COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY (Additional Allotted Days)

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Community Development (Mr S. Dhanabalan): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the motion* standing in my name on the subject of Committee of Supply.

*The motion reads as follows:--

That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders, --

(a) two days, namely, Saturday, 23rd March and Friday, 29th March, 1985 be added to the days allotted for discussion of the Main and Development Estimates for the financial year 1985 in the Committee of Supply; and

(b) Parliament do sit on Saturday, 23rd March, 1985.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the new sitting time of Parliament allows only four hours of sitting a day which is one hour less than the old sitting time. Many Members have filed their amendments for debate in the Committee of Supply and the seven days allotted under the present Standing Orders will not be sufficient to deal with all the amendments. I am therefore moving that Parliament sit for two extra days, one of these days being Saturday, 23rd March, to deal with the amendments submitted for debate in the Committee of Supply.

I would also like to take the opportunity, Mr Speaker, Sir, to inform Members that the afternoon on Friday, 22nd March, has been set aside for debate on amendment to Head U, that is, the Prime Minister's Office. The debate will be on the subject of the salaries of Ministers, political appointees, and the allowances of Members of Parliament. This is a subject that has aroused considerable interest. It was a subject of much controversy during the elections. It has also been touched upon in this House. The Prime Minister feels that it is only right and proper that all the arguments and opinions on the subject be aired in this House. So two hours have been set aside on Friday, 22nd March, for this subject.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders, -

(a) two days, namely, Saturday, 23rd March and Friday, 29th March, 1985 be added to the days allotted for discussion of the Main and Development Estimates for the financial year 1985 in the Committee of Supply; and

(b) Parliament do sit on Saturday, 23rd March, 1985.