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Attendance by the Minister and Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs
to National Assembly Sittings to Reply to Questions NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR
WRITTEN REPLY QUESTION NO: 966 PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION
PAPER NO 20 OF 10 JUNE 2005
Mr L B Labuschagne (DA) to ask the Minister of
Foreign Affairs: (1) On how many occasions since 10 May 2004 until 30 June
2004, when oral questions to her department were scheduled for reply in the National
Assembly (NA), did (a) she and (b) her two Deputy Ministers attend the NA sitting
to reply to questions;
(2) whether there were any occasions during that period
when (a) she and/or (b) her two Deputy Ministers were not available to attend
the NA sitting to reply to questions to her department; if so, (i) on what dates
in each case, (ii) on what date or dates (aa) was her Ministry informed that questions
for cluster 1 were scheduled and (bb) did she and/or her Deputy Ministers schedule
other engagements and (iii) why did she or her deputies not make arrangements
to be available for question time in the NA;
(3) whether she has taken a decision
not to make herself available for oral questions in the NA; if not, (a) why does
she never attend such sessions and (b) when does she next intend to be available
for oral questions; if so, (i) why and (ii) how does she reconcile this decision
with clause 92 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act, Act 108
of 1996?
N1321E REPLY: 1. It is my understanding that there
were no Oral Questions for the Peace and Security Cluster scheduled for the period
10 May 2004 to 30 June 2005. 2. I have no recollection of any of my deputies
missing Question time when scheduled to answer Questions on my behalf in Parliament.
3. As you would appreciate, South Africa's international obligations require
me from time to time to be out of the country. This does not only happen during
Parliamentary Question time but also during Cabinet sittings and the honourable
member should understand since he has been an official in the Department of Foreign
Affairs until a few years ago.
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