Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Your office or you received prior notice of this point of order. In terms of National Assembly Rule 190, it is the prerogative of the Programming Committee to place items on our agenda. It says that the Programming Committee "must" place items on our agenda. You swore in an affidavit yesterday, Mr Speaker, that the Programming Committee on Thursday did not have the opportunity of changing anything from the Programming Committee of the previous week. The programme from the previous week indicated that this item was tabled provisionally. "Provisionally", in English, means that it has to be confirmed, and it is not on the agenda unless it is confirmed. Therefore, I submit to you that the consideration by the House of this item on the agenda and subsequent items on the agenda are out of order.
Thank you very much. I can confirm I did receive a letter from the hon member. I can also confirm I did respond in writing to the hon member. But let me also say, in terms of the order, as members will be aware, the Programming Committee is responsible for scheduling the business of the House. At the last meeting, on 15 November, the committee did not specifically consider the programme for this week, raising a question about its legitimacy. In this regard, I must point out that the committee is typically presented with and agrees to the programme for a number of weeks and not only for the forthcoming week. As a result, the committee did previously agree to the orders on the programme this week, as the Minutes of 8 November will indicate.
In terms of the orders considered provisional on 8 November - the Constitution Seventeenth Amendment Bill - I can report that, in accordance with practice, this was waiting for the relevant committee to report. Once the report was tabled, the Bill was placed on the Order Paper for the Second Reading today. I therefore urge members to assist the National Assembly to proceed with its business. Thank you very much.
May I address you on a point of order, Mr Speaker?
Yes, hon member.
I did not intend to bring it up, but the Programming Committee did not consider the programme for Thursday, 22 November, and I refer to the Second Reading debate on the Transport Laws and Related Matters Amendment Bill. So, I would like you to please consider that when you consider the programme for Thursday. I thank you.
We will consider that when we consider the programme for Thursday. [Interjections.] Order, hon members!
There was no debate.
Hon Speaker, I move-
That the Report be adopted.
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.