Assembly and open up Ministers and the Premier to live questioning.

Shadow Legislative Affairs Minister John Barritt has put forward a series of reforms to improve the efficiency of the House of Assembly, where repetitive debates often drag into the early hours of the morning.

His proposals include: Ending debates at 11 p.m.; Limiting MPs' speeches to 30 minutes, but principal speakers (Ministers and their shadows) will be exempt; Allowing MPs to question Premier Jennifer Smith and Ministers live.

Currently, Ministers and the Premier only answer questions which have been tabled ten days earlier.

Under Mr. Barritt's plans, MPs would be able to ask questions without notice, or ask them in the morning and have them answered after lunch.

At present, tabled questions must be answered before 11 a.m., but long-winded congratulatory or obituary speeches -- where MPs continuously rise to "associate themselves with the previous speaker'' -- often mean there is no time for Ministers to answer questions.

Written answers are then recorded in the House minutes. And if the questions are answered, there is often no time to ask supplementary questions.

Mr. Barritt said it was suspected past and present Governments had dragged out the congratulatory speeches so Ministers could avoid reading answers and being open to supplementary questions.

"Because of the ten-day notice, these questions tend to be historical as opposed to addressing issues of the day,'' Mr. Barritt said last night.

He said the debate would be more lively and relevant if MPs could question the Premier and Ministers live every week.

Mr. Barritt said a 30-minute limit for speakers other than the relevant Minister and shadow would impose discipline on MPs and their parties.

"On the motion to adjourn, there is a 20-minute limit per speaker and I don't think anyone believes that leads to a curtailment of freedom of speech,'' he said.

Mr. Barritt is also proposing that House committees which are closed to the public and Press such as the Public Accounts Committee and Public Bills Committee be opened up.

He suggests a committee of Government and the Opposition meet with Speaker Stanley Lowe in the chair to better organise the House business to prevent exhausting all-night sessions.

Mr. Barritt wants his suggestions to be passed to the House Rules and Privileges Committee which will make a recommendation to the House.

But any changes would have to be agreed by Government or they are doomed to fail.

Mr. Barritt said his plans, which were based on a study of parliaments in Britain, New Zealand, Barbados and Jamaica, were not definitive, and he would be open to other suggestions.

"The rules of the House haven't been overhauled for a long time, and as someone who sits through long debates, I've often wondered why we can't be better organised,'' he said.

MPs today will also discuss a UBP motion on tourism, a supplementary finance estimate, and routine Marine and Ports legislation.

John Barritt