SECTION 79

(1) Ministers shall have the right to state in writing that, on grounds of public interest, they are precluded from answering or, in exceptional cases, that they require more time to prepare their reply. Such additional time shall not exceed 8 (eight) days. (2) Where a Minister is absent on 2 (two) consecutive occasions and a question has to be put a third time in open sitting and the Minister is again 39 absent without having answered the question in accordance with the provisions of the preceding sub-sections, the author may expound his question forthwith for a period of not more than 20 (twenty) minutes which may be closed by tabling a draft resolution; such draft resolution shall subsequently be examined first by the Committee concerned and then by the plenary sitting according to ordinary procedure.