Williams Poto: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWilliams Poto: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 25 August 2015. Volume:708;Page:6085. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.POTO WILLIAMS (Labour—Christchurch East) to the Member in charge of the Social Workers Registration (Mandatory Registration) Amendment Bill: Why did she draft the Social Workers Registration (Mandatory Registration) Amendment Bill?CARMEL SEPULONI (Member in charge of the Social Workers Registration (Mandatory Registration) Amendment Bill): Currently anyone can call themselves a social worker without having any qualifications or being registered with the Social Workers Registration Board. At the 2013 census over 18000 people classified themselves as social workers. However there are currently only 4700 registered social workers. This bill will provide New Zealanders with the assurance that anyone working as a social worker in their schools and communities with their children and families has the relevant qualifications and experience—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! Answers must be brief.Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Earlier today I raised a point of order with you about whether the Prime Minister’s answers were in fact succinct as required. Not only did he give a very long answer but you then invited him to continue the answer after that point—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. These are questions to members and the way that I see them being used I can see a discussion occurring at the Standing Orders Committee before too much longer about whether they are necessary. If they are simply a means of raising publicity on a bill that is placed on the Order Paper I can see that being questioned by members. [Interruption] I do not need assistance from the member. The question has been answered. I will allow one short supplementary question from Poto Williams and an equally short answer.Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Can I just clarify: I have given a ruling on this matter. If it is a new fresh point of order I will hear it.Chris Hipkins: It is a point of clarification.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am not interested in a point of clarification. I have ruled.Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: If it is a fresh point of order—[Interruption] The member will just resume his seat. I am not interested in a point of clarification. If it is a fresh point of order I am happy to hear it but if I deem that it is not a fresh point of order I will be asking the member to leave the Chamber.Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Does the ruling that questions cannot be used to promote bills apply to Government bills as well?Mr SPEAKER: I cannot see what that point of order is apart from seeking to clarify the answer that I have just given. [Interruption] Order!Poto Williams: What concerns—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! If I get another interjection from Chris Hipkins he will be leaving the Chamber for the balance of the day.Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Does your ruling in respect of members’ questions not being able to ask about support for bills—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. I clarified earlier that in my mind when we are seeing a number of times these questions being asked that are simply a means of promoting a member’s bill I think that we are in danger of the Standing Orders Committee reconsidering the value of such questions. I am perfectly entitled to make that statement. It does not change the fact that these four questions are on the Order Paper. They can be asked but they are to be asked in accordance with the Standing Orders.Hon David Parker: Point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. I just want to give him the same warning that I am giving other members in this House. I have ruled on this matter. If the member attempts in any way to relitigate my question or to seek further clarification when I have been absolutely clear then I will equally be asking the Hon David Parker to leave the Chamber.Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I was not challenging your ruling; I accepted that ruling. I put a different question and that was whether the same rule applies to Government questions in respect of Government bills. That was a different point of order which you have not addressed.Mr SPEAKER: No clearly the same rules would not apply.Poto Williams: What concerns were raised with her during the drafting of the Social Workers Registration (Mandatory Registration) Amendment Bill—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am going to ask the member to repeat the question because I could not hear it.Poto Williams: What concerns were raised with her during the drafting of the Social Workers Registration—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Carmel Sepuloni—what concerns.CARMEL SEPULONI: I will outline just two. One of the concerns raised was that the instances of misconduct were significantly higher amongst unregistered social workers. Parliamentary Library research compiled on this issue showed that of the 17 cases of misconduct reported in the media over the past 10 years 16 of those 17 cases involving social workers involved unregistered social workers. Also there was a concern raised that the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Education do not collect information on whether or not the social workers delivering the Social Workers in Schools programme operating in low-decile schools—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The answer is too long.