§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of parliamentary questions which would have been answered directly by him or his Ministers prior to the establishment of executive agencies, are now referred to the chief executive of such an agency. [28493]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordMinisters are accountable to Parliament for all matters concerning their agencies. Written parliamentary questions concerning matters612W which have been delegated to the chief executive of an executive agency in its framework document, normally receive a reply from the Minister to the effect that he or she has asked the chief executive to reply direct to the Member by letter. The chief executive's letter is published in Hansard after the Minister's reply.