Deputy Ministers to answer questions

... under special circumstances

Accra, Nov. 7, GNA - Deputy Ministers would only be allowed to answer questions in Parliament asked of their respective Ministers under special and exceptional circumstances.

The Majority and the Minority Whips would collaborate and take a decision whenever the need arises for a Deputy Minister to answer questions in the House.

Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong, the Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, announced this on Friday when he presented the Business Statement for the fourth week ending Friday, November 14, 2003. He explained that sometimes the substantive Minister would be unavoidably engaged in some national assignment and that it might be necessary for the Deputy Minister to perform the duty on his behalf so as not to delay the work of the House.

Mr Owusu-Adjapong said the issue had arisen because the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, some few weeks ago urged Ministers to treat Parliament with some degree of respect by answering questions rather than allowing their Deputies to perform such functions.

The Speaker gave the advice when the Minority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin gave indication that the House was over indulging the practice of Deputy Ministers answering questions instead of the substantive Ministers.

Mr Owusu-Adjapong said during the week the Ministers of Local Government and Rural Development; Education, Youth and Sports; Health; Finance and Economic Planning and the Attorney - General and Minister of Justice would answer questions.

The debate on the Review of the Economic Policy of the Government for the 2003 financial year would begin on Tuesday. The Public Procurement Bill would go through the various stages of passage while reports on the Patent Bill and Banking Bill would be laid. The Finance Committee would lay two reports on loan agreements of 6,670,000 pounds between Ghana and the OPEC Fund for the Anyinam - Konongo Section of the Anyinam - Kumasi road rehabilitation project and 34,580,000 Units of Account (UA) for the Poverty Reduction Support Programme.

The House would also discuss reports on the Presidential Staff for years 2001 (January-December) and 2002 (January-December) as well as the report of the Serious Fraud Office of Ghana for the year 2002. 07 Nov. 03