§ 4.5 pm
§ Mr. Jeff Rooker (Birmingham, Perry Barr)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I regret having to detain you and the House on a matter relating to an unanswered parliamentary question. During the Christmas recess—well before 8 January—I tabled a written question to the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the national debt, for answer on Monday 13 January when Parliament resumed. It was duly printed on the Order Paper as Question 595. On Tuesday 21 January, I telephoned the office of the Economic Secretary about the non-appearance of the answer and I was informed by an official:
The parliamentary question is currently with the Chief Secretary and should be answered within the next couple of daysIt is now Wednesday 29 January—eight days later—and I have not received an answer. In fact, I never received a holding answer to the question. The new guidance on answering parliamentary questions entitled "Basic Dos and Don'ts", which was produced as a result of the Scott report, is clearly not being followed by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury—a man who has paid scant regard to accountability.Madam Speaker, there is not much more that I can do and I do not know what you can do. However, I have waited two and a half weeks for an answer to a written parliamentary question tabled during the recess and have received no holding answer, even though the new instructions make it clear that Ministers must not circumvent Parliament, must not avoid answering questions and must give truthful answers—even if they are embarrassing. It is beyond belief that we must wait this long for an answer. Is there anything else that I can do, Madam Speaker?
§ Madam SpeakerI am very grateful to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) for giving me a little notice of his problem. I share his view that it is totally unacceptable that the House and hon. Members should not receive even a holding answer more than two weeks after the event. That is stated not only in guidelines, but in Standing Order No. 18(4), which clearly provides that Ministers shall answer questions tabled for a named day—I believe that the hon. Gentleman gave a named day with his question—
on the date for which notice has been given.I seek to ensure that the Standing Orders are observed. I hope that right hon. and hon. Members on the Treasury Bench will report my remarks to the appropriate Department without delay.