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{
    "id": 882834,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/882834/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 74,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Well, Member for Chepalungu, this is prime time. It is good time for him to make his contribution. Hon. Member for Chepalungu, the system that is there is one in which, rather than the Question being directed to the Chairperson of the relevant Departmental Committee, it is directed to the CS who then appears before that Committee at which the Member will appear and prosecute his or her Question. There is value because the people of Chepalungu must know whether you ask or raise any issues that concern them or if you deal with very national and international issues. It is important for the people of Chepalungu to know whether you care about the roads, bridges and all those things that concern them. They need to hear you raise it here. Then, where possible, they can then see you prosecuting the matter on their behalf when the CS appears before the Committee. I think it is important. The previous system which we found when we came to the 11th Parliament was directing the Questions to the Chairpersons. The Chairpersons cannot respond to you. For instance, the gentleman seated behind you who is the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Transport, Public Works and Housing will not answer if you ask him about a particular road in Chepalungu. He may not know. He would be given a written reply which he reads here and you will say it is not satisfactory. But, he is not the one who generated the answer. It is for that reason we decided to introduce that. Even as we wait for what you seem to desire and for which I heard some Members applauding you, we needed to get something in-between. So, it is important that the people you represent here see that, indeed, you have taken the issues they may have raised with you during the weekends or holidays and that you are raising them on the Floor of the House. Subsequently, you will then go and prosecute the matter before the Committee. The Chairman of the Committee and the CS will be there to respond. You can now grill the CS before the Committee, as we await for that which you seem to desire. Hon. Members, I hope these interventions are not about this. There is nothing to debate. You know, I apply the Standing Orders very strictly. This is not business. It cannot be that is what we are going to discuss. If you want, as I said last week, write your recommendations to the Committee on Procedure and House Rules. That is if you desire any changes. There is no point raising it here because that is not the method of changing the Standing Orders. Again, read the Standing Orders themselves. They provide you a roadmap of how to amend the Standing Orders, from time to time or at the tail end of a Parliament. I appreciate that it is something that could excite a few of us. But, why would we want to be excited for nothing when we could do serious business? So, let us not go to it. I can see a few of you want to say something. Of course, the Member for Tiaty is always very excited about this one. The nominee 001 would really want to support you now that he is seated next to you. Let us go to business. Next Order."
}