( L - R ) Samuda, Shaw

On Tuesday, Speaker of the House of Representatives Delroy Chuck, rushed to the defence of tardy parliamentarians who registered high levels of absenteeism from October 2007 to March 2008, covering a total of 48 parliamentary sittings.

Chuck, in criticising an article published in The Sunday Gleaner (which pointed to the number of times parliamentarians failed to attend sittings of the House) claimed that, about 90 per cent of the time members of parliament, particularly government ministers, tendered apologies for their absence when on official government business.

Below is a summary of attendance at the House of Representatives for ministers of Government. The period under review is October 2, 2007 - July 22, 2008.

The attendance records of the Leader of Opposition, Portia Simpson Miller, as well as the Leader of Opposition Business in the House, Dr Peter Phillips, are also included.

Attendance records

Mike Henry, minister of transport and works - missed 13 sessions and has apologised eight times.

Dr Horace Chang, minister of water and housing - missed two sittings and tendered no apology.

Andrew Holness, minister of education - missed two sittings and apologised once.

Olivia Grange - minister of Information, Culture Youth and Sports - missed four sittings; apologised once.

Karl Samuda, minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce - missed five sittings (twice due to government business) and has apologised three times.

Rudyard Spencer, minister of Health - missed six sittings and has apologised four times.

Clive Mullings, minister of Energy - missed six sittings and has apologised four times.

James Robertson, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister - missed eight sittings and has offered no apology.

Dr Christopher Tufton, minister of agriculture - missed nine sittings and has apologised once.

Ed Bartlett, minister of tourism - missed 23 and has apologised 18 times. (No record of him being on Government business)

Joseph Hibbert, state minister in the Ministry of Transport and Works - missed one sitting. Did not tender an apology.

Robert Montague, state minister - Office of the Prime Minister - missed two sittings and has issued no apology.

J.C. Hutchinson, state minister in the Ministry of Agriculture - missed five sittings and has apologised three times.

Michael Stern, minister of state in the Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce - missed five sittings and apologised once.

Shahine Robinson, state minister - Office of the Prime Minister - missed seven sittings and has offered no apology.

Daryl Vaz, state minister - Office of the Prime Minister - missed seven sittings and has offered no apology.

Laurie Broderick, minister of state in the Ministry of Mining and Telecommunications - missed seven sittings and has offered no apology.

Audley Shaw, Minister of Finance and the Public Service - missed 10 sittings (four times due to Government business) and has apologised five times.

Opposition

Portia Simpson Miller, leader of the Opposition - missed 13 sessions and has apologised twice.

Dr Peter Phillips, leader of opposition business in the House - missed 10 sessions and has apologised once.