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{
    "id": 1025515,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1025515/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 211,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Well, I recall that you were in the Chamber quite early, almost near your usual position. I noticed that you were here. More importantly, I wonder whether Chairs feel challenged. It is because the best thing would be that these Statements, if for one reason or other you are not able to get the Member, make sure that there is a copy or copies at the Table Office. It used to be called Room 8 long ago. It is now called the Table Office. That is so that Members who have sought Statements and also asked Questions but have not appeared before committees can be told to go to the Table Office where you will find the responses. That is so that, even as the Members come to Parliament, they first pass through the Table Office. It looks like an ambush, in fairness. There is a Statement which has been read here. I almost stopped the Chair who was reading it. It was too long and detailed. It was about breastfeeding, injection and vaccination, a lot of stuff. Now you cannot know which Question you will be asking about vaccines or who was giving birth, antenatal and all those things. A lot of stuff – postnatal, antenatal. You do not even know because you just come and hear it here. If the Member who had requested the Statement had been given the opportunity to pick that Statement from the Table Office, he would have read through and even prepared himself to ask questions relating to areas which he felt have not been covered. Now you come and read for 20 minutes a Statement which touches virtually all manner of clinical medicine. It becomes very difficult. The Statement that Hon. Koinange read, I am sure if Hon. (Prof.) Oduol was around when you began, you would specifically go to some of the areas about what she has just said about the sale of liquor. She would, of course, also have known that part of it has been addressed by the closure of bars, as you have said in your Statement. Then, professor would have been asking you about other areas. You see now, she did not know that you are going to read out the Statement. It was not provided there in the Table Office. I think it is going to be a directive now. All these Statements must have a copy or copies in the Table Office. In fact, not a copy but a few copies because it may be necessary that other Members who may be interested can also get a chance to read through them. In fact, the Office of the Leader of the Majority Party, the Office of the Whip, the Office of the Leader of the Minority Party, the Office of the Deputy Leader of the Minority Party and all of them may wish to also know what it is that has been provided. That way we will be doing service to the House and these processes. Henceforth, the Clerk will issue that instruction to all the Chairpersons – whenever there is a request, make sure there are copies. That must be communicated. The Chairperson has the obligation, both yourselves, the Leader of the Majority Party, the Leader of the Minority Party and the Whips to communicate also to the ministries that those Statements must be provided in good time so that there will be sufficient copies made in the Table Office. That is so that as many people as desired can get a chance to read them. More often than not, there should almost invariably be a copy to the Office of the Leader of the Majority Party and the Whips. It is important. That is how you will be able to coordinate the things that are happening here which will eventually land here but are coming from the Executive. The Clerk is directed to make sure that instruction is followed. Hon. Wanga, do you want an intervention?"
}