General News of Saturday, 18 June 2011

Source: GNA

Parliament asks the Executive to handle business of the House with dispatch

Accra, June 18, GNA - Papa Owusu Ankomah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Sekondi, on Friday urged the Leadership of Parliament to let the Executive handle the business of the House with a sense of urgency.

He said the issue about ministers of state appearing before the House to answer questions has been a contentious matter, since the coming into force of the 1992 Constitution.

Papa Ankomah was speaking after the business statement was presented by Mr Rashid Pelpuo, Deputy Majority Leader, after which Mr John Agyabeng, MP for Agona East complained that questions he intended to ask on the floor of the House have not been listed. Papa Ankomah noted that the business statement should reflect the agend= a of the House, adding that there should not be any instinctive reaction to suit the Executive.

Mr Pelpuo said the Leadership would communicate with ministers and insist that they appear before members to answer questions. Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, MP for Aburi-Nsawam, said there should be synchronisation of the time questions were asked and the time they were answered in order not to loose their relevance. Meanwhile on the order paper for Friday June 17, there was no question to be asked. Members only dealt with the Law Reform Commission Bill, 2010 which is at the consideration stage.