TIME TAKEN TO ANSWER PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

Early day motion 1695, tabled 23 July 2002 by Lord Stunell (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 29 members.

That this House notes that despite Early Day Motion 869 on the time taken to answer written parliamentary questions and the subsequent suspension of a Department of Health official for falsification in recording the handling of parliamentary questions in the Department's parliamentary section, the Department of Health's record for answering parliamentary questions is still poor; further notes that the department blamed a civil servant and aimed to provide timely and accurate responses to parliamentary questions yet has failed in its stated objective; further notes that despite assurances by the Secretary of State for Health that the timeliness of parliamentary answers would be externally monitored, the President of the Council had made no assessment by 2nd July of the evidence of delays provided to him by the Library on 1st May; and calls upon the House to consider a cut in the pay of any Minister who consistently fails to provide adequate and timely answers to parliamentary questions.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 24, Labour 2, Plaid Cymru 2, Conservative 1.