Section 22
Manner of asking and answering questions
of State Legislative Assembly Standing Orders
(1)
If an oral answer to a question is required, the Speaker, when the question is reached on the Order Paper shall call upon the Member in whose name the question stands. The Member so called shall then rise in his place and ask the question by reference to its number on the Order Paper.
(2)
If a Member asking a question for an oral reply fails to rise and ask his question then any other Member may make the question his own and may rise in his place and ask the question in the matter prescribed above; but if no other Member so rises the Minister or other Member to whom the question is addressed shall send copies of the answer to the Member who asked it and to the Clerk who shall cause the answer to be circulated to Members and to be printed in the Official
Report.
Provided that at any time before the Speaker has called upon the Member who asked the question standing in his name that Member may signify his desire to postpone the question to a later sitting or may withdraw it.
(3)
If a Minister, or other Member who is to answer a question is absent, the question shall if he then be present, be taken after all other questions appearing on the Order Paper have been disposed of. If the Minister or other Member then be not present he shall send copies of the answers to the Members who asked them and to the Clerk, who shall cause the answers to be circulated to Members and to be printed in the Official Report.
(4)
Supplementary questions may be put for the purpose of elucidating an oral answer, but the Speaker may refuse any such question which in his opinion introduces matter not related to the original question, or which infringes any of the provisions of the Standing Order No. 21 (Contents of questions).
(5)
A question shall not be made the pretext for a debate.
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(6)
If an oral answer to a question is not required the Minister or other Member to whom it is addressed shall send copies of the answer to the Member who asked it and to the Clerk who shall cause such answer to be circulated to Members and to be printed in the Official Report.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE ASSEMBLY ON MATTERS OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE