The committee - still trying to recover from months of in-fighting over the multi-billion rand deal - is due to sit into Parliament's recess to deal with the report.

Scopa chairperson Dr Gavin Woods said on Tuesday the report was expected to be made public before Parliament rises on November 16.

The National Assembly's trade and industry, finance, defence and ethics committees were also expected to look into issues in the report.

Auditor-General Shauket Fakie said last week the team was working "flat out" to finalise it before Parliament closed for the summer recess.

The AG is leading the forensic side of the probe into the controversial deal, which also involves the Public Protector and the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

Scopa's draft agenda - put to the committee by Woods - sees members conducting public hearings with the investigating agencies and the relevant government departments during December.

He suggested the committee could release either a final or interim report to Parliament by December 18, although the agenda was still be to discussed by the political parties in the committee.

ANC MP Billy Nair, however, dampened members' hopes of smooth and timely deliberations on the investigators' report.

"I envisage that this will be a long and drawn-out process. If we complete it by the 18th (of December) it will be a job well done. But I don't see it."

He reminded the committee about the acrimony between members over the arms deal.

Scopa's work has been hamstrung this year since an apparent about-turn by the ANC in the committee on whether the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) - then headed by former Judge Willem Heath - should have been included in the probe.

Debate on this and other issues related to the arms deal monopolised committee meetings for most of the first half of 2001 and led to the first Scopa vote since 1994.

The ANC and the opposition Democratic Alliance "strengthened" their delegations in Scopa at the beginning of the year and deliberations since then have largely been divided along party lines, with meetings often leading to angry exchanges.

The committee seemed to be getting back on track but they now face weeks of arduous work on the report.

"I'm not trying to pour cold water over anything, but don't expect it to be a quick-fix matter," Nair said.

The release of the report has already forced the committee to put off an overseas trip to visit their counterparts in countries including England and Germany.

The trip was now likely to take place in January.

Woods said Parliament could stand to lose up to R60 000 - from forfeited deposits paid for hotels and flights - should a suitable alternate date not be found.

With acknowledgment to Sapa and News24.