REVISION OF QUESTION TIME (Business Motion)

The Leader of the House (Mr Wong Kan Seng): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

"That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders, with effect from this day's sitting until 28th February 2001, -

(a) Question Time may continue for up to one and a half hours from the commencement of a sitting; and

(b) the existing time in Standing Order No. 88(2) be revised from "1.30 pm" to "2.00 pm".

Sir, there have been requests by Members to have more time set aside for Question Time as many Members have asked many questions but there was not enough time for their questions to be reached. In March this year, when the subject was raised I said that we would leave the situation be until the Standing Orders are reviewed. There are currently no urgent matters that warrant a review of the Standing Orders. Hence, to wait for that would take a long time for us to look at this question of Question Time.

Sir, in order to allow for more time for questions, I have therefore proposed the business motion which I have just moved as a temporary measure. Some of the reasons why not many questions could be reached during the one-hour Question Time were that the Members asked too many supplementary questions and my ministerial colleagues sometimes gave very long answers. I hope that Members will try to refrain themselves and keep some of their supplementary questions for other occasions when they make their speeches and that my colleagues will also keep their answers short. Otherwise, even with the additional half an hour Question Time many questions may still not be reached.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

"That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders, with effect from this day's sitting until 28th February 2001, -

(a) Question Time may continue for up to one and a half hours from the commencement of a sitting; and

(b) the existing time in Standing Order No. 88(2) be revised from "1.30 pm" to "2.00 pm".