A Member of National Assembly must give 15 clear days’ advance notice of a question that he or she intends to ask from a minister. This means a question filed today cannot be listed for answer for more than two weeks. The notice period may be reduced only if the Speaker consents with the agreement of the Minister concerned. Questions filed during a session that is prorogued before they are listed for answers are included in the ballot for the next session.
Why it matters for the National Assembly proceedings?
The 15-day notice period exists to give ministers adequate time to prepare factual answers. Parliamentary questions are formal requests for information in a public forum. The carry-over provision for unanswered questions prevents governments from simply proroguing a session to avoid difficult questions.
What is in it for citizens?
If you want your member to ask a question about a specific matter, the question must be drafted and filed at least 15 sitting days before you want it answered. Citizens engaged in advocacy should plan around these procedural timelines.
Source: Rule 70, Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007
The proceedings of the National Assembly are governed by the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. The current rules were passed on 23 February 2007 and have since been amended 21 times, most recently on 22 October 2024.
This post is part of FAFEN’s series on parliamentary literacy. Read more of this series here.
