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{
    "id": 354575,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/354575/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 38,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "It should be drawn to Members’ attention that unlike other Parliaments before, the committees will be as good as Ministries. Therefore, Members will only participate effectively if they belong to committees. So, during that meeting, we were drawn to that need and we decided to look at ways of amending the Standing Orders in order to increase the numbers. We looked at many ways of approaching this House in order to create those numbers and we settled on three. One, it was agreed that the Procedure and House Rules Committee can propose amendments at any particular time. Secondly, an amendment can be made through a Member’s initiative. Thirdly, like it was done in the last Parliament, there is always an opportunity for periodic review by the Procedure and House Rules Committee. Hon. Speaker, Sir, we understand that the Departmental Committees are 12 in number. We have in mind a situation where we want to increase them to be able to accommodate 348 members. That, therefore, means that we did not consider the Deputy Speaker who probably will not be participating in many committees. If that is approved by this House, every single Member of this House will be in one Standing Committee. We also decided that we increase the other committees so that Members can also serve in Select Committees and, probably, the audit committees. We proposed these amendments. Further, we also took note of the fact that the Speaker is severely overwhelmed by work in this House. For example, we have been informed today that the Deputy Speaker is unable to assist the Speaker because of the situation that she is in. The Standing Orders as they are cannot allow anybody else to assist the Speaker. We also looked at Standing Order No.18 in order to allow the Chairpersons Panel, from time to time as directed by the Speaker’s Office, to assist when there is requirement for that. The first standing order that we looked at was Standing Order No.18 and we are requesting the House to resolve and amend the Standing Orders, First Edition, 2013. We are moving that Standing Order No.18 be amended as follows:-"
}