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Question Period
That part of the
Parliamentary day which attracts most public attention
is the daily question period in the House of Commons.
Any Cabinet Minister may be questioned by any Member of
the House on matters relating to his responsibilities.
Questions may be asked orally without notice or set down
in writing. The first 40 minutes of each parliamentary
day are devoted to oral questions. These relate to the
current issues of the day and are frequently asked in
order to emphasize a matter of public urgency. It is the
Speaker's responsibility to ensure that questions
conform to the rules of order and that as many members
as possible get the opportunity to ask their questions.
It is recognized practice that he favours the
opposition parties in calling on members during the
question period.
The question period
has to a great extent replaced the ancient right of the
citizen to petition the Crown and Parliament. petitions
are no longer an effective method of securing the
redress of grievances. If members are dissatisfied with
a reply to a question they have the opportunity to raise
the matter again between 10:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. |
