Manner of Asking and Answering Questions

(1) At the time appointed for the oral asking and answering of questions under Standing Order No. 15 (Order of Business), the Speaker shall call in turn upon each Member in whose name a question stands upon the Order Paper, in the order in which the questions are printed, or in any such other order as the Speaker may on any particular occasion determine. Each Member so called shall rise in his place and ask the question by reference to its number on the Order Paper, and the Minister questioned shall give his reply. 34 Belize Constitution (2) After the answer to a question has been given, supplementary questions may, at the discretion of the Speaker, be put for the purpose of elucidating the answer given orally, but the Speaker may refuse any such question which in his opinion introduces matters not relative to the original question, or which infringes any of the provisions of Standing Order No. 20 (Contents of Questions), and may in that case direct that such question be not reported in the Official Report. (3) When all the questions for which an oral answer is required have been called, the Speaker, if time permits, shall call again any question which has not been asked by reason of the absence of the Member in whose name it stands; in which case another Member may, if deputed by the absent Member, on his behalf either ask the question or request its postponement. The Speaker shall also call again any question which has not been answered by reason of the absence of the Minister to whom it is addressed. (4) A Minister may decline to answer a question, if the publication of the answer would in his opinion be contrary to the public interest. (5) Not more than three questions requiring an oral answer shall appear on the Order Paper in the name of the same Member for the same day, and any question in excess of this number shall not be called by the Speaker but shall be answered as provided in paragraph (7) of this Order, save that no postponement shall be allowed. (6) No question shall be asked after 11.00 o’clock in the forenoon, except any question which the Speaker has allowed to be asked without notice under paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 19 (Notice of Questions). (7) Questions which have not received an oral answer by 11.00 o’clock in the forenoon shall be answered in writing by the Minister to whom the question was addressed, and copies of Belize Constitution 35 the answer shall be sent immediately after that hour to the Clerk of the House, who shall send a copy to the Member in whose name the question stood upon the Order Paper and shall cause the answer to be circulated with the Minutes of Proceedings, unless at any time before 11.00 o’clock in the forenoon a Member having a question on the Order Paper but whose name has not yet been called by the Speaker signifies to the Clerk at the Table his desire to postpone the question to a later sitting or to withdraw it.