to election at the NPC session (the official candidates will be determined later by the majority votes of deputies after discussion among the delegations);

• decide which bills and proposals are to be passed directly to the delegations and which should first go through a committee and report stage before returning for further review (these may be brought forward by the NPC Presidium, Standing Committee, special committees, State Council, Central Military Commission, Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate or by one of the delegations or by a petition by more than 30 deputies and all have to fall within the NPC terms of reference);

• schedule the progress of the various bills for consideration by the delegations;

• decide on the procedural arrangements for considering proposals concerning dismissal from office and inquiries brought forward by the various delegations and deputies;

• decide on the procedural arrangements for the various elections;

• decide on the voting arrangements for the various bills.

However a special meeting of the Presidium with delegation heads present would be required to:

• decide if any session of the NPC should be conducted as a closed meeting;

• decide on matters concerning the arrest and trial of a deputy while the NPC is in session.