§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what savings his Department would make were no notice given of oral questions to Ministers and they were answered without civil service time being used on briefings.
§ Miss WiddecombeNo savings would be made and costs could increase because officials would have to brief Ministers on the whole range of subjects which could possibly arise.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average length of time taken and the average cost involved of officials' time in his Department preparing ministerial briefs for oral parliamentary questions.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe time taken to prepare ministerial briefs for oral parliamentary questions is not routinely recorded in this Department, although estimates would be made if the disproportionate cost threshold, currently £250, were likely to be exceeded for an individual question. However, the current estimate of the average cost throughout all Departments of answering an oral question if £99, on the basis set out in the reply of my right hon. Friend the Lord President to the hon. Member on 19 December 1990 at column163.