Speaker must allow for Oral Questions this term
17 July 2014
It was confirmed in the National Assembly Programming Committee this morning that oral questions to the Executive will not be scheduled this term.
These questions were supposed to be scheduled for 30 July 2014 - but it was cancelled because all Presiding Officers are now attending a "Speaker's Forum" thereby preventing the House from sitting.
This is an absolute disgrace. Parliament has a responsibility to discharge its constitutionally mandated oversight functions. This cannot be prevented because of a forum meeting.
It is also contrary to the Rules of Parliament. NA Rule 18 categorically states that "whenever the House has been informed that all the elected presiding officers are unavoidably absent, this House shall forthwith elect one of its members to act as Speaker for that day only".