Points of Order — Written Questions—Ministerial Responsibility for Independent Bodies Oral Questions—Transfer of Questions NotificationText is incorporated into the Bound VolumePoints of Order — Written Questions—Ministerial Responsibility for Independent Bodies Oral Questions—Transfer of Questions Notification[Sitting date: 04 May 2016. Volume:713;Page:10739. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Points of OrderWritten Questions—Ministerial Responsibility for Independent BodiesCHRIS HIPKINS (Senior Whip—Labour): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I would like to raise an issue with you under Speakers’ ruling 175/3 regarding operational matters and the ability of members of Parliament to lodge questions to Ministers. This is an area where we have raised issues with you before and in some cases you have intervened to require Ministers to answer for operational matters.In relation to the new Education Council which has been established by an Act of this Parliament the Minister of Education has refused to answer any questions—really quite a wide range of questions—that we have put to her on the basis that the Education Council has been established as an independent body. However the accountability back to Parliament still rests with the Minister and if the Minister says that she will not answer questions because the body is set up to be independent Parliament then has no way of holding the Government to account or of questioning relating to that body. So I would ask that you give some consideration to that because it seems to be in clear violation of the spirit of Speakers’ ruling 175/3 which states that although Ministers may have no legal responsibility for something they are still accountable to the House.The final point that I would make is that there are many many agencies and entities that would fall into this category if independence from Government were to become a criterion that allowed Ministers not to answer questions. For example they could refuse to answer any questions relating to the Police if that were to be the standard and I ask that you give that some consideration.Mr SPEAKER: Can I just clarify that the member is raising the question in regard to some written questions?Chris Hipkins: Yes.Mr SPEAKER: Thank you. I will come back to the member. I will give it some consideration and do some investigation and I will certainly at least come back to the member—and maybe to the House if it is necessary.Oral Questions—Transfer of Questions NotificationJAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I was advised just after 1.30 p.m. that question No. 3 to the Prime Minister had been transferred to the Minister of Revenue. This is the second time that Mr Brownlee’s office has failed to advise our office of a transferred questionin time. Given the circumstances I seek leave to have question No. 3 transferred back to the Prime Minister.Mr SPEAKER: No I am not prepared to put the leave. Firstly I was advised at 1.26 this afternoon so I accept the point the member is making: that with any transfer out of courtesy to all members of the House the decision should be made and advised to us a lot earlier than it was. I understand that on this occasion there may have been a slip-up in an office where the decision was made to transfer it but certainly the advice was not given to me—or clearly to the member—early enough. But I want to just refer the member to Speaker’s ruling 169/2 which basically says that the question can be transferred at any moment right up until the time that it is asked. It is the Government’s prerogative to determine whether to transfer the question. I have looked at the question. I have no doubt that it can be answered satisfactorily by the Minister of Revenue so on that basis I am not prepared to put the leave.Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am the acting Acting Leader of the House and therefore a very low form of parliamentary life. I acknowledge what Mr Shaw has said. I will raise it with the office of the Leader of the House and I will accept responsibility for it even though I know nothing about any of the circumstances.Mr SPEAKER: Very very gracious of you sir.