Chapter 4

1. Interpellations, requests for providing current information, Deputies’ questions and questions on current issues may be addressed to members of the Council of Ministers.

2. The Marshal of the Sejm shall include in the orders of the day of each sitting of the Sejm an item for “current information” and an item for “questions on current issues”.

Article 192

1. A Deputy shall be entitled to lodge an interpellation in relation to significant matters and those concerning state policy.

2. An interpellation shall contain a short presentation of the actual situation to which it is addressed and questions arising therefrom, and shall be relevantly related to area of competence of the person addressed.

3. An interpellation shall be submitted in writing to the Marshal of the Sejm.

4. The Presidium of the Sejm shall decide not to proceed with an interpellation which does not meet the requirements specified in paras. 1 and 2.

5. The Presidium of the Sejm may request that phrases inconsistent with the Deputy's ethic standards be deleted from an interpellation, under pain of non-acceptance of the interpellation.

6. The Marshal of the Sejm shall immediately deliver the interpellation to the person addressed.

7. The Marshal of the Sejm shall inform the Sejm, at the sitting, on interpellations accepted. The text of an interpellation shall be published in the appendix to the shorthand report of that sitting of the Sejm. At the sitting, the Marshal shall inform the Sejm about answers received to interpellations and about the lack of answer to interpellations.

8. A speech of a Deputy

Article 193

1. An answer to an interpellation shall be given in writing no later than 21 days following the day of its receipt.

2. A written answer, accompanied by two copies, shall be shall be given to the Marshal of the Sejm. The Marshal of the Sejm shall deliver to the interpellator a copy of the answer. The text of a written answer to an interpellation shall be published in the appendix to the shorthand report of that sitting of the Sejm.

3. In the event that the interpellator is not satisfied with the response referred to in para. 2, he may apply to the Marshal of the Sejm for requesting additional written explanations from the person addressed, giving the reasons for non-acceptance of the response. Such a request may be submitted only once and not later than 30 days following the day of receipt of an unsatisfactory answer. Additional explanations shall be given by the person addressed not later than 21 days following the day of receipt of the request that additional explanations are provided.

Article 194

1. The right to submit a request that current information (hereinafter called “information”) be presented at the sitting of the Sejm by a member of the Council of Ministers, shall belong to a club or a group of at least 15 Deputies. The provisions of Article 192, paras. 1 to 6 shall apply as appropriate.

2. The request, referred to in para. 1, shall be submitted by 9 o’clock p.m. of the day preceding the day of the sitting of the Sejm, with reasons given and specifying its addressee.

3. The Presidium of the Sejm, after seeking an opinion of the Council of Seniors, shall determine which of the submitted proposals for information is accepted and will be considered at the next sitting of the Sejm. When choosing the subject of information, the Presidium of the Sejm considers, above all, its significance and topicality. It also takes into account the number of members of the club or a group which have proposed subjects for information.

4. If there is lack of uniform opinion of the Council of Seniors on the matter referred to in para. 3, a decision on the choice of information shall be made by the Sejm after the case is presented by the Marshal of the Sejm.

5. The Presidium of the Sejm shall inform the Deputies which of the proposed information will be included in the agenda of a particular sitting of the Sejm.

6. Consideration of information at the sitting of the Sejm shall require presentation of reasons for the request by a Deputy designated by the entity entitled to submit it and the answer of the representative of the Council of Ministers. Presentation of reasons may last no longer than 5 minutes; and the answer to it – no longer than 10 minutes.

7. Information presented shall be subject to discussion.

8. A speech of a Deputy during the discussion may last no longer than 2 minutes; the order of speeches shall be determined by the Marshal of the Sejm taking into consideration that speeches of Deputies belonging to a club, those belonging to a group and speeches of independent Deputies are made alternately.

9. At the end of the discussion, the debaters shall speak in the following order: a representative of the requesters and a representative of the Council of Ministers; a speech of the representative of the requesters may last no longer than 5 minutes and a speech of the representative of the Council of Ministers may last no longer than 10 minutes. The Marshal of the Sejm may give his consent for an extension to the time of a speech of the representative of the Council of Ministers.

10. The time limit set for consideration of an item for “current information” shall be no longer than 90 minutes.

Article 195

1. Deputies’ questions may be lodged in relation to matters of individual nature, concerning internal and external policy pursued by the Council of Ministers and public tasks performed by the government administration.

2. Provisions of Article 192 paras. 2-7 and Article 193 paras. 1 and 2, shall apply, as appropriate, to Deputies’ questions.

Article 196

1. Questions on current issues shall be posed orally during each sitting of the Sejm and a direct answer shall be given to them.

2. A Deputy, by 9 o’clock p.m. on the day preceding the day of the commencement of a sitting of the Sejm, shall inform the Marshal of the Sejm about general subject of a question and its addressee.

3. The Presidium of the Sejm, after seeking an opinion of the Council of Seniors, shall set for each sitting an order of posing questions.

4. The Presidium of the Sejm shall inform the Deputies which of the questions on current issues have been included in the agenda of a particular sitting of the Sejm.

5. In the course of consideration of “questions on current issues” answers shall be given by ministers to whom the questions have been addressed or, in exceptional situations, by persons authorized by them.

6. The item in the order of the day of the sitting of the Sejm for “questions on current issues” shall cover consideration of no more than 11 questions.

7. Consideration of the question by the Sejm shall include presentation of the substance thereof and provision of an oral answer by the person to whom the question was addressed or by the person authorized by that person. The posing of a question may last no longer than 2 minutes, and giving an answer - no longer than 6 minutes.

8. A question and an answer given thereto shall not be subject to discussion. The right to pose additional question shall belong exclusively to the person posing the original question. The additional question may last no longer than one minute, the additional answer - no longer than 3 minutes. The Marshal of the Sejm may give his consent for an extension to the time for answering an additional question.

Articles 197 and 198 are repealed