§ Mr. Garro JonesMay I ask for your guidance, Mr. Speaker, in a matter affecting the answering by Ministers of Questions for Written Answers? I have put down a number of questions to Ministers for written answers to be given on certain dates, and those dates have passed without any answers being forthcoming. My motive in putting down the questions for written answers was partly out of consideration for the time of the House. Repeatedly the appointed days pass without answers being vouchsafed by the Departments. To-day I observe that a question for oral answer put to a Department which I need not specify has been answered, and that the answer contains matter which would have made a suitable reply to a written question which I addressed to them and which should have been answered about a week 1164 ago. I should be very much obliged if you could indicate whether there is any method by which Ministers could rectify their practice in this matter.
§ Mr. SpeakerI thought that a reply to those questions was sent almost immediately.
§ Mr. Garro JonesI have invariably made it a practice, even when the answers requested are written answers, to give ample time for the answers to be prepared. In this case I gave five days' notice and yet no answer has come, and this has frequently happened in the last few months.
§ Mr. SpeakerI have no power over Ministers in this matter, but perhaps the attention which the hon. Member's question has drawn to the matter will produce good results.