HC Deb 14 November 1989 vol 160 cc144-5W
Mr. Fisher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many(a) oral and (b) written questions were asked of his Department in 1988–89.

Mr. Eggar

There were 1,342 oral and 1,600 written parliamentary questions asked of this Department in 1988–89.

Mr. Fisher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many written parliamentary questions to him in Session 1988–89 received answers that the information(a) was not available, (b) was not separately recorded, (c) was not centrally recorded, (d) was not recorded in Government statistics or (e) could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Eggar

To provide the information in the form requested would involve manual scrutiny of some 3,000 replies to parliamentary questions; I regret, therefore, that it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

It is, however, this Department's practice to supply substantive answers to questions wherever possible.

Mr. Fisher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the cost to his Department of answering parliamentary(a) oral and (b) written questions in the parliamentary Session 1988–89.

Mr. Eggar

This information is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Fisher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many written parliamentary questions he refused to answer in the parliamentary Session 1988–89.

Mr. Eggar

My right hon. Friend has not refused to answer any parliamentary questions in the parliamentary Session 1988–89.