Debates of 5 Feb 2021

MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
PRAYERS 12:10 p.m.
ANNOUNCEMENT 12:10 p.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 12:10 p.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Hon Members, item numbered 3, Correction of Votes and Pro- ceedings.
Page 1 -- 7
Mr Sylvester Tetteh 12:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, page 7, item numbered 43, I was in the Chamber yesterday but I have been marked absent.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Very well.
Page 8 -- 10 --
Yes, Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
Mr Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin 12:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, a colleague drew my attention to page 7 paragraph 3 of item numbered 5 but I think he is not in the Chamber. I hold the view that the Table Office can make that construction more elegant than it appears because the impression is that the number of Members of this House is 227:
“He also indicated that the test conducted so far revealed that 15 out of 227 Members have tested positive and 56 out of 193 Staff had also tested positive.”
I think it has to be clearer -- [Interruption] -- Page 7, para- graph 3 of item numbered 5.
Mr Speaker, then, the first paragraph of item numbered 5 on page 7, I believe that if the outcome of the test results is inserted, it would also --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Your point is well made Hon Deputy Majority Leader. If it is stated that the test conducted so far revealed that out of 227 Members tested or 227 Members who have taken the test --
So, the Table Office will undertake the appropriate correction.
Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as you said, the 227 relates to the number who had submitted themselves for testing as of that time, then, it turned out that 15 out of that number had tested positive. For the staff, it was the results of 193 that had come which revealed that 56 of that number had tested positive. What it means is that the number of the staff that had submitted themselves was not known to the Hon Speaker at the time he made that statement but certainly, that number would go far higher than maybe 200 or 220. Certainly, the number of staff that had submitted themselves was more than
193.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Very well.
I was on page 9.
Page 10 --
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Charles Acheampong 12:10 p.m.
Sorry, Mr Speaker, to take you back again to page 7, item numbered 5, paragraph 1; I believe the Hon Deputy Majority Leader was drawing your attention to the outcome - There should be “outcome” because it reads:
“The Rt Hon Speaker, informed Hon Members of the COVID- 19 situation in Parliament following the test conducted by Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research on Hon Members and Staff of the Parliamentary Service.”
By inference, there has to be an outcome before the situation could be identified, so, I think there should be “outcome” in the paragraph 1 of item numbered 5 on page 7.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
I am not sure I have understood the point you are trying to make.
Mr Charles Acheampong 12:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, so, for instance, the statement reads, “the test conducted” but there should be an “outcome” because it is not just because the test that was conducted -- [Interruption] -- There is no result.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Very well, your point is well made.
Mr Frederick Yaw Ahenkwah 12:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, item numbered 2 (xiv) on page 10, Hon Zenator has been titled wrongly. I think she is Messrs instead of Mister -- [Interruption] -- Yes, “Dr” but that is “Mr”; she is a female.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Page 10, item numbered 2 (xiv) “Mr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings”? Very well.
Hon Members, any more corrections, please?
Page 11?
In the absence of any more corrections, the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, February 4, 2021 as corrected is hereby adopted as the true record of proceedings.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon Members, Business Statement.
Chairman of the Business Committee?
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 12:20 p.m.
Majority Leader/Chairman of the Committee (Mr Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu) 12:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Committee met yesterday, Thursday, 4th February, 2021 and arranged Business of the House for the Sixth Week ending Thursday, 11 th February, 2021.
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 12:20 p.m.
Arrangement of Business
Formal Communications by the Speaker
Mr Speaker, you may read any available communication to the House.
Statements
Mr Speaker, your good self may admit Statements to be made in the House by Hon Members, in accordance with Order 72.
Papers and Reports
Mr Speaker, reports from Committees may be presented to the House.
Motions and Resolutions
Mr Speaker, Motions may be debated and their consequential Resolutions, if any, taken during the week.
Induction Seminar
Mr Speaker, the Business Committee takes this opportunity to remind all first-time Members of Parliament and re-entrants that an induction seminar has been organised for them. The seminar is scheduled to take place from today, Friday, 5th to Monday, 8 th February, 2021. Members are programmed to check- in at the Aqua Safari Resort, Big Ada, on Friday, 5th February, 2021. The seminar would end in the afternoon of Monday, 8th February, 2021.
Mr Speaker, members of Leader- ship of the House are expected to be in attendance at the seminar. Members of Leadership are accordingly entreated to arrange their affairs to enable their availability at the induction seminar.
Sittings of the House in View of Covid-19
Mr Speaker, following the results received from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research on the
COVID-19 testing carried out in Parliament House and the need for further precautionary measures to avert the spread of the disease, your good self, in consultation with Leadership, has agreed that the House Sits only twice a week.
Accordingly, the Business Com- mittee has programmed that the House Sit on Tuesday, 9 th and Thursday, 11th February, 2021. Hon Members are therefore entreated to take note of the change in days of Parliamentary sittings and avail themselves for business in plenary on the said days.
Mr Speaker, the House is expected to approve of the Composition of Committees in plenary in the course of the week and that may mean that on Thursday, we may have to sit for a much longer period than anticipated.
Mr Speaker, for the avoidance of doubt, it is important to state that there is going to be a new configuration for the Appointments Committee if we come to adopt the new Standing Orders. Because we are not there yet, the Appointments Committee in its current nature and shape would then sit on Wednesday to begin the vetting of nominees but once the review orders are adopted by the House, that Committee would
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 12:20 p.m.
stand dissolved and a new Committee would come to replace that Committee in the performance of the functions of the Appointments Committee.
Conclusion
Mr Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 160(2) and subject to Standing Order 53, the Committee submits to this honourable House the order in which the Business of the House shall be taken during the week.

Statements

Presentation of Papers

Second Report of the Committee of Selection on the composition of the Standing Orders Committee.

Motions

Committee Sittings.

Statements

Presentation of Papers

Third Report of the Committee of Selection on the composition of other Standing and Select Committees.

Motions

Adoption of the Second Report of the Committee of Selection on the composition of the Standing Orders Committee.

Committee Sittings.
Mr Samuel O. Ablakwa 12:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to begin by expressing gratitude to the Chairman of the Business Committee for the presentation of the Business Statement.
Mr Speaker, the first issue I would like to raise for some clarification is the exact status of the new Standing Orders review process. We were told last week that there would be either a joint Caucus or a Committee of the Whole in the course of this week. We were looking forward to that following the laying of the Paper that the Technical Committee that we had set up earlier presented. We were told that that Committee's work had been concluded.
The Committee chaired by Mr Speaker himself, the First Deputy Speaker. It does appear that that original programme is no longer what we are working with and the Hon Majority Leader has not given any indication as to what is happening so
far as the review process is concerned. Hon Members have inputs to make and we are all looking forward to the process. It is not clear where we are on that, particularly when Hon Members of Parliament also want to have these Committees formed so that we can begin work in earnest in the Committees. So could the Hon Majority Leader let us know exactly where we are with the processes that are expected to lead to the new Standing Orders?
Mr Speaker, Order 33 of our Standing Orders provides 12:20 p.m.
“(1) The Clerk shall send to each Member a copy of the Agenda for each Meeting, if possible, fourteen days before the Meeting, and shall, whenever the circumstances require, circulate a Supple- mentary Agenda.”
Mr Speaker, so far, I have not seen an Agenda for this Meeting. I have been looking forward to it and there is no indication when that is going to happen. Ideally, it should be happening before the Meeting commences and it has been more than three weeks, if I am right, into this Meeting and we still do not have an Agenda for this Meeting.
12. 30 p.m.
I do not know if there is some plausible explanation for this development. The Hon Majority Leader may offer some guidance in reference to Standing Order 33 (1), so that we can all be guided as we prepare to function fully and profitably in this Meeting of this Session.
Mr Speaker, finally, I would also want to find out about the seminar for the Eighth Parliament from the Hon Majority Leader. The tradition has been that everybody participates. I believe that it is because of the COVID-19 exigencies that he appears to be starting with only the first timers and the group that he calls the “recycled Hon Members of Parliament (MPs)”. Is there any indication when all of us can benefit from this seminar as has been the tradition, since a new Parliamentary term has commenced?
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.
Dr Sebastian Sandaare 12:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I commend the Hon Chairman of the Business Committee for the presentation.
Mr Speaker, I would like to seek clarification on point numbered 4, which has to do with the Sitting of the House in view of COVID-19. Last
Mr John Jinapor 12:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank the Hon Majority Leader.
Mr Speaker, I just have two concerns. Firstly, is it not possible that even at this seminar or retreat for first timers, we could make zoom or whatever facility available so that it would be virtual, then those who may not wish to be with the numbers can still participate?
In this era of technological advancement, I do not see why -- [Interruption] -- I am saying that concerning the programme for the MPs; the seminar for the first timers, is it not possible that we could introduce a virtual aspect of it so that an MP does not necessarily have to be physically available before he could participate?
Mr Speaker, the second one also goes for this House. In this era of technological advancement, I hold the view that we can have a platform where all our Order Papers and reports would be made available for MPs to upload. Of late, we come to sign our names and virtually go back, but through technology, we could assess what happens in Parliament and even be able to post our questions.
For instance on Fridays, once I receive your Business Statement, if I have questions, I do not necessarily have to come and sit in the Chamber. I could send my comments well in advance, so that we can deal with them. I think that if we can take advantage of this aspect, it would lessen the physical contact and the interaction within the Chamber and anywhere else.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Daniel Ohene Darko 12:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think that I speak for the entire first timers. Since we were sworn in, there has always been this issue of new Standing Orders. For some of us, we have the very old one, and we actually do not know the very mischief that the new Standing Orders seek to cure in the old one.
So, for us, we have the old one, but we do not know what the new would entail. For this reason, we find it difficult to contribute when it comes up for discussion. I am therefore of the opinion that when we go for the workshop at Ada, we should be able to get educated on the various aspects of the old Standing Orders that we would want to change or possibly repeal. So, it is my humble appeal that when we go there, we get educated on those aspects which makes the introduction of new Standing Orders necessary.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey 12:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my humble submission is in regards to the seminar for the new entrants. Based on the information available to us, there is arrangement for a bus to convey all first timers to the event ground, but in the event of COVID-19, I am of the opinion that since we do not know the status of the driver to take us to the event ground, and since the bus might be an air conditioned one, that arrangement may not be the best.
The possibility of spreading COVID-19 during that mode of transportation would be very high. So,
I would plead with the Hon Speaker that they take a re-look at that arrangement for us.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa wants to know the status of the Technical Committee's Report. I think that I related to that, and it is that, that Report must be owned by the Standing Orders Committee. We have not constituted the Standing Orders Committee, so, that Committee cannot report to us in plenary.
It is the Standing Orders Committee that must take possession of this and lead us maybe at the Joint Caucus Committee meeting, which is scheduled to take place. We had thought that it would take place today, Unfortunately, the Hon Speaker did not announce the composition yesterday, which is what is going to be done today. Once it is done, then they would lead the discussion on Tuesday when we meet.
The Standing Orders Committee is the Committee that should lead us in the consideration of any amendment to the Standing Orders, whether it is a holistic review or any amendments. So, that is how it is. It is the reason we are now composing the Standing
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:40 p.m.
Orders Committee, which is Chaired by the Hon Speaker himself. So, that settles it.
Mr Speaker, the other one is in respect to Standing Order 33 (1), and provides that the Clerk shall send to each Member a copy of the agenda for each Meeting, if possible, 14 days before the Meeting commences and shall whenever the circumstances require circulate a supplementary agenda.

Mr Speaker, as my Hon Colleague knows, close to 90 per cent of the Business that we transact in this House is from the Executive. As we know, technically, we do not have them in place which is what exercise we would want to begin next week - the approval process of the President's nominees. It is when they are in place, through the prior approval process that Parliament would subject them to, that, they working from their various Ministries would submit their own work schedule to us which then is what we compose into the agenda.

It is the reason at the beginning of the term of any Government, we cannot have the agenda submitted to Hon Members of Parliament 14 days

before the First Meeting or even the first few weeks into the Meeting until the Ministers are approved of. I guess by this, he is imposing on himself the obligation to fast track the approval process of the nominees.

Mr Speaker, the other one is a question about the seminar. This one is for the first timers. When would the continuing Hon Members also have their turn? Mr Speaker, it is imperative that we begin with the first timers because they have entered the House the first time, and we need to orient them. If we had adequate space, all of us would have been together.

Unfortunately, if we do not so, we would want to begin with them and then the ensuing weekend, the continuing Hon MPs, who have already been baptised and who only need confirmation, would be confirmed. That is if they are real believers. There are some who are not real believers so would not get baptised. Mr Speaker, that is the programme.

Dr Sandaare wanted to know who comes on Tuesday and Thursday. We would not segment attendance. We are imploring the IT Department to work to see if it is possible to have many of us operate from our offices then we shall have a skeletal representation in the Chamber.

As we know, the figures are getting a bit scary. Perhaps, it may become necessary because the tent is much more spacious, we may even move there. We must first assure ourselves of the strength of our IT system. If it is alright, then, not too many would be in the Chamber. So, we are working on that feverishly to see how it ends.

Mr Speaker, I believe that there are some that certainly, we would have to converge and transact business, especially with the vetting process of the Appointments Committee. We do not want to experience any hiccups so that we shall have a smooth flow of the conduct of the screening process.

Hon John Jinapor asked a question and does not want to have an answer to it, but he wants a virtual communication. Mr Speaker, he wants to know whether we would have some virtual presentations at the seminar. We intend for that to happen. Yesterday, we requested our IT staff to go ahead of time and inspect the facilities there so that all of us would not be at the conference room at the same time.

Perhaps, with the first meeting, the Rt Hon Speaker opening the conference, may require many of us

to be there. After that, depending on the strength of the system, all of us would not be at the centre. We would have an arrangement to accommodate virtual presentations and that would be the way forward. They have just reported back to us that what they have seen there can accommodate the virtual submissions. If that is the case, then, we shall submit ourselves to that.

Mr Speaker, if the other Hon Colleague who asked about the status of the Standing Orders listened to me, I related to the processes of handling it. We need to compose the Standing Orders Committee and then, once we have that in place, the technical committee's report would go to them and then, they would lead the House to adopt it after they themselves have convinced and persuaded themselves about the veracity of the report, and whether the observations that they made would be sufficient to lead us on to a better path.

Mr Speaker, the last Hon Member who spoke wants to know the mode of ferrying Hon MPs to Ada, and he said that going in a bus would not be good for the health of Hon Members. If Hon Members have their own means of transport, that would be the best. Unfortunately, many of the new ones do not have their own means of transport so I do not know who else
Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful 12:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am aware that all the infrastructure and the devices that are necessary for the full implementation of electronic Parliament have been supplied and are in place. When we did our registration, each Hon Member of Parliament was given a laptop which is part of the electronic Parliament process.
It is imperative as the pandemic is raging that we take steps towards implementing it, and that would also help facilitate virtual Sittings of the House. I know that it was not part of
the original project design, but we are standing by ready to assist with whatever additional resources are required to enable the virtual Sittings of Parliament.
One main reason the Seventh Parliament could not fully implement this project was because not all Hon MPs were trained in the use of the infrastructure and the services that have been put in place.
I have had conversations with the Clerk-to-Parliament that during the orientation for the Eighth Parliament that could be a means of providing all Hon Members of Parliament with the requisite training to enable the House implement e-Parliament. Now, with the new arrangement being put in place, which necessitates that only first time Members of Parliament attend the orientation programme, it means that those of us continuing Members of Parliament would not have the benefit of the orientation process.
Well, I am being told that, that will also be done but I am hopeful that as part of the training that we were given during this process, the e-Parliament would also feature prominently in it so that we can move towards a paperless Parliament and virtual Sittings as well. As I have indicated, we are ready to facilitate whatever additional requirements are needed to
make that happen and that should set the minds of Hon Members at ease to help us have virtual Sittings of the House and reduce our risk of contraction or transmission of the virus.
Mr Speaker, thank you.
Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh 12:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am grateful. I think two days ago, if you recall, Hon Kofi Adams made a Statement on the floor of the House about the difficulties in the payment for the produce of cocoa farmers. You directed that officials from COCOBOD appear before the Committee of the Whole to clarify issues. Given the urgency of the issue, I believe that it would be in order if this could be attached with some kind of attention in this Business Statement.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 12:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, at the Business Committee yesterday, one important item that was slated for Tuesday, 9th February, 2021 was the Report of the Technical Committee to advise on the formation of the Parliamentary Service Board. I have gone through the Business to be transacted on Tuesday and I cannot find any such thing.
Mr Speaker, this Report is very important and the Committee's advice is also very important. We are in the sixth week of a new Parliament and considering the happenings on whether we are going to go digital or not, much of the decisions will be taken by the Parliamentary Service Board. So, if the Report does not come for the House to expedite action on some of these things, certain things will be delayed.
Mr Speaker, so, if the Hon Chairman of the Business Committee who is the Majority Leader of the House will take cognisance of that and insert it accordingly we would b e grateful. It was part of it and I do not know if it was a typographical error or an oversight.
Secondly, we the old Hon Members were given copies of the proposed Standing Orders and I do not think that the new Hon Members have been provided with copies. As this orientation is about to take place, it will be very important if copies were made available to them so that in their free time, they could peruse it alongside the hand-outs that will be provided. These are the two issues I would want to bring to the attention of the House and the Chairman of the Business Committee.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think the Hon Member for Ablekuma West Constituency has made a good point in respect of the training in assessing information technology infrastructure for Members.
Mr Speaker, we had a bit of challenge in respect of what was supposed to be done by way of completing the process and we brought back Messrs Soulco to help us deal with the outstanding issues. I believe that once we are over that hill, we should be in a position to encourage Hon Members to be doing that.
I believe that it is an important matter going forward so that we are able to conform to the current arrangements.
Mr Speaker, the matter raised by the Hon Member for Juaboso, I think that we tried to contact COCOBOD. We were not successful yesterday but today, we were able to establish contact and we have asked that they come before us and we have agreed
to be with us on Thursday. So, Thursday, perhaps, we will programme them in good time so that even if we have to make way to meet a bit ahead of time so that we exhaust the issue, we will do that. They will be coming here on Thursday but I am not able to tell the exact time.
The normal Sitting time is 2 o'clock, I will see to it that we bring forward our Sitting time a bit so that -- He is not an Hon Minister, the lead person would have to be with us in the Committee on the Whole and not in Plenary. That being the case, perhaps, we may have to bring it a bit forward but that is for Thursday.
Mr Speaker, I agree with the Hon First Deputy Minority Whip; Hon Ahmed Ibrahim. We agreed yesterday to have it feature in the Business Statement and I think it got lost and I was not properly tracing and tracking the matters. So, I am thankful to him. We will certainly find accommodation for that on Tuesday when we meet.
Again, this has to do with the observation that he made on availing the reviewed Standing Orders to the new Hon Members. I think it would have to be done if we are able to
interrogate the matters that will come before us as a House. I think it is a useful suggestion and we will be so guided. Mr Speaker, thank you.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Members, the Business Statement of the Week ending Thursday, 11th February, 2021 is hereby adopted by the House.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon Members, at the commencement of public business -- Presentation of Papers.
Hon Chairman of the Committee on Selection?
PAPERS 1 p.m.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah 1 p.m.
None

Second Report of the Committee of Selection on the Composition of the Membership of the Standing Orders Com- mittee.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
Hon Members, item numbered 7 -- Motion.
Hon Majority Leader?
MOTIONS 1 p.m.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee) 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 80(1) which require that no Motion shall be debated until at least forty-eight hours have elapsed between the date on which the notice of the Motion is given and the date on which the Motion is moved, the Motion for the adoption of the Second Report of the Committee of Selection on the Composition of the Membership of the Standing Orders Committee may be moved today.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim (NDC -- Banda) 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
MOTIONS 1 p.m.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee) 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this honourable House adopts the Second Report of the Committee of Selection on the Composition of the Membership of the Standing Orders Committee.
In so doing I beg to present the Report of the Committee on behalf of the Rt Hon Speaker.
1.0 Introduction
In accordance with Orders 151 and 152 of the Standing Orders of the House, the Committee of Selection met and composed the Standing Orders Committee.
2.0 Deliberations
In its deliberations, the Committee was guided by the Formula adopted by the House on Friday, 15th January, 2021 for the composition of the
Membership of Committees, Parliamentary delegations and other Parliamentary groups and associations.
The Committee was also guided by article 103 (5) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 154 of the Standing Orders of the House which require that the composition of the Committees shall as much as possible reflect the different shades of opinion in Parliament.
3.0 Observations
The Committee made the following observations:
3.1 Review of the Standing Orders
The Committee observed that the House intends to urgently revise the current Standing Orders of Parliament in order to strengthen the work of Parliament itself and its various Committees. This revision is to be done in earnest to ensure the smooth functioning of the House and its Committees.
3.2 Need to Compose the Standing Orders Committee
The Committee observed that Order 157 of the Standing Orders of the House provides that it shall be the
duty of the Standing Orders Committee to draft and codify the rules relating to the procedure of the House and the general conduct of business which shall be observed in the House and in all its Committees.
The Standing Orders Committee is also to consider from time to time and report to the House any proposals for amendment which may be referred to it.
The Committee noted that in order to facilitate the consideration of any proposals or amendments to the Standing Orders, there is the urgent need to compose the Standing Orders Committee, as it is the Committee entrusted with the responsibility of reporting to the House such pro- posals for amendment.
4.0 Recommendations
The Committee after thorough deliberations recommends as follows:
1. THAT considering the need to revise the Standing Orders of the House, the Committee composes the membership of the Standing Orders Com- mittee for approval.
2. THAT the membership of the Standing Orders Committee is made up of the Speaker as Chairman, the Two Deputy Speakers and not more than Twenty (20) other Members as appointed by the Committee on Selection.
3. THAT based the approved ratio of 138: 137 and the Conventions and Practices of the House, the composition of the Standing Orders Com- mittee is accordingly com- posed and is captured in Table 1 below:
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim (NDC -- Banda) 1:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion and in doing so I would make some few comments.
Mr Speaker, this is the composition of the Standing Orders Committee and I want to bring to our attention that this is one of the most important Committees of the House. Mr Speaker, paragraph 3.2 of the Report reads:
“There shall be a Committee to be known as the Standing Orders Committee which shall be in charge of going through the Standing Orders which we use in the practice and procedure of the House”.
So, if there is a Committee that is chaired by Mr Speaker with the two Deputy Speakers as part of the members of the Committee, and they
are charged with going through the Standing Orders, this Committee must be regarded as one of the most important Committees.
Mr Speaker, normally, even though this Committee are established, when we are going through the Standing Orders, we would go ahead and form a technical committee. I believe that the names of the people we have in the Report are very competent people to carry out anything in relation to the Standing Orders of this House.
It shall not be that once the new Standing Orders is passed we would not go through it again. Mr Speaker, if we tell them what they are supposed to do as well as to refer and compare to other best practices, because laws are dynamic, we would not come to the point where we have to review our Standing Orders.
I am 12 years old in this House. Ever since I entered this House from 2009, there has been talks about changing our Standing Orders, we could not do it during the Fifth Parliament but there was a technical committee. During the Sixth Parliament too there was a technical committee but we could not. We are in the Eighth Parliament and even the Seventh Parliament, there was a technical committee.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank Hon Colleagues for the approval and indeed adoption of this Report. That then means that we have properly constituted the Standing Orders Committee but we have always had a Standing Orders Committee. It has always been formed. It is the Committee that really has often dittoed a bit in their work
and that has occasioned the formation of this technical committee, that is, some members of the Standing Committee and then we may include one or two members who are not part of the Standing Orders Committee to reinforce the Standing Orders Committee.
That is what we have always done. Utimately, the responsibility lies squarely on the shoulder of the Standing Orders Committee to lead us if there should be any amendment. That exactly is what is being done.
Mr Speaker, having said that, let me once again, express gratitude to Hon Members. We have another assignment at 2.00 p.m. and I believe the Speaker is going to lead us. The preparatory works have been done by colleagues whom we designated to do that.
On that note, Mr Speaker, I would want to move, that this House do now
adjourn until Tuesday, 9th February, 2021 at 2.00 p.m.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 1:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion for adjournment.
Mr Speaker, I thought the Hon Majority Leader would give some announcement about how the first time MPs are going to Aqua Safari Resort; what time they should be there and all those things as a reinforcement. Once that has been said and I have hammered and you say it has been said already and that they have heard, I second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT 1:10 p.m.
  • The House was accordingly adjourned at 1.18 p.m. till Tuesday, 9th February, at 2.00 p.m.