PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC - In an unprecedented development Friday, Speaker of the House of Representatives Barry Sinanan referred the Government to the Committee of Privileges for its failure to answer 100 questions on the Order Paper during the current session.

For the past few months Speaker Sinanan had been appealing to the Government to answer the questions filed by Opposition legislators.

But the questions remained unanswered and Friday, Chief Whip Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj moved a motion seeking to have the issue taken to the Committee of Privileges.

"The Opposition members have been severely prejudiced and adversely affected in their duty to scrutinise the Government and to make the Government account to the House," Maharaj said.

Maharaj said the Government's action amounted to an affront to the parliament.

He said the Standing Orders (rules which govern the House’s business) impose a mandatory duty on the Government to answer the questions filed.

"The prime minister, as head of Government and Cabinet, is responsible to the House for the conduct of the government," he added.

Maharaj said the Government's refusal to answer the questions "amount to a continuing breach..."

Speaker Sinanan in his ruling said after careful consideration of the matter, "I am of the view that a prima facie case of contempt has been made out".

In his response, Information Minister Neil Parsanlal said: "It is certainly not a deliberate attempt by the Government to hide information. We try to answer questions in as timely a manner as possible ... sometimes that is difficult. And we understand what the Speaker has done".

Leader of the Opposition, Basdeo Panday said the Speaker's decision was "a miracle".

In the past the Opposition has accused the Speaker of being biased in favour of the Patrick Manning-led government.

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