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{
    "id": 1052668,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1052668/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 217,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Hon. Millie, I am certainly in sympathy with those sentiments. Part of the reason why we, as the House Business Committee, resolved to have these extra sittings on Tuesday and Thursday evenings is so as to address the issue of Private Members’ Bills. The problem has been this: When Wednesday mornings were set aside as the days to consider Private Members’ Bills, we did not have the presidential system of governance that we have today, where about 99.99 per cent of all Bills originating from the Senate would be from private Members and then with 349 Members in this Chamber, we are still stuck with Wednesday mornings as the days reserved to consider Private Members’ Bills. It is not tenable certainly. Indeed, it is within Members’ power to see how to address that problem because as you say, they are very many. I have been seeing them almost every day. There are so many private Members’ legislative proposals, some of which have progressed, as you rightly pointed out, into Bills, but they have still not seen the light of the day. Had the HBC, again, in its wisdom not seen the need to save them at the end of the last Session, many of them would have died. It is a very unrealistic thing to have found ourselves in. It is not a very good thing for us, as a House, to encourage. So, Hon. Millie Odhiambo, your point is valid but I have time, without number, called on chairpersons of committees to, please spare some time to consider many of those proposals that have come from colleagues. Even if you are Chair of a Committee, you could also originate a Bill. How will you feel when you are told that another Committee to which it is referred is either “sitting”, “sleeping” or “walking” on the Bill? We must be able to encourage one another. There are so many of those Private Members’ Bills. I only hope that the House will rise to the occasion on those evening sittings to consider many of those Bills. This is because one of the reasons for us to set aside those evening sittings is to be able to attend to many of those Private Members’ initiatives. Obviously, there will be one such sitting this evening. Hopefully, Members will be available. If you are not there also, again, you cannot eat your cake and have it. You must be present to prosecute those Bills and make amendments. There are many proposals that I have The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}