Adjournment-Definite Matters of Urgent Public Importance

(1) Any Member other than a Minister may at the time appointed under Standing Order No. 15 (Order of Business) rise in his place and ask leave to move the adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public (2) A member who wishes so to ask leave to move the adjournment of the House shall, before the commencement of the sitting, hand to the Speaker a written notification of the matter which he wishes to discuss. The Speaker shall refuse to allow the claim unless he is satisfied that the matter is definite, urgent and of public importance and may properly be raised on a Motion for the adjournment of the House. (3) If the Speaker is so satisfied, and either– (a) leave of the House is given; or (b) if it is not given, at least seven Members by rising indicate that they support the request, the Motion shall stand over until 2.00 o’clock on the same day and at that hour any proceeding on which the House is engaged shall be postponed until the Motion for the adjournment is disposed of, or until 3.00 o’clock, whichever is the earlier. At 3.00 o’clock the Motion for the adjournment, if not previously disposed of, shall lapse and the proceedings which have been postponed shall be resumed and dealt with in accordance with the next paragraph of this Standing Order. (4) At 3.00 o’clock or upon the earlier conclusion of the debate upon the Motion for the adjournment, the business which was postponed at 2.00 o’clock shall be resumed and any proceedings thereon, and upon any business standing on the Order Paper for that day’s sitting, shall not be interrupted until 28 Belize Constitution the lapse of a period of time after 5.50 o’clock equal to the duration of the proceedings upon the adjournment Motion under this Standing Order, and that period shall be added to the hours of 6.00 and 6.05 wherever they occur in Standing Order No. 12 (Hours of Sitting).